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General discussion

Replaced HDD now OS says no drive in machine

Jul 10, 2009 9:53AM PDT

XPS 400
512MB ram
80GB HD
Replaced HDD with an exact model.
Trying to install MCE 2005. Get to Install system and get there is no drive in machine.
BIOS reconizes in setup. OS does not. Don't have Dell restore disks using new system CD.

Any ideas or help?

dnewb

Discussion is locked

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OS?
Jul 10, 2009 10:16AM PDT
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OS
Jul 10, 2009 10:24PM PDT

Are you telling me I can't put a different version of OS on drive unless I have the reinstall disk from Dell?
What if I want to create a new partition and have a dual boot system or want to change versions or upgrade to a new version and do a clean install?

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No
Jul 11, 2009 3:43AM PDT

You can put a different OS on the computer. I thought you wanted to install the original OS. Boot to the new operating system disk (it cannot be a disk that has been installed and activated on a different computer)to do a custom install on the hard drive. Make sure you installed the hard disk according to the instructions that usually come with the drive kit. If you bought a bare drive, you can use the operating system disk to format and install.

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MCE 2005
Jul 11, 2009 3:49AM PDT

MCE 2005 is not an operating system. You can have a Windows XP media center operating system or a Vista media center edition. You were not clear about what you are installing. Remember that each computer must have its own license key. You cannot use another computer's disk to install a different version of windows. It will not activate on the second computer unless it is the exact same version of windows that came on the computer.

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MCE 2005
Jul 11, 2009 8:55AM PDT

Sorry about the confusion. Am trying to load XP MCE 2005.
New copy.

Back to orginal question.

I boot from the CD.
Get through Windows XP Professional Setup
Welcome to Setup
* To Setup Windows XP now, Press Enter
* To Repair..... Using Recovery Console, Press R
* To Quit Setup ......., Press F3

I press Enter.

Next screen

Displays did not find any hard disk drives installed on your machine.

Make sure any hard hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer ..................

Setup can not continue. To quit Setup Press F3.

The BIOS reconizes the drive being installed why isn't the OS seeing it.

It is a bare drive, I have formatted it and it still doesn't see it.

Any ideas?

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If that's a SATA hard drive.
Jul 11, 2009 10:41PM PDT

There are reasons this happen. Widely discussed but in your discussion that tiny detail is not found.

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It is SATA drive
Jul 11, 2009 11:34PM PDT

It is a SATA drive as was the orginal. I guessed that since this is a stock Dell machine this would be the standard for this machine.
Sorry.

What might be the reasons?

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For your research.
Jul 11, 2009 11:47PM PDT

1. XP does not know about SATA drives. This one reason is hard for some to accept. Not to duplicate web content but you need to know that installing Windows is not assured or trivial. Even more so if you change the Windows version, bios settings from stock.

If that is unchanged, then we follow Dell's install procedure (supply a link for us to check that.)
Bob

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BIOS setting
Jul 12, 2009 12:19AM PDT

The BIOS setting are set to factory default.

Don't understand "then we follow Dell's install procedure (supply a link for us to check that.)" request.

I have built and rebuild computers for years and this is the first time I run into this problem.
Always built from scratch but never have worked with a Dell machine before, therefore I'm what is condidered a newbe to Dell machines.
Sorry if there is any confussion.

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No confusion just new technology.
Jul 12, 2009 12:24AM PDT

You didn't supply a link to Dell's install documentation so let's just do a google on XP SATA which finds the issue fast. NOT THE SOLUTION!!! We turn to Dell's install notes for that. Which you can share the link for.

Read over at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=XP+SATA

See, it's not an unknown issue.
Bob

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XP SATA
Jul 12, 2009 12:50AM PDT

Thanks for the info.

Disabled the default BIOS setting AHCI auto.
Now I'm off and running.
Thanks again.

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Thanks for the report.
Jul 12, 2009 5:23AM PDT

The solution of choice varies with the machine. The PC makers should be ashamed at this issue. Some machines you can make that BIOS change. Others not so lucky and require the F6 FLOPPY install.

Thanks for hanging in there and learning your way to your solution.
Bob

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Me too!
Sep 22, 2009 4:57PM PDT

Yeah I had the same exact issue! SO ANNOYING!

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replaced HD in Dell E310
Sep 19, 2009 2:42AM PDT

replaced HD in Dell E310, due to system crash. purchased new drive from dell (yeah I know expensive,etc. ) anyway trying to get system up and running like before.
Have Os windows XP Pro on it, LG DVD burner, 2 gig ram, nvidia card, intel modem, 1.6 ghz?, after boot system says hardware not setup, tried to load drivers off of dell drivers and utilities cd with no help.
Dell says drivers already installed on system. How can they be installed if I just got a new hard drive, dell says they are kept in a private partition ? And I cant access them. I can put some programs on the machine but anything that needs updating, such as the modem, video and sound card the system says go online for new drivers, I say Ok, and then it cant find modem? whats up with dell? Is there an easier way to get this system back up. or do I just use it as another door stop. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I have some basic computer knowledge and follw directions well. Thanks in advance.