UNSOLVED
Dim 9100 clean XP PRO installation - help??
I have a Dim 9100 and just installed a new hard drive. I am trying to install XP PRO SP1 with no success.
First I format the disk with the CD it came with and then boot with the XP CD. I pass the windows setup blue page and loads the different files. It stops just when it tries to load windows. The error message says an error has been detected and the windows had to shut down. It suggests checking drives and bios updates, disable memory caching and shadowing ...
At the the technical information some addresses are mentionded and the file "pci.sys".
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
- John: I recently added XP Pro retail to my Dimension 9100 hard disk. 1) You need to create a slipstream CD disc that includes XP Pro + SP2. 2) You need to create a floppy disk via the Dell dnload file for the SATA drviers. 3) Boot form the slipstream CD 4) Press F6 per the note at the bottom of the screen during XP Pro installation. 5) Insert the above floppy per the prompt 6) Select "Intel(R) 82801GR SATA AHCI Controller" from the displayed choices. 7) After installation, install the following dnloads: Install Dell’s chipset driver Reboot Install Dell’s Intel NIC driver Reboot Install nVida’s drivers (video)
Hi
Czebra
I just received my 9100 and I am having some problems, I had searched posts about it and read through them all. What I already have is a Dell XP PRO Disc with SP2 on it already. Right aftrer I install the "Intel(R) 82801GR SATA AHCI Controller" files from the floppy, I get the BSOD...
**** STOP: 0x00000007B
Any ideas??
- I just got my brand new 9100. I also ordered the Windows XP Home SP2 backup CD from Dell, since they don't include that anymore. I wanted to do a clean reinstall of Windows XP without all the extra software, and install a bigger HD. So I installed a brand new Hitachi Serial ATA 160GB hard drive, put the WinXP Backup CD in, and booted up into Windows XP Setup - formatted the hard drive, setup copied all the windows files, rebooted into setup, then with "34 minutes left" in setup, as it was "initializing devices" I got the dreaded Blue Screen of Death!It said a "crucial thread or process and quited unexpectedly" and then it did a memory dump with error code 0x000000f4.So I thought - I know this is a brand new platform for Dell, but surely they tested this setup before mass release. It must be my hard drive since that's the only variable I put in (everything else was stock). So I got another brand new Hitachi Serial ATA 160GB HD in, went through everything again, and got the same exact error at the same time in the setup.So something is up with the computer's default devices and the Windows XP CD. I know the BTX platform requires SP2 - But I'm using the CD that came with my computer, so there should be no problems. I'm worried now that it might be something wrong with the 9100 hardware, but I also did a Dell diagnostics test and it came it out clean.Does anyone know what's going on? Could it be a bug that Dell isn't aware of yet?Either way, if I can't reinstall Windows XP on this machine, it's going back. But I'm willing to try anything else if someone has any ideas.
- I feel the 9100 needs a new bios update fast. Seems to me that people are running into problems are at many different steps of the reformatting process.I tried , different hard drives, different video cards different cd-roms. Different sata drivers(the one from dell and the ones intel.) No luck. I dont want to spend 3 hours on the phone with a tech, they probably wouldnt know the fix in the end anyway.novon, please update if you find a fix..
I agree - there needs to be a fix for this. Has anyone been able to successfully reinstall Win XP from scratch? Can you post the specs/versions you have and any variables?
I called Dell and they are sending another 9100 - but I'm not sure if that will fix the problem.
So far I've spend over 7 hours troubleshooting this to no avail. I tried every possible hardware/software combo I had.
Message Edited by novon on 08-05-2005 05:09 PM
robinhood42
2 Intern
•
1154 Posts
772
0
Posted August 6th, 2005 04:00
I recently had a Dimension 8400 that I've had problems with since I purchased it on 10/04. Finally after the hard drive died twice, Dell sent me a Dim 9100. My plan was to do a clean install to get rid of the software that I don't want that came with it. But now I'm really discouraged. Right now it's running Windows that was on it when it came out of the box. But now I'm curious to know if I'm stuck with another lemon? Doesn't Dell test any of the computers before they put them on the market?
So, does this mean if I attempt to do a clean install of Windows that I am going to end up with a computer that I can't use? This is so frustrating. I'm not technically inclined either, so I have no way of fixing this myself. I'd have to wait until Dell sent a tech if anything went wrong, and I guess I can't reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. All I want is a computer that works, but they seem to be more trouble than they are worth.
- >> I just received my 9100 and I am having some problems, I had searched posts about it and read through them all. What I already have is a Dell XP PRO Disc with SP2 on it already. Right aftrer I install the "Intel(R) 82801GR SATA AHCI Controller" files from the floppy, I get the BSOD...
**** STOP: 0x00000007B
Any ideas??
None.
As I mentioned earlier, I have successfully installed retail XP Pro via a slipstreamed PRO + SP2 CD disc. In fact I am typing this via that XP Pro install.
Possibly, later this week I will wipe out the Dell's installed XP Home vol, and use the Home CD disc that I burned per the Dell mention option. I will post the results. robinhood42
2 Intern
•
1154 Posts
503
0
Posted August 8th, 2005 13:00
CZebra,
When you installed Win Pro SP2 on the 9100, did you do a clean install? Sometime in the future I would like to do a clean install on my 9100 but am not sure how. I had no problems with my 8400, but I read the directions you posted for the 9100 and I don't understand what you mean by a SlipStream CD. Is that just if you don't have the original OS disk? Sorry, this is just so confusing. As far as I can tell, I only have 1 hard drive in my system, and that is the original that came with the pc.
Are people having different problems when doing a clean install, or is the problem generally the same? Would I need other driveirs made besides the OS disk that I have in order to wipe the hard drive clean, reformat it, and do a clean install? Sorry for all the questions. It just sounds a bit complicated to do an install on the 9100.
Robin
Majestic
2 Intern
•
9371 Posts
770
0
Posted August 3rd, 2005 12:00
Message Edited by Majestic on 08-03-2005 08:29 AM