Your XPS 600 uses SATA hard drives which are usually handled by an AHCI driver.  Windows XP does not have this driver natively and usually requires you to have a floppy disk and drive to load them at the beginning of the installation process.  You can sometimes get around this by going to bios setup (F2 at startup) and setting the drive controller to RAID Autodetect/ATA.  This setting puts the drive controller in ATA compatible mode and will usually allow Windows XP native drivers to see the hard drive.  If you have a RAID this effectively disables it and you are using only a single drive.  If you aren't using RAID this won't matter much.

 

I don't understand the need for the Windows XP setup disks.  The Windows XP CD is bootable on its own and the setup disks only get you to the point that you can run setup on that CD.  They can't be used alone to setup Windows XP, at least not so far as I know.

 

I tried using the Win XP CD on a stand alone basis, but to no avail.  I got in touch with Segate and they informed me that I could use the Dell Resource CD and transfer the needed SATA Controller Driver from that media to a floppy.  I am now in a catch 22 situation.  My Dell does not work on any of my CD /DVD ROM Drives so I tried using my Compaq laptop which has a floppy drive as well as the CD/DVD drives.  When I put the Dell RCD in the drive, a message pops up telling me the RCD is only good on Dell computers and the setup will shut down.  What I really need is to locate a source where I can download the SATA Controller Drivers.

 

Jesse

You can find the SATA drivers listed at Serial ATA utilites here:

 

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=XPS_PNT_P4_DXG&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

 

You will need to figure out which drive you need.  Do this by either looking at the packing slip that came with your computer, or that Dell mailed to you, or go to the top of this page, select the Warranty Information tab, then select Warranty Status, select the Original System Configuration tab, enter your service tag number, and see if you can find it on the list.

 

Before you try to do anything with the drivers, study this:

 

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/tree?c=us&l=en&s=gen&journalid=A377800BF92711DB82DCA5004C1111DF&treeid=FFA33DA99941FEDFE030030ABD62041A

 

When the screen comes up select your computer model, and if you are presented with a screen asking for your operating system select Windows XP (but I think I got the link to bring this up automatically).  Proceed through all  the steps at least once to give yourself an idea of what needs to get done.

 

Did you by chance try restarting the computer, tapping F2 to go to setup, and setting the SATA controller to RAID Autodetect/ATA?  If you do this the native Windows XP ATA drivers should be able to see the drive and allow you to install.  If you can't do this you might need to find a way to slipstream the RAID drivers into an installation disk.  So far as I know if you must load the drivers via a floppy when Windows XP CD is booted you need to have an internal floppy installed.  Some folks say that a USB floppy will work as well but I have had mixed reports and I have never had to do this myself.

 

Jack, my Dell XPS600 does not have the phrase you included "Raid autodetect/ATA".  When I strike F2 to go into setup, my drives are listed and I choose my SATO 0, which is drive 0.  That is where my first HD is situated. I change the setting from ON to RAID.  I don't have any other selections.  When I back out of setup my first instruction is to hit Ctrl N which starts the Raid setup.  The next instruction is to insert my Win XP start up disk into drive "A" which is my 3.5" floppy drive.  At no time will the Dell Win XP SP 2 disk bootup when I put it in my CD ROM drive and restart the computer. I still get the insruction to use drive "A"  This is a real puzzler and it looks like I may have to send this beast back to Dell for a rebuild.  I downloaded the SATA Controller Driver from Dell but it does not do anything as far as letting the setup recognize the two HDs.

 

Jesse

Unless you are using RAID, I don't think RAID ON is the proper setting.  I assume "ON" is where you started and you were still having trouble at that point.  Never the less, the "ON" setting is probably where the SATA controller needs to be.  I think that the most straightforward solution is to get a floppy drive, install it in the machine temporarily, and load the drivers.  I know of people who have asked for and received a pre-loaded drive for their machines, but I don't know how they convinced Dell to do it.

 

One more thing you can try is to clear the NVRAM and let the computer re-detect everything.  This sometimes helps with odd troubles.  See the instructions at the bottom of the page found here:

 

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps600/en/SM/syssetup.htm#wp1052310

 

 

Jack, you are probably right....on the RAID thing.  I'm pretty sure that the ON feature is the default for my SATA Drives.  I am not using RAID.  I don't have or didn't have he mirror situation that provides.

 

As for my floppy.  My Dell XPS600 was a self designed system when I ordered it from Dell.  The floppy drive is an intergral part of the machine.  That is what I have been using to install the six setup floppies.  I also have a USB floppy that I use on my laptop.  I have not tried that on the XPS.

 

I will also try the NVRAM feature.  Right now I'll try anything.:smileyhappy:

 

Jesse

If you have the floppy drive already then you should really load the driver.  You have the procedure to put the driver on a 3.5 disk, all you should need to do is press F6 at the beginning of the Windows XP installation with the floppy in the drive.  A message telling you when shows up on a bar at the bottom of the installation window.  I'm hoping know which one you need since the download site shows about four or five and there is no way for me to tell which are appropriate for your computer.

 

So far as booting your Win XP installation disk, you need to go to setup and tell it to put the CD ROM drive first in the boot order.  On most Dells you can also tap F12 at the first screen as the computer starts to choose a boot device.  Normally only the master optical drive is bootable, so if you  have two you need to try the second one if the first you try doesn't boot.

 

Jack, thanks for all your valuable assistance and help.  After more than a week of fighting with the XPS600 and not making any progress, I have decided to scrap it and I'm now looking into getting a new Alienware.  Most of my computing is done exclusively on Flight Simulations, and Alienware makes a perfect machine for that.  I'll keep my laptop to handle email and lesser files.

 

Jesse

You're very welcome.  I'm sorry I couldn't help get you to a satisfactory resolution to the problem.