disk drive problem on reinstalling Win Xp

Hi,

Firstly if I am in the wrong section my apologies :-o

Del 9100 Intel(6) Pentium (r) 4CPU 3.00GHz 299Ghz 200GB of Ram
Win Xp sp 3

My friend had a phoney phone call from Microsoft the pc was hi-jacked. she disconnected from the internet and had to cancel all bank cards.:cry

Prior to this she had upgraded the pc at a computer shop (no longer in business )
Looking in the pc I can't actually see what they upgraded to!


She has asked me to look at pc and I think the only safe thing to do is format and reinstall windows
I have put my Win xp disk in (she had none) went into setup F12 start by CD.
Starts off adding files the after prompt to install Win I get this message.

"SETUP did not find any hard disk drives in your computer.
Make sure any hard disk drives are properly powered on and properly connected to your computer , and that any disk related hardware configuration is correct.
This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or set-up program.""

Any thoughts or ideas welcome

 

The next time you reboot the computer, press F2 as soon as the choices show in the upper right to enter setup and see if BIOS is seeing the HD. Make sure to go into Boot Sequence as well and make the CD drive first and the HD second.

I'm sure you know that Microsoft will NEVER call someone with the claim that the person's computer was hijacked.

 

Thanks I will take a look to tomorrow & post my results.

My friend, had just come home from hospital & the call took her unawares, she called me up straight after she had put the pc on and pressed the keys they had asked her to.
I told her to disconnect from the internet, & we took it from there.

It's good to let others know how crafty these guys were, & there are times when you do things without thinking.
Lesson for everyone out there to be careful.

Good job we have Major Geeks to help out.

 

This error sounds typical of a computer with SATA hard-drives but the Win Install bombs because there aren't any SATA Drivers offered by the user.

During the early steps of the XP Installation, the question is presented:

Press F6 if you want to install a third party Raid or SCSI driver.

This is the point where the user taps F6 and they have a diskette with the SATA Drivers for that particular motherboard. Stick it in, and XP will read it, then display a list of all additional drivers to install.

If this isn't done, the Error Message you mentioned is then displayed - it's saying, in effect, "I can't find an old style IDE Hard Drive so bye bye."

(If the user has the original Dell install disks, this would be part of their package. But with your WinXP, no, you'll need to download SATA drivers from Dell. I sure hope that computer has a Floppy Drive!!)

The Dell Support Site should offer the proper drivers for this model.

 

Hi again,

I did try and download the SATA driver as suggested only to find my friends Dell 9100 didnt have a floppy drive!! :-o

I have tried to connect her pc onto my network so that I could access the internet on her pc, but its not going anywhere.
I downloaded the SATA driver onto a disk but it wont go onto her drive that way, any other ideas.:confused

I shall e-mail Dell and see if they can help, I do have all her paperwork and the Dell is authentic (win xp ) disk wise

I read on Dell support I could go into advanced set up and restore factory settings but that choice was not available on the pc.

I would like to try and sort the problem out, I feel it cant be much thats stopping the reinstall, but it is a pain, I would be very grateful if you have any futher suggestions

Many thanks

 

Also Mdonah,


"press F2 as soon as the choices show in the upper right to enter setup and see if BIOS is seeing the HD. "
The Sata Hard Drive is present.

 

As ChristineBCW said, the SATA driver has to be installed after you press F6. There are inexpensive external Floppy drives available on eBay. I purchased one for my Precision M70 because some of the utilities I have only run from floppy and the fact that ASR (Automated System Recovery) for XP Pro requires a floppy to run along with the part that's on one of my external hard drives.

 

Not sure if this would help or not, I am not too familiar with WinXP, but you may be able to get WinXP to install if you slipstream the driver into the WinXP installation disc. I have heard of people slipstreaming drivers into installation discs to make some WinXP install possible.

 

I caution the use of External Floppies because, if the motherboard's BIOS doesn't have any option to detect one in the BIOS, then those Externals are being loaded with USBs and that 'layer of support' is installed after WinXP's SATA Driver is required. So it's a Catch-22 loop.

Val's brought up the SLIPSTREAMING idea and, while this will be a daunting effort AT FIRST, it is a valuable lesson to learn.

I can google SLIPSTREAM XP SATA and get this page...

The SATA drivers are considered "SCSI-RAID" drivers, by the way. Just think of them as "additional hard-drive drivers" and don't worry about which 4-letter word is used - SATA, RAID, SCSI - WindowsXP Installer will take whatever you feed it.

While this appears to be a daunting exercise, it's a fairly good one. There are three parts, basically: (1) copy your Original WindowsXP CD to a hard drive... (2) put the Dell SATA drivers - and make sure you get the Correct Ones! into the proper WinXP-on-Your-HD folder, and (3) learn how to create a bootable CD.

This third step is another good lesson - Nero and most packages have most of what's necessary, but there's a tiny file called a Boot File that can be a bugaboo to locate. Your WinXP CD has it tucked away.

 

Oh - one note about Floppies.

IF you can open up that Dell PC's case, there MAY be a floppy-drive connector on the motherboard (marked "FDD",probably). If you can temporarily remove another computer's floppy and its cable, you can plug it into that Dell's connector, reset the Dell BIOS to recognize the Floppy (Drive A=Enabled), and proceed with the standard WinXP installation from there!

 

Let me get rid of your bugaboo.

http://www.nliteos.com/
for brain dead slipstreaming of a windows xp disc, use nLite.
It asks all the questions, just follow the instructions and you'll end up with a bootable disc or iso to burn with your favourite burning software.

 

Hi
I think I will have a go at compiling the disk, as you say it will be interesting!!
We don't have anything to lose, I manage to get a lot of her personal stuff off, so it's just a time & patience job.

If you could add any info on how to compile the disk & where to get the Sata driver etc that would be great.
I appreciate your input & time, & it will be interesting.
All help very welcome

 

To get the SATA driver, go to the Dell Support site and enter the Service Tag number (located on a sticker on the side or back of your friend's computer) of your friend's computer in the field on the upper left. Note that any letters in the Service Tag must be capitalized. Then go to Drivers and Downloads.

In your original post you state it's a Dell 9100. Is it an XPS 9100 or Dimension 9100?. In either case, according to the processor speed and the amount of RAM you state it has, it's fully capable of running Windows Vista or later.

Your friend might consider upgrading her OS since Microsoft support for XP (at least the 32-bit version and except for definition updates for Microsoft Security Essentials) won't be available after patch Tuesday 4/8/14. So, there won't be any security updates for XP from Microsoft. Third parties may produce "unofficial" updates the way they have for Windows '98. But, that remains to be seen.

Since Vista and later versions of Windows natively support SATA drives, there wouldn't be the need for the separate AHCI driver installation. But if she or you want(s) to go the XP route, using nLite as Bluejay suggests is the easiest way to go about it.

 

I found out it's a Dell Dimension 9100 and the SATA driver is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager to be used at OS Installation time only. It's available as a separate download from here.

 

Cyber, I too use the NLITE option, which was a johnny-come-lately service after years of manual slipstreaming (it's tardy appearance on the computer support scene AND it's early versions of limited effectiveness made the manual slipstreaming easier those first few years). But the newest versions do just about everything.

NLITE also has the easiest, one-stop-shopping solution for finding the Boot Loader file, too - which was an unnecessary difficulty in building the bootable CD-DVD.

And finally, one cautionary note - when you slipstream YOUR WinXP CD with your friend's SATA drivers, that's going to create, uh, complications for Windows Activation for all future uses of that WinXP license. (If I had a WinXP CD that I'd never ever use again, then kissing-it-goodbye wouldn't be any issue at all.)

 

Hi, thanks for your quick reply,I have read carefully all the advice.
I am up for making the compilation disk, however Christine BCW's comment on the effect that will have on my Win xp disk is a worry, I do still use this on my own old pc (I also have an Apple Mac) I like xp and do have times when I like to use it. Is there any more you can add about the "kissing it goodbye" . I don't want to compromise my own pc.:confused

Also Mdonah suggests upgrading the OS to Vista or maybe Windows,if this were the case, could I just put that disk into the pc to install and would it work ? without doing any of the slipstreaming?or downloading the SATA driver
Have you any ideas re the prices of an update.

I have googled the slipstreaming link & feel confident I could do this, but if getting a later OS version without the need to download extra drivers etc this may be the way to go if it's cost effective.
Sorry for indecision, but want to make the correct choice.
Many thanks for all input.

 

Yes, but for a number of years now it has been working flawlessly, so why bring up the past.

No licensing issues that I'm aware of will take place as long as the correct licence key, in this case the friend's key is used. This can be done during install or changed to the friend's key after install.

 

I've got a Dell Precision M70 that originally had XP Pro installed. I received the Dell OEM WXP CD along with the computer so, I've had no trouble re-installing WXP when needed. The OEM Product Key matches the one on the COA sticker.

Because of the disappearing Microsoft support for XP, I experimented with the newer versions of Windows along with several distributions of Linux. I eventually decided to go with Vista Ultimate. I bought it on eBay and with shipping, it cost me $80. I can't afford a new computer so, this was cost effective for me and extends the life of my current computer for at least 3 years (barring device or total failure).

If you go the OS upgrade route, make sure to get one with an unused COA/Product Key. I had purchased a Dell OEM Vista Business SP1 DVD and it would not activate because it had already been activated on another computer and I had no way to change the Product Key.

 

Thanks Bluejay, friend does have the licence key for her Dell, so that takes away my concerns, I am going to do some more reading & have a go at the disk, nothing to lose.
Thanks ,will be back with update after week end.

 

A bit more about licensing... Microsoft makes it difficult to use the same License ID # on two different computers because, well, it's not 'legal' - it violates their One Computer Per Windows license.

I wonder if you have a Dell computer running XP yourself? If so, then IF you're using your "Dell WinXP" Disk AND using her license key, that should work.

If you have a "Microsoft WinXP" or "OEM WinXP" branded disk, OR if your WinXP is licensed from another brand-name (HP, Toshiba, Sony, for example), then you might run into difficulties.

You'll discover IF THIS IS TRUE during the installation process, when you're asked to supply a Product ID Key. Type in your friend's Product ID and see if Windows lets you proceed. If so, NO WORRIES!

If the correctly-entered product ID displays "invalid product ID", then you're entering 'license violation' territory. There are articles about modifying your license-key AFTER installation, by the way, and these may help but some forums may not want to 'host' such discussions.

You're at a point of "Try it, see if it works".

 

Sorry to be a pain, is this the version of nLite I need to download???

nLite VL.4.9.3 | Installer | 2.94 MB

 

That's several versions newer than the one I use! Try that and see how it works... if you REALLY want to discover the Pain, go back and follow some of the Google threads on Slip Streaming! ha ha...

 

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to change the XP Product Key to your friend's.

 

I did investigate the Dell Dimen 9100 a bit more and, according to this motherboard spec sheet, it has both IDE and an FDD connector!

But, as always, the parts are changed to protect everyone who should be responsible.

 

I, also, did some more investigation of the Dimension 9100 and I'm afraid I may have some bad news.

The Dimension 9100 is a media/gaming PC and came with Windows (XP) Media Center (a bloated version of XP) installed. If you install from your CD, if it's not media center, and you try to change the Product Key to the one on your friends computer, it won't work. Part of the Product Key identifies the version of the Windows installation.

 

I wonder if the original hard-drive has a wonderful li'l hidden Recovery Partition on it? Hmmm... that might only be visible if I plugged the original Dimen9100 HD into another computer, opened up it's Windows Disk Management Service and it might reveal a small-ish (8-10Gb) partition with some "Recovery" or "Backup" name associated to it.

I was at a local Dell Refurb Outlet shop and they didn't have Dimen9100 WinXP disks. "Used to, not anymore - hardly see those units anymore" was their comment. And out there in the world of dust collectors or landfills, all those disks remain.

"My kingdom's partition for an install disk!" Well, I think that's the modern version...

 

Yes, the version of windows xp installed, has to be the same as the one the key was issued for, for the key to work; I can't believe I forgot that...
probably because now I only associate windows xp with windows xp pro, and nothing else, but just for info, there was a windows xp home version as well.

 

(If this is a media-center PC, I think the only media-centric product would be a TV-card. If this Dimen9100 doesn't have that, then MAYBE just maybe it never came with Windows Media Center... well, CyberC commented about the ultimate status: "try it - what is there to lose?" Nothing UNLESS there's a recovery partition!)

 

Hi all.

I have downloaded nlite-1.4.9.3. and installed it onto my own computer

I have downloaded my copy of Win xp sp2 onto my external hard drive in a folder called Win xp (external drive letter H)

I have downloaded the SATA Driver from Dell R126083 onto my eternal hard drive,, I extracted them onto my external hard drive
(these extract to a folder"Dell:,then"Drivers"then "R126083: this opens to
3 sub files.
1= mcdl_windll
2=NoDoze
3+Version

Right, I started the nlite prog. and thought I had put in all the things needed, made the disk, but I don't seem to have actually added the drivers, as the Dell pc only goes so far then says no hard drive. (as original question)

I am sure I am just missing some small point, maybe you can see what.
Hopefully:cry

 

I have added an attachment showing the specs of Dell 9100.
I did try to use the recovery partition but its not going anywhere.

 

Firstly, I believe you downloaded the wrong AHCI(SATA) package. Please see attachments — the first one is the contents of a floppy drive I made from one of the downloads that creates a floppy disk directly when you launch the app. The second one is from a previous version that expands to C:\Dell\Drivers\R99738. You'd have to use your friends computer to run the setup (my Dell computer isn't supported).

I haven't used nLite in a situation like yours but apparently it doesn't integrate the SATA driver needed for XP to even recognize the SATA hard drive. Windows XP doesn't natively support SATA as you know from a previous post in this thread. It seems, I'm afraid, that the only way you're going to get that driver on your friend's computer is via the F6 and floppy option.

Additionally, you're trying to install an SP2 version of XP. Is it 64-bit? If it is, 64-bit only went to SP2. But if it's 32-bit, you'll need to download and run the SP3 installer as support for XP 32-bit SP2 ended in 2010.

 

Mdonah I have read your input,but
I'm at a loss what I should do next, you say the only thing to do is press F6 & use the floppy disk drive(there is none)

"I caution the use of External Floppies because, if the motherboard's BIOS doesn't have any option to detect one in the BIOS, then those Externals are being loaded with USBs and that 'layer of support' is installed after WinXP's SATA Driver is required. So it's a Catch-22 loop. Christine BCW."

I put Dell 9100 into Dell website support & this was the file it came up with

File Format: Hard-Drive Download File
Add to My Download List
File Name: R126083.EXE

Is this the wrong one? Are you saying that I won't be able to make a bootable disk using nLite
Sorry but I am now confused

 

Did you put in Dell 9100 or Dimension 9100 at the Dell Support site?

 

Hi I put in Dell 9100 Sata driver Have I put in the wrong one!!!!
Will go back & start again. Should I be able to make a bootable disk??
Many thanks

 

Unusual request: Could you send me a Private Message with your friend's Service Tag number so I can check how the computer was configured when it left the factory and have a much better idea of what we're dealing with and be able to give you better advice on how to accomplish the task you've set out for yourself?

 

I have used nLite in a situation exactly like yours. For loading XP on a Vista Dell laptop actually (Vista is crap), using an AHCI SATA drive. The bios had a setting for conventional IDE mode, but that would loose all the benefits of AHCI. I used nLite, downloaded the drivers from Intel's site (if I remember correctly, because Intel had more updated drivers at the time), slipstream the drivers to ISO, burn and boot. It did take 3 tries I believe, because the driver package had 4 drivers in it for 4 different chipsets, and I didn't want to load them all, and couldn't tell which was right for me, so it was a bit of trial and error there, but I was sure I had the right driver package, so it wouldn't have taken more than 4 tries, and the 3rd did it.

Maybe you're in a similar situation. You should google your chipset number to find the correct driver package from Intel, or you can just use the Dell download.

Note; when auto-installing, or using F6, the OS automatically chooses the correct driver.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the PM. According to the configuration list,you're right about the floppy drive. There's a filler plate specified for the FDD slot instead of a floppy drive

There are two versions of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager needed for XP to install/run on a SATA HDD. One, R99740.EXE, is the one that creates the floppy with the files I showed you in the first screenshot.

The other, R99738.EXE (download from here) is listed as a previous version but it expands to the folder I showed you in the second screenshot with the Setup.exe. I believe this is the one you need for nLite.

It wasn't configured with Windows Media Center either. It had XP Home.

The other drivers you'll need (they only provide 7) are available here.

 

Hi Mdonah
Thanks form all your info, I have to be away a couple of days, but will get back to the task when I return, & will post back with my results
Thanks. Again

 

Gag... I was trying to re-create these issues and I discovered the R99738 EXE file doesn't contain all the file-entries needed for a slipsteam! No TXT OEM Setup file and 4 others!

No wonder CyberC was getting failed installs!

Argh... ok, back to Dell Support Searches... or maybe just call The Man himself... that's why God invented Local Calls...

 

There's always the option of the external floppy drive that I suggested. The Dimension 9100 cyberchick is working on came with a USB Keyboard and a USB Mouse not PS2. So, it's already set up to recognize USB devices PreOS like my Dell from the same era (2005 - 2006) is. The floppy drive will be seen as drive "A:\" and cyberchick would be able to boot from it if needed. She would, of course, need to enable the drive and change the boot sequence in Setup.

If she gets the floppy drive, she would then use R99740 to create the floppy automatically.

I had also mentioned Vista. But the computer only came with 512MB of RAM. Unless it was upgraded to the 2GB cyberchick said it has, Vista's a no go.

 

That's a good point about USB drivers being loaded BEFORE SATA drivers - that's good news. BUT right now it looks like there are incorrect files for a Floppy Build, too - the README.TXT specifies the six Intel Sata files but Dell's downloads are only offering 2. Two may be 64-bit - not necessary then - and one will be that OEM SETUP TXT file. I'm digging around for these answers... there's a chance that a Dell Dimension running the "SATA Utility" will build the proper floppy - if only I had a proper Dell Dimension!

 

I don't know if this will help any but the processor is an Intel 80547 P4 Prescott DT.

The configuration also said there was documentation on floppy disk for Power DVD 5.5 :confused

It's also got a Maxtor 160GB SATA hard drive and there's a utility BR126083 for floppy and R126083 for hard drive (I don't know if it's pertinent).

 

Dell Support has tried but they discovered WinXP insisted on the 6 IASTOR drivers and they're unzippables only had 2. They're trying to locate the proper ones, and then came back and said, "Intel has the Version 8.8 and we've used those on that generation and newer, too, so..."

So, the Intel Support Site has the Matrix Storage Management Drivers v 8.8 "F6FLOPPY - 32.ZIP" file, which I've passed along. I'm going to try NLITE's latest version as well.

 

Mdonah,

Total physical memory 2.046GB
Available Memory 1.37GB
Total Virtual Mem 2.00GB
Available Virtual Mem 1.96GB

I know she had it upgraded but she didn’t know what to and I suddenly thought maybe the upgrade was to Win xp sp3
Thanks for your time

 

cyberchick,

I've run the latest version of nLite to see if I could integrate the R99738 AHCI driver supplied by Dell into the installation package — it was a no-go.

You have to use the Intel package that ChristineBCW links to in her last post. Just unzip the archive and point nLite to it when you get to the integrating the driver part using the iaAHCI.inf file. I selected textmode driver and selected all of the SATA AHCI controllers but NOT the four RAID controllers by Ctrl clicking on them. nLite integrated the AHCI into the installation package.

Unfortunately, I don't have a proper Dell Dimension to test it on.

 

I am unhappy with this Dell Dimen 9100 issue. Completly unhappy. We buy a lot of Dell notebooks, and I've never had support issues to this degree. And in a private conversation, the phrase "This bad episode makes me avoid Dells in the future" was uttered.

I've used my local contacts and Dell Support is trying to fix it but they're wonderfully experiencing the exact same issues - "I don't have the same Dell Dimen 9100 available so I can't trace where the missing files are, or if they're available."

Gag. So, this begs the question, "How many more-?"

I still like Dells because their service-tag ID has always provided sufficient specifics to locate proper drivers.

But this unit almost follows the HP insanity - models, sub-model numbers not printed anyway, and even sub-sub-models, all with a variety of drivers for one and only one possible configuration.

Companies can righteously claim some budgetary limitation to driver support, but equipment's longevity AND user productivity remains paramount to mony-spending consumers. When these vendors make consumers work 'too hard' - and that's by the consumers' definition NOT the vendor's - then vendors earn falling future sales.

I was glad to see that Intel offered an auto-scan feature, by the way.

 

I would never buy a Dell Dimension or Inspiron anything, especially for a business.

This may not be the case anymore, but back in the early 200s, I had friends who worked for Dell and they told me that Latitude and Inspiron used the same parts. The kicker is that the Inspiron are the ones that failed the QC tests. Those that passed were used in Latitudes.

 

Mdonah,
I will have another go and do as you suggest and get back with results, I find it
hard to believe there haven't been other users with the same problem.
Thanks for your time and input

 

I have been looking at info on the web about virtual floppy disk programs & am just wondering if this might help with the SATA driver that can only download to floppy,have you ever used the program ?? Do you think it could be of use in my problem
Cyberchick