I'm a 4100 user with XP SP2.

Agree with what has been said. There are some things on your current setup that won't work right. Your burning software, ie Adaptec 4.02/Direct CD 3.01, won't work. XP has a basic burning feature licensed from Adaptec(Roxio/Symantec). If it's not sufficient for you I suggest having a new burner installed which will come with XP-compatible burning software. There is a MS download that can be posted that will tell you what's on your current system that XP doesn't like.

I suggest you have all the XP driver versions pre-downloaded and saved to a cdr. Also get the XP SP2 on cd or better yet buy XP SP2 ( that is, with SP2 already installed). It'll save you a lot of potential grief. Since you have Millenium already on your system you can buy the Upgrade version of XP. Will sve you some money. I don't know if there's such a thing as XP SP2 Upgrade; probably is or will be shortly. Ask around.

Do the BIOS upgrade on your current system. You want this in place before the new install. If you're doing the install with an Upgrade version don't format your drive before the install. It's part of the install process. Don't bypass the BIOS update.

I'm using 384 Mb of memory and it runs great.

 

Download your Video, Audio, NIC, and Chipset drivers to some sort of removable media and as said before, this is a good time to flash the BIOS.

I have the same machine running a Beta version of Longhorn so I know It can and has run XP Pro with absolutely no problems.

Dimension 8300 with Windows XP Pro (SP2) -Intel P4 3.0 Ghz-1024mb PC2100 RAM - Disk 0: 80Gb Maxtor HDD (7200 RPM) - Disk 1: 80Gb HDD (7200 RPM) Samsung DVD 16x IDE -Sony DRU-510A DVD-/DVD+ DVDRW - Lexar 128mb JumpDrive-Dell 18" Ultra Sharp Flat Panel - nVidia GeForce 5200 AGP 8x(128mb RAM) -Hauppauge Win350 TV Tuner/PVR - Intel Pro/100 Internal NIC- HP LaserJet 5L -Linksys BEFCMU10 Modem- Linksys BEFSR41 Router - Linksys BEFW11S4 Router configured as Access Point

Power Edge 600SC with SBS 2003 Premium - P4 2.4Ghz - 640mb Ram - Disk 0: 60Gb Maxtor HDD (7200 RPM) -Disk1: 80Gb Maxtor HDD - Disk 2: 80Gb Maxtor Gb HDD - Disk 3: 80Gb Maxtor Gb HDD - 48xCDROM - Intel Pro 1000 Gigabit NIC

Inspiron 600m w/XP Pro SP2
Dimension 2400 w/ XP Pro SP2
Dimension 4100 w/Longhorn Build #4740

Microsoft Certified Professional / Microsoft Partner / Microsoft MVP Windows Server & Networking
Systems Administrator -Information Management Officer - 208th Finance Battalion -Bravo Detachment - Vicenza, Italy

I found the process as easy as I could have guessed. Only three devices not recognized, video and audio cards and the USB controller (Dell had all three drivers).

I'll make one suggestion. I installed PowerDVD as my new decoder software and found it to be horrible, jittery sound and picture and no tweaking would make it work. So I uninstalled it and reinstalled my old WinDVD (over XP's protest), then updated it using the Dell-provided patch to make it XP compliant.

I'm a 4100 user with XPSP2. I agree with all that has been said. One suggestion from me is to install the OS, activate the firewall and then download and install all available Windows updates before proceding with application reinstalls.

Dimension 4100 Bought January 2001
Windows XP Home SP2 
866 Pentium 3
512 Ram
Western Digital 60 gig Hard Drive
Western Digital 120 gig Hard Drive
Sony 19" LCD Flat Panel Monitor
GeForce 5200
Creative SB Live
Digital Research DVD RW
RCA Cable Modem
HP Deskjet 932
HP K-60 all in one
Canon Scanner

The two terms are used interchangably (sp).  Upgrading the BIOS is nothing really than upgrading the software for the BIOS.  Juts follow the instructions and you will be fine.  Don't follow the instructions and you will have an expensive door stop.

It depends on the model of the machine.  I have somme 100 machines I am responsbile for (mostly Optiplex 150, 240, 270, and 280 models).  The 150 will require you to format a floppy and reboot from the floppy while the other three will run from the hard drive with ease.  It's been so long since I flashed my 4100 that I can not remember whether or not a floppy was needed.

If not, just save the file to a Folder Named Dell with subfolders named Audio, Video, NIC, BIOS, etc and you always have the drivers in once central location.

Dimension 8300 with Windows XP Pro (SP2) -Intel P4 3.0 Ghz-1024mb PC2100 RAM - Disk 0: 80Gb Maxtor HDD (7200 RPM) - Disk 1: 80Gb HDD (7200 RPM) Samsung DVD 16x IDE -Sony DRU-510A DVD-/DVD+ DVDRW - Lexar 128mb JumpDrive-Dell 18" Ultra Sharp Flat Panel - nVidia GeForce 5200 AGP 8x(128mb RAM) -Hauppauge Win350 TV Tuner/PVR - Intel Pro/100 Internal NIC- HP LaserJet 5L -Linksys BEFCMU10 Modem- Linksys BEFSR41 Router - Linksys BEFW11S4 Router configured as Access Point

Power Edge 600SC with SBS 2003 Premium - P4 2.4Ghz - 640mb Ram - Disk 0: 60Gb Maxtor HDD (7200 RPM) -Disk1: 80Gb Maxtor HDD - Disk 2: 80Gb Maxtor Gb HDD - Disk 3: 80Gb Maxtor Gb HDD - 48xCDROM - Intel Pro 1000 Gigabit NIC

Inspiron 600m w/XP Pro SP2
Dimension 2400 w/ XP Pro SP2
Dimension 4100 w/Longhorn Build #4740

Microsoft Certified Professional / Microsoft Partner / Microsoft MVP Windows Server & Networking
Systems Administrator -Information Management Officer - 208th Finance Battalion -Bravo Detachment - Vicenza, Italy

I tried to do the same thing on my dimension 4100 with 512. I installed a new 160GB drive and had the old drive setup as a slave, but when I tried to install Win XP Pro SP1, it could not get through the GUI part of the installation. Then I got a blue screen with the error message KERNAL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR

I tried to flash the bios, thinking this was the problem, but when I did that I got an error about memory limitations or something. Is the only way you can flash the BIOS is by loading it to your desktop, then putting it on a floppy, then installing? Seems cumbersome...

Maybe I need to update something else?

 

Thanks, Steve

Well, that would be great if it is that simple...I had my thoughts of trying that next.

Now, how can i get the system to boot to the floopy? It doesn't seem to be doing it?

Thanks, Steve