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Blindmelonball

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22 years ago

B

Blindmelonball

193 Posts

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5406

January 27th, 2005 12:00

Dell Reinstallation CD - Fresh Install Possible?

I've got a Dell Dimension 4550 that came (March 2003) with XP Home installed on a 60gb hd.  The drive is about 67% full, and is set up the way I like it.  However, I purchased a Seagate 160gb hd, and was going to image the 60gb onto the Seagate, and move the Seagate to primary, and put the original 60gb in the slave position.  (I've also got a dvd-rom and a dvd-rw occupying the secondary IDE.)
 
But, I got to thinking...I'd like to put the 160 gb Seagate on the primary, and do a clean, or fresh, install of XP from the Dell reinstallation cd, and just put the original 60gb hd on the shelf, or perhaps use as a slave.  I'd leave everything on it, as it is right now.  That way, if I ran into any configuration, application, or driver problems with the new hd, I could just plug the original hd back in as the primary boot disk.
 
My understanding is that I can use the Dell reinstallation cd to do this as long as I am using the original machine, because the cd needs to recognize the Dell bios to properly install (or install at all).  Is this correct?  If so, what's the process, since I won't have cd drivers installed when I put in a new hd?
 
Thanks
  • J

    jmwills

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    Posted January 27th, 2005 13:00

    If it were me, I would use the the 160 drive as the slave and move all your data off to it and use your origina drive for the OS.  Saves you a lot of time and trouble.
  • B

    Blindmelonball

    193 Posts

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    Posted January 27th, 2005 13:00

    It sounds like you didn't have to set the bios to boot from the cd first, or at all?

    BMB

  • M

    msil217

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    Posted January 27th, 2005 13:00

    I did the same thing 2 years ago with a new Seagate Hard-drive, 80 GB.

    I had no problem. Once I installed the new HDD, and turned the computer back on, it said
    "System Halted". (Something about boot disk not detected)

    I then used my XP reinstall CD to Format the HDD (It took longer than usual, because it was a raw HD)

    I did not have an issue with CD ROM drivers. It worked fine. I just booted form the CD.

    Just make sure you have the new HD set to "Cable Select", and at the same ide connector as the old one.

    If you have any concerns, post at the Hard drive forum.

    Good luck!!

    Message Edited by msil217 on 01-27-2005 09:04 AM

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