reformating a older computer

[crockett]

hey I am trying to reformat and update my moms computer... its a Dell Dimension XPS P166c... don't laugh but it only has a 2 gig hard drive...lol... well she doesn't seem to have any of the drivers for this system, I'm trying to install win 98 on. I have looked around the Dell web site but haven't really found much. I'm really not sure what to look for...being it was only a 2 gig hard drive I copied the drive to mine to save it...and reformatted her's...but when I try to install win98 it tells me I need a special driver and plz contact the computer vendor. Any Ideas what driver I need?

[BIGO]

Should not need special drivers for a hard drive. Boot up to a floppy in A drive with DOS 6.0 or better, along with format program and also a generic CD-ROM driver program. Format C:/u/s , then transfer the cd-rom driver program to C: . This should give you what it takes to boot to C: at startup and recognize the CD-ROM for installing WIN98. If you've already done all that and still no luck, I'm no good either. hso

[crockett]

well it says either "the hard drive isn't working right or I need some driver"...I use the boot disk and get as far as selecting "install win 98 from CD" its starts running its checks but then it gives me the above message. I'm going to try one of my other hard drive that I have just 4 the heck of it...the one I'm trying to install win 98 worked fine..but now it not so I duno maybe something happened to it.

[wyvrn]

It might need some sort of sector addressing software like Maxtor uses on some of their drives. Call Dell and find out.

[crockett]

well just for the heck of it I put the hard drive in my computer and installed win 98 fine with no problems...but even after i put the drive back in the other computer, it still says to insert bootabale media disk...I have manually went into the BIOS and set up the HD but still no go...I'm guessing I need some BIOS up date to install win 98 but I can't find anything at the DEl site.

[bhess]

Did you try fdisking it? I wonder if there isn't something stored in the master boot record.

[crockett]

ok peeps I need some help here...I have reformatted the drive but it don't seem like the computer is picking up the drive right...when I try to install win 98se it says I need to do the fat32 partition...so when I typed "fdisk" it says "no fixed disk present"

when I go into the bios the hard drive was on auto...but it didn't show up...so I picked user define and typed in all the hard drive info....but still don't work....just on a side note I "Can" run scandisk on drive c: and it says no problems.

when I put the drive in my other computer it loads up fine..I'm pulling my hair out here and my mom is getting impatient. plz help if you have any ideas

[crockett]

ok just 4 a update...I put the hard drive back in my computer... ran the fdisk and reformatted it....when I put it back in the other computer, it still says I need to run fdisk...but it wont let me....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate Del computers grrrrr I built my own computer from scratch with no experience at all and never had this much trouble.....I think Del is made by the devil.

[By-tor & the Snow Dog]

Crockett, have you actually called Dell yet? I'd go to their website and find a contact number.

Maybe some type of "patch" needed for mother board to communicate with the drive(s)? Who knows. I have a m/b with a VIA chipset and it needed to have a patch to run win98 properly.

Good luck with it, but I would definitely call Dell and ask. Can't hurt.

By-Tor

[Long Haired Hippie Phreek]

Try this stuff:

1.) Try using a different IDE cable.
2.) Make sure the jumpers on the drive are correct, a drive set to CS may work in one system and not in another.
3.) Try using it on the second IDE channel.
4.) Download the latest bios for your Dell's board to a clean boot disk, install on the Dell.
5.) Try other stuff again w/new bios installed.
6.) Go on a mass killing spree, they will blame dell!
7.) Call dell for tech support as your one phone call from jail.

[crockett]

yea I have called del pletty of names hehe...I allso tried their suport place <A HREF="http://www.all.com" TARGET=_blank>www.all.com</A> but no luck yet...I have tried the jumper a few ways....thing is, that the computer was working fine intil I reformated the drive... I'll try a new cable that as on my list of things to try....but before i decided to go on a mass killing spree i stopped messing with it....i'll try it tomorrow.....ty


***edit*** just came back to check 4 replies and noticed my "m" didn't show up in the word "mass" lol looked like something else... http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by crockett (edited 01-06-2001).]

[Marty]

If you set the drive to cable select then you would put it at the end connector on the ide cable, I worked on an older dell once and had trouble installing the hard drive too. Then the CDrom wouldnt be recognized by windows. I ended up changing the Bios setting to none instead of CDrom to get it working again. Try setting back to auto and use the end of the ide cable with drive set to CS. If no go then try Master setting.