Need help to reinstall OEM Windows XP Home

Question

We have Dell desktop PC since 2000 (Dimension 8200) and it's running on Windows XP Home edition.

Around late 2007 we had problem with it and my husband couldn't fix it even by reinstalling the OEM Windows XP home that came with the computer. So he brought the computer to a technician and seemed to have fixed the problem.

Now that the computer is acting strange again and all, I'm thinking of just reinstalling the Windows XP by using the OEM CD that came with the computer when we bought it.

The OEM CD Windows XP Home boot up, but it gives me the warning that the Windows XP that is CURRENTLY INSTALLED on my desktop is a newer version of XP Home than that in my OEM CD and it doesn't give me an option to either continue with installing the OEM Windows XP Home CD I have or retain the newer version which is currently installed. In the choices it only gives me the option to either Cancel or view the Detail of the error/warning message.

So, what should I do? I already tried to restart the computer and boot up using the CD, but I can't seem to make it work coz when I press 4 (boot from CD drive) the computer says CD is not "bootable" or something. Any help regarding this would be deeply appreciated. If you need further info in order to help me better, please ask and I'll try my best to give more info regarding my problem.

Thanks.

Message Edited by wmwong5877 on 07-31-2008 03:38 PM

simpswr · Answer

enter BIOS ( Setup ) and set the first boot device as CD/ROM. Put your XP Disc in the drive and disconnect all external peripherals except the monitor, keyboard and mouse, and be sure those are not USB, or wireless. Any internal USB card should also be removed.

Once you set your BIOS to boot first from cd . . when it restarts you will see a black screen with a prompt "Press any key to boot from CD" . . do that and you will be able to delete any or all partitions and recreate one or more, then proceed to formating and installing XP.

That message can pass quickly, so have a finger on the keyboard when you boot. This will delete all data on the drive so be sure you have your important data backed up. The prompt will appear after every reboot, but do not press any key on subsequent reboots. The setup process will continue with no action required from you.

If you do not get that message, and if you have another optical drive, try the XP CD in the other drive.

You can get a reinstallation guide specific to your Dell here
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/software_reinstall/en/index?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

This is a great guide for reinstalling on a Dell: http://www.djdenham.com/Install%20Procedures.htm

This is a site that walks you thru a simulated XP installation:

http://www.echoproject.net/en/software/catalog.html

You will likely have to reload drivers (Chipset first) and applications, If your XP installation disc does not include SP3, after the installation, you will need to download and install SP-3, while windows is clean. Prior to connecting to the internet be sure you enable the XP firewall.

For help entering BIOS: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Buckby Man · Answer

Have you gone into the BIOS and checked the booting order? to do a restore you should ensure that the CD drive is No 1 in the boot order, the hard drive is No 2 and if you have one, the floppy should be at No 3.

When you originally had the machine it would have been in the order of floppy. hard and then CD. If it is like this then change it to the order I specified.

Windows disks should always be bootable.

My windows is on a Dell operating system disk and that certainly boots and I have recently re installed my windows very successfully.

Hope this helps

Buckby Man

wmwong5877 · Answer

Hi and thanks for the help. I will try to do the stuffs you suggested and I'll let you know whatever the outcome is. Again, thank you.

simpswr · Answer

Let us know how it comes out . .

Buckby Man · Answer

Glad to be of help.  It is usually easier than it sounds.  Rich's advice to back up all your data first is important.    Good luck.   Brendan   (Buckby Man)     Long Buckby is where I live.

wmwong5877 · Answer

Hi Rich and Brendan ---- it's me once again. Though I did most of the stuff here myself (nervously) I can't thank you enough for your input that lead me to the actual solution.

Here's what I did, but let me emphasize what the problem was again:

Problem:

Despite having Verizon FIOS our internet/ computer was getting slow, most of the times it hangs up on you, dragging everything that needs to be done quick. So I decided to reinstall Windows XP Home, but upon inserting the OEM Windows XP the computer said “Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD (Windows XP Home OEM Dimension 8200).”

Solution:

I first read the http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI (Repair Install) then decided to just do the Clean Install instead http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html;
I backed up all data using our external drive;
Due to the problem I mentioned above, I discovered that I need to “Slipstream” my Windows XP Home. Step by step instruction can be found at http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp including the website to “extract” the Windows SP2 at http://www.smart-projects.net/;
I used Burn and Go to burn my slipstreamed Windows XP Home and was able to reinstall/ clean install the Windows XP Home --- success!

Thank you again guys! I have another question, which I will post after this. Just a minor thing, but definitely irritating (to me)!

Windows General

Need help to reinstall OEM Windows XP Home

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