Update - new hard drive in laptop - questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter friesian
  • Start date Start date
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friesian

I put in the new hard drive.

I have tried to use the Dell restore CDs, then the windows XP cd I
have. Both bring up a window that says "completing recovery partition"
Then I get a little window that says

"Please insert System Restore CD/DVD #1 now."

I have 2 CDs from Dell. One says Operating System. The other says
Drivers and Utilities.

Am I supposed to make a special restore CD? It keeps asking for a
system restore CD and doesn't like any of these CDs. Is there another
way to install the operating system from scratch?
 
I put in the new hard drive.

I have tried to use the Dell restore CDs, then the windows XP cd I
have. Both bring up a window that says "completing recovery partition"
Then I get a little window that says

"Please insert System Restore CD/DVD #1 now."

I have 2 CDs from Dell. One says Operating System. The other says
Drivers and Utilities.

Am I supposed to make a special restore CD? It keeps asking for a
system restore CD and doesn't like any of these CDs. Is there another
way to install the operating system from scratch?
Click to expand...

I'd contact Dell and have them send you a set of restore CD's for that
machine...
it's possible that you do not have the complete set
 
I just finsished a chat session with a Dell tech person, and it is
currently installing.

I had to use the Dell CD which is w2k (I never realized it wasn't xp
as it had xp when I bought it).

So, new question. Can I upgrade to XP using a full XP version CD?
 
I just finsished a chat session with a Dell tech person, and it is
currently installing.

I had to use the Dell CD which is w2k (I never realized it wasn't xp
as it had xp when I bought it).

So, new question. Can I upgrade to XP using a full XP version CD?
Click to expand...


Once you get win2k installed and booted up
just pop in the XP cd and it should autorun...
then ask you if you want to upgrade...
then go for it.

Once you have upgraded to XP...
then apply all critcal updates.

(there is of course no need to do that with win2k
as you will be upgrading it to XP)
 
Once you get win2k installed and booted up
just pop in the XP cd and it should autorun...
then ask you if you want to upgrade...
then go for it.

Once you have upgraded to XP...
then apply all critcal updates.

(there is of course no need to do that with win2k
as you will be upgrading it to XP)
Click to expand...



Well, I did the install. It said to fix my display settings as it was
showing low rez. It wouldn't let me change them, so I rebooted, and
now it stalls at the "loading windows" page.

It also wants me to manually login every time windows starts.
 
Well, I did the install. It said to fix my display settings as it was
showing low rez. It wouldn't let me change them, so I rebooted, and
now it stalls at the "loading windows" page.

It also wants me to manually login every time windows starts.
Click to expand...

I'm confused. If it's stalling at "loading windows," how is it that you
every see a login?
 
I'm confused. If it's stalling at "loading windows," how is it that you
every see a login?
Click to expand...


When it finished installing w2k, it started asking for the login every
time it booted.

When I installed win xp, it did load once, asked for the login, then
gave me a message about the display. It wouldn't correct that, so I
rebooted. That's when it stalled, so the screen just says "loading
windows".
 
When it finished installing w2k, it started asking for the login every
time it booted.

When I installed win xp, it did load once, asked for the login, then
gave me a message about the display. It wouldn't correct that, so I
rebooted. That's when it stalled, so the screen just says "loading
windows".
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. I would try the following, to see if I could get a login:

1) Unplug any USB devices or extra stuff that you can from the computer.
Reboot, and let it sit for a good long time -- 10 minutes or so -- to
see if it can manage to boot up.

2) Try booting into safe mode.

3) Try a repair install.
 
Well, I did the install. It said to fix my display settings as it was
showing low rez. It wouldn't let me change them, so I rebooted, and
now it stalls at the "loading windows" page.

It also wants me to manually login every time windows starts.
Click to expand...



Ok

you can boot to safe mode and lower the resolution and colors
then back normally and do not adjust it for now.

Sounds like you will have to go to the mfg's website and get the video
drivers...
then install them
 
I just finsished a chat session with a Dell tech person, and it is
currently installing.

I had to use the Dell CD which is w2k (I never realized it wasn't xp
as it had xp when I bought it).

So, new question. Can I upgrade to XP using a full XP version CD?
Click to expand...

You have done a Windows 2000 install, then an upgrade to XP. So your 'fresh'
install is already cluttered up with files and registry settings that you
don't need...

As you have a full XP CD, then put your Dell Win2000 out of reach, boot on
the XP CD (check you BIOS has boot on CD as the first boot drive) and format
the hard drive (an option at the start of the XP install), install XP from
scratch and use that. When it boots, just let it use the standard 800x600
screen settings until you can get online. First thing to install is your
virus software, then your firewall, then once you are online get the latest
XP drivers for your graphics card, install them, then change the screen
settings. The you can set the rest of the PC up.
 
You have done a Windows 2000 install, then an upgrade to XP. So your 'fresh'
install is already cluttered up with files and registry settings that you
don't need...
Click to expand...

If the Win2k install is clean, not patched yet, there is
minimal clutter. Win2k and XP are VERY close cousins except
for things XP adds over and beyond 2K.

IOW, it's not something to worry about if the system works
ok. Ideally the fresh XP install is better to conserve some
HDD space (but huge HDDs are now available at low prices)
and some time, but now that some of the time was already
spent it's not like the clock can be turned back, it just
has to work.


As you have a full XP CD, then put your Dell Win2000 out of reach, boot on
the XP CD (check you BIOS has boot on CD as the first boot drive) and format
the hard drive (an option at the start of the XP install), install XP from
scratch and use that. When it boots, just let it use the standard 800x600
screen settings until you can get online. First thing to install is your
virus software, then your firewall, then once you are online get the latest
XP drivers for your graphics card, install them, then change the screen
settings. The you can set the rest of the PC up.
Click to expand...


You are ignoring one other factor, that using the Dell CD
there are possibly some things installed that won't be
available from an XP CD fresh install. Some of these may be
available from Dell's website, but some may not be. It will
now take more time to research this and determine if
anything missing, matters, than to just do the upgrade
install. We dont' have enough info about these things since
an OEM install disc can easily be different than the full
retail disc - and it practically always is.
 
If the Win2k install is clean, not patched yet, there is
minimal clutter. Win2k and XP are VERY close cousins except
for things XP adds over and beyond 2K.

IOW, it's not something to worry about if the system works
ok. Ideally the fresh XP install is better to conserve some
HDD space (but huge HDDs are now available at low prices)
and some time, but now that some of the time was already
spent it's not like the clock can be turned back, it just
has to work.




You are ignoring one other factor, that using the Dell CD
there are possibly some things installed that won't be
available from an XP CD fresh install. Some of these may be
available from Dell's website, but some may not be. It will
now take more time to research this and determine if
anything missing, matters, than to just do the upgrade
install. We dont' have enough info about these things since
an OEM install disc can easily be different than the full
retail disc - and it practically always is.
Click to expand...



t ended up working fine. After an additional reboot, everything came
up fine on its own. I went ahead and downloaded the updates and got
windows up to par and started installing my software.

Originally, I had planned to do the XP CD first. But I couldn't get it
to start. I had to do an online chat with a Dell rep, and I had to go
with the Dell CD since the original computer came with w2k, and they
could not help me with something that did not come with my computer. I
can't complain. I didn't know until then the XP was not factory (I
never looked at the CD before) and I bought the computer used. So, the
service was great considering I never paid a dime to Dell.

My old hard drive was 30 GB, and the new one is 160 GB, so I am quite
satisfied with how much space it took. It also created a recovery
disk. Not exactly sure how that works. It took up 8 GB. I assume it
some kind of backup thing. But after all the space used for winows,
software, and recovery, I still have 132 GB available, and that is a
lot more than I had.

I had been using an 80GB external drive, so this is better than that
and will be faster. It will do well for me until I can afford a newer
laptop.
 
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