My 77 year old father in law bought a new Dimension 2400 this past Spring.  He has erased his entire harddrive in an attempt to reload the original software - including Windows.  (don't ask me why - it's something old people do).

 

Here's the problem that we are having.  The computer boots to the Dell screen and then freezes.  It's only by hook and by crook that we somehow get beyond that screen to a DOS screen giving an option to boot from location.  We select CD and insert the recover disk for Windows.  Windows starts loading the software and then says it needs to restart to finish the software installation.  When it reboots it goes back to the Dell screen and freezes again.  Someone please help!  Thanks.