Just in case this may help someone else. I am sure much is obvious to some, but there was a lot I didn't know.
- Sometimes when you order a hard drive it doesn't come with a data cable. (And a 2 ft cable from Best Buy doesn't go far!)
- Check the User's Guide for your system if you don't know where to plug in your second drive (I didn't know which of the 3 remaining ports to use).
- To use the drive, you have to turn it "ON" in your BIOS.
- If you are adding a second drive to your system, you can boot from the existing Windows installation on your old drive and format the new drive from within Windows. (I thought you'd have to do this from Windows XP setup.)
- The version of Ghost installed on your Dell Restore partition is an older version. The .gho and .ghs files are NOT recognized by Ghost versions 9 and later. (This means you have to restore the backup as Dell intended with Ctrl + F11. Or you have to skip that automatic process and manually restore the image.)
- If you don't have a floppy drive, you need some way to boot to DOS in order to restore the backup image. I downloaded the dsrfix.zip file and created a cd from it. To create a CD from an ISO image, you can't just "copy" it to the CD. Look for instructions in your CD burning software for how to burn an ISO image. In Roxio 5.x, for example, you choose Record CD from CD Image. You must use a CD-R, not a CD-RW disc.
- You can restore the backup image from your Dell Restore partition to a different drive, but then you have to restore the image manually. (This allowed me to restore the backup image from my old drive to my new drive, so I didn't have reinstall Windows, the Dell software, and all my drivers and such.) goodells.net describes how to manually restore the backup image.
- At least for my system, it didn't matter which SATA port the drive was plugged into. My computer booted from what it knew as the "C:" drive (my old drive).
- Before I restored the backup image, I formatted my second (new) drive as "D:". If you restore your backup image of your "C:" drive to "D:" drive it will muck up everything up. Your Dell-installed programs may not run on D:. You can't uninstall them from D:. Windows thinks that everything is on the "C:" drive. Don't laugh. I never did this before!! Microsoft has a method for reassigning or switching drive letters.
- Microsoft HTML Application host has encountered a problem and needs to close.
Click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 mshtml.dll, and then click OK two times.
- When you try to open Event Viewer logs you get errors. As a result you can not launch Event View logs.
1. Start > Run> type in: services.msc >
2. Click OK.
3. Scroll down to Event Viewer. Double-click on it and make the Startup type Automatic. Click Apply.
4. Also click on the Start button start the service.
5. Click OK.
- If you have permissions problems, "Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder on your old drive. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881
I just ordered a new hard drive to replace my failing one in my Dimension 9100. I have the Windows XP reinstallation CD.
- Do I need the "Dell Resource CD/DVD"? I did not receive one with my system.
- When I reinstall Windows XP on the new drive, will this also install the hidden partition so I have the option to reset to the factory settings? If not, is it possible to create that hidden partition and how do I do it?
When you install Win XP from the DELL provided disk, it DOES NOT, recreate the partition. That is something done at the factory. It is possible to recreate the partition and "ghost" an image of your new install, but this requires third party apps. Best one is Acronis True Image 2009. When you reinstall the OS, install all the drivers and then reimage to a partition. Acronis allows you to place the image on a DVD or another partition. If something happens you can simply reinstall everything from the image. To snswer you second question...you don't need the Resource CD/DVD. Simpy go to the support site using you Service TAG and everything you see there is inluded on either the drivers DVD/CD or the Resource CD. Good luck!
Thanks for the info...this answered all my questions.
Sounds like quite a bit of work to create the partition and make it work as Dell created it (from http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm). I am able to get a discounted copy of Norton Ghost so I'll use that to backup the new drive once I get it and Windows installed. If I understand Ghost correctly, then I can restore my drive to that recovery point if I need to (or if I just want to clean up Windows).
What sort of problems are you having that make you think the hard drive is failing?
You can with Acronis make the new hard drive look and act just like it did from the factory...that is it will have the dell system restore partition on it.
Let me know about the hard drive issue and I can I think help you and make the transistion very easy. It will be a little bit of work but I think you can do it. I have done this using Dan Goodell's method of restore.
I know little about troubleshooting...I was getting BSDs with various STOP errors, the mouse was freezing and starting. CHKDSK was running really slow...hours to finish, though it said it fixed any issues it found. Event Viewer showed some Disk errors, some to do with pagefile.sys. I "deleted" and created a new paging file. No BSDs or mouse freezing since then, but the hard drive fails the Dell drive diagnostics with an Error Code 7.
I figured better safe than sorry and ordered a new drive. Also ordered Ghost, though it hasn't arrived. I also downloaded the trialware version.
A sysadmin at my company felt that if I copied the old drive, I would copy any corrupted settings or files to the new drive. I'm going to attempt to install the new drive now. I'm up for suggestions to make the transition easier, of course!
Ok definately if drive fails the Dell test it is failing and may quit at any time.
Now it depends how involved you want to be in restoring to the new hard drive. Since it is very involved in manually configuring the new hard drive to be exactly like the old one I will suggest this.
Most likely the Dell ghost image in the restore partition is ok and intact. Unless it sits on any of the damaged sectors on the hard drive. but you may be lucky since that area of the hard drive is not read and written to.
So if the image is ok you can use Ghost to restore that image to the new drive and just have the new drive be one partition with the OS on it.
Another option would be to partition the new hd and put the ghost image on a partition like where it is now and use your own custom restore process when needed.
As far as the Dell utility partition at the front of the drive it will be gone too. But you can make a bootable Dell diagnostics CD and still test all the components.
Okay, but to restore the image from the old drive, I'd have to put the old drive back in? I don't know how to put in or configure a second drive. (I can see the "bay" where it goes but I don't know about cables and jumpers and all that.)
I'm okay with not having the Dell utility partition. I told Dell that I never got the Resource CD and they actually sent me the whole kit. :-)
Hi all, Just joined and this thread is the closest to the relatively simple problem I have. Like Gretchen I have just manually installed Xp back onto the old Dimension 3100C I have. I had no idea that there were hidden partitions on the disk, but in fact do not particularly care. To this end I deleted them and created a C: and a D: partition (D: for my Data)
However, I am now presented with an Operating System Choices Menu each time I boot asking me which Operating system I want to Boot to. There are 2 Options which are both MICROSOFT WINDOWS WP Home Edition. It is as if the system thinks it is configured as a Dual Boot. Hitting Return selects the first option and the computer boots with no problems. If I select the second it tells me that Windows cannot start because the file hal.CPL
Can anyone tell me how to get rid of this annoying OS choices menu on Boot up or what may have caused it to appear in the first place?
I think what happened on your system was that Windows used to boot from the C: drive, second partition. Then you deleted the hidden partitions (one which was the "first" partition) and recreated a C: and D: partition. But Windows still thinks that the OS exists on the hard drive's second partition and now also on the 1st partition.
Anyways, the article that TheRealFireBlade pointed you to should help.
Hi I just joined, and have read the thread here on install and new drive. I know enough to stay afloat normally but as of Monday I believe I know Not, at all. I own a Dell Dimension 9100 Media Center Edition. I had allot of problems with it and decided to purchase a new computer, which by the way works. Regardless: I tried to re-install windows, over and over, I had to change the boot order to boot from the CD drive which it did but I have NO boot disk, No recovery disks and as of yesterday I have nothing so it would seem.
I did a ckdsk from the command line prior to loosing everything, it said the disk was fine. I tried to re-partition it but it would not allow it and it also would not allow me to add an additional partition to the second partition. Before I lost everything it would take up to 10 minutes for the computer to locate the other drives including C drive and finally it would show it to me, but you had to wait another 10 to access the drive or any info on that drive, Then it said no system info, and a multitude (lost count) of errors 0000007 and etc.... stated files were missing.
I decided to just reformat the drive (mistake I believe) and do a complete new install, awe.... yes... now I too have two operating systems to choose from, and it cannot find the system info. etc. it also said it cannot find the floppy disk press F1 or F2.
During the install, it was unable to complete the full new install, it stated files were missing or corrupt on the last attempt to install. It finally decided to shut down windows completely itself BOLD Blue screen. Now prior to this I had no restore point, where those went I have no idea I had several. It would not restore from the command line, F11 and I have no recovery CD. Brilliant I know.
Throw out?
New drive?
Corrupt OS and Drive...?
I am definitely no the TheRealFireblade, but apparently in over my head temporarily. Without further ado I await someones complete rescue the dumb blonde plan and hope she can pull it off. Hee Hee
Did you run the Dell Hardware Diagnostics? If so, what was the result? If not, you might want to check it out. If there is an underlying hardware problem, software problems rarely get better. Sorry I couldn't provide a "real" answer". Good luck!
hey just joined up, ive got a problem with my laptop not sure if this is the right spot to put this but, it's a latitude d600 laptop, I reformatted and put windows xp back on it, i can't however connect to the internet and there's no lan connection in the connections, i checked the drivers and they are all not there lol. im not to keen on the how to's of pc's but i figured i may be able to burn the drivers to a disk and load them on my laptop, not sure how to do that though. is that the right way to go about this and if so anyone have a link or something to a detailed how to, or any other options that aren't really complicated. thanks
meg121212
6 Posts
1
January 22nd, 2009 20:00
Just in case this may help someone else. I am sure much is obvious to some, but there was a lot I didn't know.
- Sometimes when you order a hard drive it doesn't come with a data cable. (And a 2 ft cable from Best Buy doesn't go far!)
- Check the User's Guide for your system if you don't know where to plug in your second drive (I didn't know which of the 3 remaining ports to use).
- To use the drive, you have to turn it "ON" in your BIOS.
- If you are adding a second drive to your system, you can boot from the existing Windows installation on your old drive and format the new drive from within Windows. (I thought you'd have to do this from Windows XP setup.)
- The version of Ghost installed on your Dell Restore partition is an older version. The .gho and .ghs files are NOT recognized by Ghost versions 9 and later. (This means you have to restore the backup as Dell intended with Ctrl + F11. Or you have to skip that automatic process and manually restore the image.)
- If you don't have a floppy drive, you need some way to boot to DOS in order to restore the backup image. I downloaded the dsrfix.zip file and created a cd from it. To create a CD from an ISO image, you can't just "copy" it to the CD. Look for instructions in your CD burning software for how to burn an ISO image. In Roxio 5.x, for example, you choose Record CD from CD Image. You must use a CD-R, not a CD-RW disc.
- You can restore the backup image from your Dell Restore partition to a different drive, but then you have to restore the image manually. (This allowed me to restore the backup image from my old drive to my new drive, so I didn't have reinstall Windows, the Dell software, and all my drivers and such.) goodells.net describes how to manually restore the backup image.
- At least for my system, it didn't matter which SATA port the drive was plugged into. My computer booted from what it knew as the "C:" drive (my old drive).
- Before I restored the backup image, I formatted my second (new) drive as "D:". If you restore your backup image of your "C:" drive to "D:" drive it will muck up everything up. Your Dell-installed programs may not run on D:. You can't uninstall them from D:. Windows thinks that everything is on the "C:" drive. Don't laugh. I never did this before!! Microsoft has a method for reassigning or switching drive letters.
See How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows
- To run Windows from a hard drive, the partition Windows is installed on has to be "active."
- You may need to alter your boot.ini file so it boots from the correct drive.
- If you can't boot to Windows b/c you mucked up your boot.ini file, your system can correct this for you. (You'll need the Windows XP CD.)
See "Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages when you start your computer
- I ran into numerous error messages once I was finally able to run Windows from my new drive. Fortunately, Microsoft had solutions for these.
- The system is not fully installed.
Please run setup again.
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320279
- Microsoft HTML Application host has encountered a problem and needs to close.
Click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 mshtml.dll, and then click OK two times.
- When you try to open Event Viewer logs you get errors. As a result you can not launch Event View logs.
1. Start > Run> type in: services.msc >
2. Click OK.
3. Scroll down to Event Viewer. Double-click on it and make the Startup type Automatic. Click Apply.
4. Also click on the Start button start the service.
5. Click OK.
- If you have permissions problems, "Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder on your old drive.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881
:-)
Gretchen
ApproachingZero
117 Posts
1
January 5th, 2009 09:00
Grethen,
When you install Win XP from the DELL provided disk, it DOES NOT, recreate the partition. That is something done at the factory. It is possible to recreate the partition and "ghost" an image of your new install, but this requires third party apps. Best one is Acronis True Image 2009. When you reinstall the OS, install all the drivers and then reimage to a partition. Acronis allows you to place the image on a DVD or another partition. If something happens you can simply reinstall everything from the image. To snswer you second question...you don't need the Resource CD/DVD. Simpy go to the support site using you Service TAG and everything you see there is inluded on either the drivers DVD/CD or the Resource CD. Good luck!
meg121212
6 Posts
1
January 7th, 2009 11:00
Thanks for the info...this answered all my questions.
Sounds like quite a bit of work to create the partition and make it work as Dell created it (from http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm). I am able to get a discounted copy of Norton Ghost so I'll use that to backup the new drive once I get it and Windows installed. If I understand Ghost correctly, then I can restore my drive to that recovery point if I need to (or if I just want to clean up Windows).
:-)
Gretchen
SlamX
950 Posts
1
January 9th, 2009 16:00
What sort of problems are you having that make you think the hard drive is failing?
You can with Acronis make the new hard drive look and act just like it did from the factory...that is it will have the dell system restore partition on it.
Let me know about the hard drive issue and I can I think help you and make the transistion very easy. It will be a little bit of work but I think you can do it. I have done this using Dan Goodell's method of restore.
meg121212
6 Posts
1
January 9th, 2009 19:00
I know little about troubleshooting...I was getting BSDs with various STOP errors, the mouse was freezing and starting. CHKDSK was running really slow...hours to finish, though it said it fixed any issues it found. Event Viewer showed some Disk errors, some to do with pagefile.sys. I "deleted" and created a new paging file. No BSDs or mouse freezing since then, but the hard drive fails the Dell drive diagnostics with an Error Code 7.
I figured better safe than sorry and ordered a new drive. Also ordered Ghost, though it hasn't arrived. I also downloaded the trialware version.
A sysadmin at my company felt that if I copied the old drive, I would copy any corrupted settings or files to the new drive. I'm going to attempt to install the new drive now. I'm up for suggestions to make the transition easier, of course!
SlamX
950 Posts
1
January 9th, 2009 19:00
Ok definately if drive fails the Dell test it is failing and may quit at any time.
Now it depends how involved you want to be in restoring to the new hard drive. Since it is very involved in manually configuring the new hard drive to be exactly like the old one I will suggest this.
Most likely the Dell ghost image in the restore partition is ok and intact. Unless it sits on any of the damaged sectors on the hard drive. but you may be lucky since that area of the hard drive is not read and written to.
So if the image is ok you can use Ghost to restore that image to the new drive and just have the new drive be one partition with the OS on it.
Another option would be to partition the new hd and put the ghost image on a partition like where it is now and use your own custom restore process when needed.
As far as the Dell utility partition at the front of the drive it will be gone too. But you can make a bootable Dell diagnostics CD and still test all the components.
Hope this helps you.
meg121212
6 Posts
1
January 9th, 2009 21:00
Okay, but to restore the image from the old drive, I'd have to put the old drive back in? I don't know how to put in or configure a second drive. (I can see the "bay" where it goes but I don't know about cables and jumpers and all that.)
I'm okay with not having the Dell utility partition. I told Dell that I never got the Resource CD and they actually sent me the whole kit. :-)
SlamX
950 Posts
1
January 22nd, 2009 21:00
Gretchen thanks for that very detailed information. I am sure it will help others.
err-ish
2 Posts
1
January 23rd, 2009 12:00
Hi all, Just joined and this thread is the closest to the relatively simple problem I have. Like Gretchen I have just manually installed Xp back onto the old Dimension 3100C I have. I had no idea that there were hidden partitions on the disk, but in fact do not particularly care. To this end I deleted them and created a C: and a D: partition (D: for my Data)
However, I am now presented with an Operating System Choices Menu each time I boot asking me which Operating system I want to Boot to. There are 2 Options which are both MICROSOFT WINDOWS WP Home Edition. It is as if the system thinks it is configured as a Dual Boot. Hitting Return selects the first option and the computer boots with no problems. If I select the second it tells me that Windows cannot start because the file hal.CPL
Can anyone tell me how to get rid of this annoying OS choices menu on Boot up or what may have caused it to appear in the first place?
TheRealFireblad
3 Apprentice
•
4.6K Posts
1
January 25th, 2009 10:00
Welcome to the forums :emotion-21:
Did you format the hard drive, before reinstalling XP?
Anyways... you need to edit the boot.ini file, and delete the reference to the second OS.
Here's the official Microsoft 'How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP'.
But you might find this 'Additional information and help with the boot.ini' article useful as well :emotion-5:
err-ish
2 Posts
1
January 27th, 2009 06:00
Thanks for that, Nice one.
Dave
meg121212
6 Posts
0
January 27th, 2009 09:00
I think what happened on your system was that Windows used to boot from the C: drive, second partition. Then you deleted the hidden partitions (one which was the "first" partition) and recreated a C: and D: partition. But Windows still thinks that the OS exists on the hard drive's second partition and now also on the 1st partition.
Anyways, the article that TheRealFireBlade pointed you to should help.
Lakepal
1 Message
0
June 11th, 2009 14:00
Hi I just joined, and have read the thread here on install and new drive. I know enough to stay afloat normally but as of Monday I believe I know Not, at all. I own a Dell Dimension 9100 Media Center Edition. I had allot of problems with it and decided to purchase a new computer, which by the way works. Regardless: I tried to re-install windows, over and over, I had to change the boot order to boot from the CD drive which it did but I have NO boot disk, No recovery disks and as of yesterday I have nothing so it would seem.
I did a ckdsk from the command line prior to loosing everything, it said the disk was fine. I tried to re-partition it but it would not allow it and it also would not allow me to add an additional partition to the second partition. Before I lost everything it would take up to 10 minutes for the computer to locate the other drives including C drive and finally it would show it to me, but you had to wait another 10 to access the drive or any info on that drive, Then it said no system info, and a multitude (lost count) of errors 0000007 and etc.... stated files were missing.
I decided to just reformat the drive (mistake I believe) and do a complete new install, awe.... yes... now I too have two operating systems to choose from, and it cannot find the system info. etc. it also said it cannot find the floppy disk press F1 or F2.
During the install, it was unable to complete the full new install, it stated files were missing or corrupt on the last attempt to install. It finally decided to shut down windows completely itself BOLD Blue screen. Now prior to this I had no restore point, where those went I have no idea I had several. It would not restore from the command line, F11 and I have no recovery CD. Brilliant I know.
Throw out?
New drive?
Corrupt OS and Drive...?
I am definitely no the TheRealFireblade, but apparently in over my head temporarily. Without further ado I await someones complete rescue the dumb blonde plan and hope she can pull it off. Hee Hee
Cordially,
Just me LKV
e.pierce
165 Posts
0
June 11th, 2009 15:00
Did you run the Dell Hardware Diagnostics? If so, what was the result? If not, you might want to check it out. If there is an underlying hardware problem, software problems rarely get better. Sorry I couldn't provide a "real" answer". Good luck!
tonygrantham
1 Message
0
June 13th, 2009 11:00
hey just joined up, ive got a problem with my laptop not sure if this is the right spot to put this but, it's a latitude d600 laptop, I reformatted and put windows xp back on it, i can't however connect to the internet and there's no lan connection in the connections, i checked the drivers and they are all not there lol. im not to keen on the how to's of pc's but i figured i may be able to burn the drivers to a disk and load them on my laptop, not sure how to do that though. is that the right way to go about this and if so anyone have a link or something to a detailed how to, or any other options that aren't really complicated. thanks