I'll include my entire post below... but here's a summery so make it easier for everyone to understand the entire problem...
- Dell Dimension 3000
- Trying to reinstall XP using Dell Restore Disc
- Used DriveScrubber to completely erase hard drive... NO DATA on the drive.
- Booting from CD (pressing F12 at start up)
- Initial setup runs fine, but once I get to the screen where I choose to install or repair nothing happens. I have pressed
- using a NON-USB keyboard
More details below:
I'm still have issues with trying to reinstalling XP on my Dell Dimension 3000. Here's my original post:
I have a Dell Dimension 3000 that's a few years old. I've been having
problems with space on my hard drive, so I upgraded to a bigger one. I
used a program that makes a perfect, bootable copy of the original
drive, but it still runs slow due to all the accumulated **** from
years of use. I have backed everything up and just want to do a clean
install of Windows XP. I have done it before using the restore disc
that came with it, but now when I try to run it it doesn't give me the
option of formatting the drive, it only reinstalls XP and keeps
everything else. I thought maybe it was because it was the new hard
drive, so I put the old drive back in. Now when I try to boot from the
Windows disc it get to the point where I press Enter, Esc or F3 to
install, repair or escape. No matter what I press, nothing happens. I
have let it sit there for more than an hour and still nothing happens.
I then reinstalled the new hard drive and used the original one as a
slave and deleted the C: partition from the original drive (I left the
2 Restore Dell partitions) and still nothing happens. I have all my
drivers and just want to do a complete format and reinstall Windows XP
on my computer. ANY advice would be appreciated.
**UPDATE**
So as suggested, I used Disc Scrubber and wiped the original drive. I
have used 3 different install discs (the original Dell XP restore disc,
the secondary disc you can burn from the original OS, and a standard XP
disc) I have inserted the disc and pressed F12 at start up to boot
from the CD. My computer goes through the initial Windows setup
without problems. When I get to the screen where you choose how to
proceed (Enter to start, R to repair, or ESC to quit) I can't go any
further. I can't press Enter or any other key. Nothing happens. Do you
have any idea why I can't start the instillation? Could it be a problem
with my keyboard? It seems unlikely since it works fine the rest of the
time and works getting me into the setup. I'm just lost at this point
and need any help I can get. Thank you.
Is the "New" HD in the system presently? If not install it. Boot from the original XP Restore disk (CD/DVD). When you get Windows going (from CD) go to COMPUTER and format your C: drive. Once this is done go ahead and run the Restore from the original XP disk. All other files (the **** you mentioned) will be gone, once and for all.
Here's what I would do. Download and burn any Linux disk. Install Linux and delete all partitions while doing so. After that, initiate the Windows XP installation and see if that works.
This will take care of two things:
If you can install Linux, then the hard drive is good and the partition that was previously on there will be deleted (I suspect the partition is locked which can be caused by a virus or the software used to scrub hard drive).
Check your CDs for Windows (for scratches) or it could be your actual CD drive is out (laser) which would make the installation fail. If the CDrom cannot read the disk, it locks up like that during installation...even if it read before.
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