Can't Reinstall WinXP-Does not boot to CD

Question

I'm trying to help a friend reinstall WinXP-Home on his Dell Dimension 4600.

I think I'm following the reinstall OS instructions properly, but I'm no expert.

With the Dell Reinstallation CD in the CD Trey, when I boot-up and hit F12, I get the menu to select the CD Drive(and I select the CD Drive) but it just keeps booting to Windows. I never get to the message "Press any Key to Boot..."

I've also tried changing the Boot Sequence in the BIOS to have the CD Drive first but that makes no diff.

I saw a setting in the BIOS "OS Install Mode = ON or Off", I tried both On & Off with no success to get XP to Boot for reinstall

One of his CD Optics drives does not function but I'm using the one that does. When in Windows after boot the CD will autostart and show the WinXP install Options on the CD so I can only guess that the drive and XP Disk are in working order.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there anything else I might try?

Thanks for any help with this exasperating issue :)

Here's the instructions from the manual I'm following:

Booting From the Operating System CD
1 Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2 Insert the Operating System CD. If any program starts automatically, exit the program
before proceeding.
3 Shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page27) and restart the
computer.
4 Press immediately after the prompt appears in the upper right corner of the
screen.
If the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Windows desktop, and
then shut down the computer and try again.
5 Press the arrow keys to select CD-ROM, and then press .
6 When the Press any key to boot from CD message appears, press any key.

mombodog · Answer

Dell uses cable select jumper setting on all drives (sata not included), so it is the position on the cable that determines Master/Slave.  Dell uses the master (end position) as the only bootable optical drive, and yours was dead.   Glad you got it going.  :smileyhappy:

BELL BOY · Answer

It may be too late, but first find out if computer has Dell PC Restore by Symantec utility

This tool, if available, restores the PC system to “out of box” condition & only takes 10 minutes to complete.

Procedures for using Dell PC Restore by Symantec utility & also clean install procedure are here

The link also includes a step-by-step clean install procedure, this one

megatonone · Answer

Thanks for the teach mobodog. I'll remember, if I should ever again volunteer to help a friend with a Dell. It's humming along rinstalling now:)

On the reboot after loading windows files, it stopped at a screen saying it could not find secondary slave and to hit F1 to continue....I did and so far so good:)

Should I disable the non-working optic drive in the bios to keep from getting a msg about missing secondary drive?

Man, what a day:):)

Message Edited by megatonone on 07-11-2007 05:37 PM

mombodog · Answer

'Should I disable the non-working optic drive in the bios to keep from getting a msg about missing secondary drive?'   Yes, you are a fast learner, or smarter than I assume.  :smileywink:   Don't forget to get all the Windows updates. Message Edited by mombodog on 07-11-2007 05:43 PM

mombodog · Answer

Try swapping the data cables on the optical drives, I think the working drive needs to be on the end of the data cable, not the middle position.

megatonone · Answer

cool!  Thanks again mobodog for the excellent help :):smileyvery-happy:

megatonone · Answer

mombodog....You're absolutely correct.  I did as you suggested and that did the trick:).   Thanks very much for the help and all the responders.  I've been at this reinstall attempt for 6 hours :)...   I know...should have asked for your help earlier :)   Thanks again :)

Windows General

Can't Reinstall WinXP-Does not boot to CD

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