Dell Dimension 8400 XP install BSOD $7b

This is exactly what I have been looking for.  Your reasoning and solution worked out 100% !!!!!

I kept resetting the BIOS to "factory default" thinking that would be correct and it wasn't.

I would have never guessed the CD's that I got from Dell didn't include the correct SATA driver.

What was Dell thinking when they made those CD's ?

I want to thank you so much for your response.  I've been working on this for almost a month.

I just spent the last couple days reinstalling Windows XP and all the programs and files I had once loaded.

Now I'm bakc to a working PC.

Thanks again......

Well, it's not a bad thing - and nothing to fault Dell for.  Actually, you might even consider thanking them at some point :)  I know I have.  There are dozens and dozens of different chipsets and controllers, so it would be difficult (if not impossible) to include drivers for all the controllers that might have shipped from Dell with XP. 

Also, an original Microsoft-branded Windows CD has none of those drivers on there either.  The fact that Dell has left the installation CD's practically (but not completely) untouched is admirable ... it means you can use the same disk on any Dell machine.  Some OEM's alter the disk such that it won't work at all on any PC but the one that it came with (or a small class of similar models), which means that if you lose your disk, you can't simply get another disk - you must re-purchase the whole OS/license. 

XP was released before SATA and AHCI were even introduced, so it was kind of a non-issue for a long time, but it has always been with MS OS's that loading the storage drivers at F6 from floppy was the only method to work with controllers that the OS didn't recognize.  Fortunately, this method has become easier with Vista/7, as you can now load it from a USB or CD drive.  Microsoft did add a few of the most common chipset drivers into XP SP3, which helped many (but not all) address this phenomenon.

Glad to have helped :)

You're very welcome.  I'm happy I could help.

The Dell reinstallation CD is basically the same as the one issued by Microsoft for this OS, and as pointed out by Flash, the SATA drivers were never included on the original Microsoft Win XP installation disk.  At some point between your Dimension 8400 and the Dimension E510, Dell started listening to the complaints about being unable to install Windows XP on the standard configurations (having no diskette drive) they were shipping.  Dell didn't want to go back to having diskette drives as a standard option so instead they began including the SATA drivers on the Windows XP installation disk that was shipped with the computer.  I believe the Dimension 8400 was about the last machine that did not include such a disk.  I ordered diskette drives for two machines I ordered, the E520 and my present XPS 410, but discovered I didn't need to use them as my installation CDs find the hard drive just fine.

As I pointed out in my first post, you can switch back to the AHCI mode using the procedure described in the link I gave you.  It is my understanding, however, that the advantages of the AHCI are limited with computers using a single drive configuration, and the RAID Autodetect/ATA setting works just fine.

Wow ... sorry jack :)  I posted to the wrong thread ... I was helping someone else with an 8400, and just assumed it was that one.  Didn't mean to take credit for helping.

You may be right that Dell started putting drivers in at some point, but it is my feeling that it was Microsoft's inclusion of certain chipset drivers in SP3 media, whereas SP2 (and earlier) media will never find drives in AHCI mode without the drivers, and not Dell adding specific drivers into their media.

I can understand, slightly, why it's difficult for Dell to include all the drivers on the CD's that they ship.

But, I ordered these CD's about a year ago, after losing the original set.  With the Service Tag number, why didn't they realize I had a SATA drive, and the drivers should have been included with the CD's ?

Also, I searched the Dell web site about the STOP codes.  Why doesn't Dell update their site to explain that there may be missing drivers that aren't on the Setup CD's ?

Could be because my Dell Dimension 8400 is way too old to worry about ?

I don't believe omission of the drivers was intentional; rather it was a disconnect between marketing and engineering.  The marketing folks noted the falling popularity of 3.5" diskette drives and decided to save some cost by omitting them from the configuration.  Meanwhile, the engineering side was creating a Dell Resource CD that included the SATA drivers plus a way to use the Resource CD to build a drivers diskette for loading them if the operating system was reinstalled.  Unfortunately, the diskette builder (and also the SATA drivers file on the 8400 support page) required a diskette drive to be used.  That probably was reasonable since Windows XP requires the diskette drive to load drivers at the F6 prompt during installation.  Unfortunately no one seems to have told that to the marketing folks who were making the configuration choices.

With regard to the stop codes there are plenty of references on the net, especially on the Microsoft support page to investigate these codes.  I'm sure it is viewed as a duplication of effort.

I'm sure that your guess about the 8400 being too old to worry about is close to the truth.  Once Dell stops production on a given model there is little concern about providing support to keep it up to date.  They're just too busy making the new machines which is where the money is.

"But, I ordered these CD's about a year ago, after losing the original set. With the Service Tag number, why didn't they realize I had a SATA drive, and the drivers should have been included with the CD's ?"

The problem with this is it would require WAY too much effort to fulfill your order - look up your Service Tag, determine the drivers needed, slipstream the drivers, then ship the custom CD.  It makes much more sense to ship the same generic CD to everyone, and let people use it how people have used Windows 2000/XP CD's for over a decade.

The issue is not because your system is so old - this issue can still be seen with Windows 7 on new machines if the controller is not recognized.

I do, however, completely agree with finding stuff on Dell's website ... it is not very well organized, but they do have some information on your error:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&docid=52146&doclang=en&l=en&s=gen&cs=

Unfortunately, this is the article and web page I kept returning to everytime I tried searching Dells site for the STOP code problem:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=DSN_356576&isLegacy=true#Error1

Had I found the link that you just posted, I could have resolved this problem many days ago.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&docid=52146&doclang=en&l=en&s=gen&cs=

Sir,

My original HHD that came with my DEL L 8400 desktop PC went BAD and had to be replaced.  Since, I have a Window XP PRO CD; however it doesn’t have the SATA drivers. I been trying to load the window xp pro program for over a month.  With your advice, I was able to load Window XP PRO on the brand NEW 300 GB SATA HHD (I think loaded, it went through all the saving and adding).   However, upon rebooting the system is just rebooting over and over. It goes from the DELL logo screen, over and over...HELP. Why is it doing this?  What am I doing wrong?  

What exactly did you do?

theflash:  Sorry it was 14 posting above from same person:  Here is what he say and I did:  "Posted by JackShack

replied on05-15-2011 11:08 PM

Verified Answer

Verified bymistertfm

This can happen if your installation CD does not have the SATA driver incorporated into it.  You can work around the problem by going to system setup (F2 during the self test) and setting the SATA controller to RAID Autodetect/ATA.  This puts the controller into a mode that is compatible with the IDE/ATA drivers native to the Windows XP installation CD.

If you wish to use the computer in the RAID Autodetect/AHCI mode that is native to SATA drives you must find a way to install the appropriate SATA driver.  If you do not have an internal diskette drive this will require a bit of work as Windows XP setup will only accept the driver from this type of drive.  For additional information, check out this thread:  Dimension 8400 Windows XP Install.

Dell Forum member since 2005"

I did exactly what "JackShack replied on 05-18-2011 7:13 PM" above.  Four posting above.