Dell xp install nightmare

Have a DELL DIMENSION 5100 here a freinds daughters .. to cut a long story short I have installed a S/H 120 gig HD ( HD OK as 1 of mine taken from working rig) I am trying to install XP SP3, I see drive recognised in BIOS as 120 Seagate, first boot cd and it reads from disk and asks to partion (which is no ) I then format and off we go, when copying finshed it does the auto reboot and thats when the prob begins as it either says cant find HD or it just reboots and reads from disc again and I am in a continual Loop. Have reset the CMOS several times and connect DATA cable on intermediary or at the end of cable but always get the same result... the continual Loop ....any clues Fellow Geeks ??? PS Seagte HD is the only HD connected.

 

Was the HD wiped and formatted before installing into the machine?
Was there an OS on it?
May need to let Windows partition and format.

 

Sounds like the HD jumper isn't set to Master so the computer won't boot from it. Check the jumper setting and connect it to end of cable.

 

Do as Sach says check too see if the Master/slave is right if this is for a main drive then it should be a master.And the Cd Rom a Slave if that's how its setup.

 

Run the windows setup,after files have been copied and the computer is restarted hit del to enter bios,choose the seagate as the first boot device and save.

The windows install may continue as normal now.

You can also try hitting F12 just after bios to enter boot menu and selecting the hard drive as the boot device.

Other than that I agree with the master slave suggestion if its IDE.

 

Try setting the SATA controller to Combination in the BIOS if that is what you are using:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim5100/en/sm/setup1.htm#wp1057460

If you're installing XP to a SATA drive and the preceding didn't work, you most likely will need SATA drivers from a floppy disc at the F6 prompt or to slipstream them in a custom installation disc with a program like nLite.

 

First apologies for not mentioning that it is a SATA Drive. The Drive is set to SATA-0 and set to ''ON'' The SATA Operation is highlighted as 'Normal' but for some obscure reason I cannot set the 'Combination' to Highlight/Choice as you have suggested Just Playin. Is this a BIOS problem ??? I have tried to highlight inasmuch as the 'Normal' is unhighlit but still the same loop, thanks to all for input so far... PS there was a OS on there previously which I assumed would be obliterated on instalation Format.. I am trying the 'Quick' Format so could go for the Full just to elimnate that from the equation.

 

Addition to previous Post.I tried your suggestion Rikky but I get the same result. I have I think managed to set the 'Combination' but me thinks it could be a 'SAVE & EXIT' prob (its all pretty vague in these Dell Bios Settings) as once field highlit I then press'Enter' to confirm which darkens it again then I only seem to get the 'Exit' choice not the save and exit although having said that if I reboot and immediately return to Bios the settings do stay as I required, there is no F10 facility. Nightmare is putting it midly .......

 

Further developements.... I took the battery out for an hour (which is brand new) I reset the Bios, hooked the ''Original 80 Gig HD0 with OS onboard and screen saying no disk inserted, Boot sequence is HD first... So I hooked up both SATA HD's to SATA Ports 0 & 1 and the secondary 120 gig is showing as a 'Pata' even though is hooked up in the Sata Port 1 .. even following all advice I still cannot figure this out. I am now going to leave the battery out for several hours and see what result that has.

 

Since XP does not have native SATA drivers on the install disk, you may have to install either using F6 with a floppy drive or slipstream the drivers with Nlite.

Is it possible to press F8 and select "Disable Auto Restart on system error"? If so, what is the error you get when booting.

Try resetting the CMOS using the jumper. It is by the battery. It is called RTCST.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim5100/en/sm/parts1.htm#wp1370145

You may also want to take a look at the front panel lights if you have them.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim5100/en/sm/parts1.htm#wp1370145

 

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions... I wont bore you with all the detailed failures since the last post but on about the 50th attempt to install instead of choosing Format I thought the only route I have not tried is a Partition so I went ahead with that, Dells track record did not alter as it would not let me resize/create a Partition but it did off of its own bat make one of 8MB this I allowed and on instalation reboot ''EUREKA'' it found the drive and competed instalation succesfully, chipset drivers installed and all is well. Thanks again fellow 'Geeks' Friends daughter will be happy once I get her ''Sims'' installed.

 

lol Sims