Hi, My name is Rob edited by ddp and I’m from Haarlem, the Netherlands. I have bought (second hands) a Dell GX270 and I want to install XP on it. The problem is that there is no CD-ROM or diskette station where I can install it to the HD. I want to put my 80 GB HD in this pc, but I want to format it. Have anyone a solution for me?? It’s a Pentium 4 with 2.6 Mhz. and I have now a Pentium II so a little bit faster is good for me. I hope there is someone who can help me. My apology for my English, but I hope it’s understandable. Rob
You will need to find an optical drive to install internally in the unit is you want it to be usable. The GX270 has internal IDE interfaces, so you will need an internal Optical drive with an IDE (not SATA) interface. Your english is fine. However, I would suggest that you remove your full name from the post. Most of us are a friendly bunch, but not that friendly.
moved to correct forum as not a software issue. Drivers link http://support.dell.com/support/dow...PLX_PNT_CEL_GX270&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid= GX270 Service Manual link http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx270/SM/EN/index.htm Specifications link http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx270/en/ug/specs.htm do you have any loose flat ribbon cables attached at 1 end to the motherboard & other end to nothing? if the computer i think you have then you need laptop cdrom/dvd drive unless an external usb rom drive works.
You can install XP from a flash drive, but it is a pain. BTW...your english skills are better than those of the average american!
Hi, My apology for the late response, but I hat a busy weekend. Also thanks to putt my in the right forum. To update: I do not have any ribbons connect; the only one is connected to de HD. What do you mean by “you can install XP from a flash drive, but it is a pain." I have an ‘old’ pc I working on it) with an IDE cd/dvd drive and I have that connect to the Dell. Inside there are three connectors. One for a 3.5 diskette station and two for IDI drives. On one I hat have connect the 40 GB hard drive and de cd/dvd player. The HD at the and of the ribbon and the cd/dvd in the middle connector of the ribbon. When I turn on the Dell, it is always staring in the screen with Safe mode or normal mode. Can the problem be that I have already XP has installed to the HD? Must I (fdisk) and format (with the ME diskette)? I do not know that the problem is that it would not start. I have read that you can make a boot cd from the ME boot diskette, but I do not know if that is working and (maybe my fouled) I can produced this in Nero. Therefore, I will try everything to get it running, but at this time, I do not know how. I appreciate your help, because Dell want help me. Rob
put the cd drive if have another ide cable available onto the 2nd ide motherboard connector. change the boot sequence in the bios so that the cd drive boots 1st then boot off the xp cd. xp will see that you have xp already installed so press escape but so not to do repair. i think next screen will give you the option to delete the partition so do it then make new partition. if you think you have no bad spots on the hd then do a quick format & let xp continue to install. don't need me for this at all.
Thank you for your answer. I have over read my first group item and I think I must give you more info. The 40 GB hard drive, what was into the Dell, I have format this into my other pc and put there also XP on it. I do not know if that can be the problem why the Dell did not want to read, or start with it. If this is the problem, what steps can (must) I do so it works so it must have to work? I have a second cable for the cd/dvd and I can connect it to the second ide on the motherboard. I know how to change this in the setup, but the hard drive (it is a western Digital (WD400)) has now a jumper on (if I read it good) the CS or OS pin. I have tried to set this also to the Master, but this hat no result. Must I use this jumper and must I set a jumper on de cd/dvd drive? Last question (I am sorry) you write: “……..boots 1st then boot of the cp cd. xp will see that you……….”. What is the cp cd or is that a mistype? Thanks to all for you’re patiently and you’re helping thoughts.
1. You cannot just take another HDD with an installed version of Windows and plug it into another PC an expect it to work. At a MINIMUM both PCs must have the same (simple explanation) motherboard. This is probably not the case and most likely this will not work. 2. If you are using one cable connect it to the Primary IDD and jumper the HDD to master and the optical drive to slave 3. If you are using 2 cables plug the HDD into the primary IDE and the optical drive to the secondary and jumper both drives to master. You want to set the BIOS to Boot to CD first to do a fresh install. Put the Windows XP disk in the optical drive. You should see a prompt on the screen that says "Press any key to boot from CD" At this point press Enter and the PC should attempt to boot from the optical drive.
either take the jumper off the western digital if only drive on data cable or set jumper to cs(cable select). that was a typo error as should have read "boot off the xp cd".
I think I be a step further than I was. First I have done you has written to me, but that did not work. My CD drive does not read the XP cd. I have also tried an other one, but the same result. I have now format the drive into my other pc and I get now the same message in both computers, that it cannot find the program. I have format it with my ME start diskette. So I think I have bin further, but if I it is good, I do not know. I want to try to make an start CD with the program’s from the ME start diskette, so I can try to start up with this CD into de CD drive. I have also tried to plug in my 3.5 diskette drive, bur the pc do not recognize it. I only cannot make a start CD, because the burn program (Nero) gives me after setting the al options no button to click so I can start burning. Maybe you know a program that has that option to and give me a button or maybe there is someone who use Nero and can tell me what steps I must do. Thanks a lot for the help.
Hi all, Whit my apology for the late response, but I was busy to make the Dell pc working AND it’s working. I have burn a start CD with the ME files on it and then I put a second CD drive to the cable. One CD drive became drive a: and the other was the CD station. After fdisk and format I could install XP on de hard drive and after downloading of de drivers it’s working as a sun. So, every one who helped me and give me advice, thanks’ I appreciated it and are happy that there are forums available with the possibility to ask for help. Again, thank you.
