help please dell messed up

pat_1234 · 3 May 2007 at 22:41

help please guys
i got a dell 5150 base unit it has a p4 3ghz 512 ddr ect ect

the problem is it booted up no problem when i got it but it had someone else's stuff on it so i thought right i will reinstall windows on
so i get the windows cd (vista ultimate that i got off a mate) booted the system to start from cdrom it got half way through then reset itself
now the system is telling me that there is no main boot drive????? i have checked in the bios and that too says no sata drive?????

does anybody know what i have done wrong? and more importantly how i can fix the flipping thing lol

any and all help would be gratefully received thanx guys and gails

BlackDragon · 4 May 2007 at 00:13

Not too sure on how to fix these problems, but best things i can recommend is to make sure all the cables are in place and secure. Possibly pull out the SATA cable for the HD, and plug it back in just to be sure. If that doesn't work, reset the BIOS.

Other than that, im out. Hopefully someone else can offer something better

pat_1234 · 4 May 2007 at 12:55

tried that m8 and still no good anybody else got any ideas?

stickroad · 4 May 2007 at 12:59

I wouldn't run VISTA Ultimate on that machine anyway.

Ok if you have a XP disc just try installing that?

pat_1234 · 4 May 2007 at 13:04

ok i have the original xp home disc should i just try installing that then?

stickroad · 4 May 2007 at 13:05

pat_1234 said:
ok i have the original xp home disc should i just try installing that then?

Yes, try that.

pat_1234 · 6 May 2007 at 19:26

anybody else got any idea's it just keeps telling me the HDD is not there????
the drive is spinning up and all connections are good???

gumbald · 6 May 2007 at 19:32

It probably needs a SATA driver, any ideas what the chipset is?

pat_1234 · 6 May 2007 at 19:34

no ideas at all m8 it's a dell 5150 if that helps? i think it said something about an intel chipset does that help

PieEater · 6 May 2007 at 19:34

try another SATA lead, the cheaper ones can crack just by brushing against them and then you're connection to the disk isn't firm enough. The ones with the L shaped connectors are much better than the straight ones.

gumbald · 6 May 2007 at 19:44

EDIT: Cancel that, didn't read.

EDIT2: Tried a different HD?

Gray · 6 May 2007 at 21:37

Does the BIOS see the hard disk? If not, it's a hardware issue. Let's rule that out first...

pat_1234 · 6 May 2007 at 21:46

no the bio's dont see it either but it did till i tried to put vista on it

Gray · 6 May 2007 at 22:08

Try connecting a different power cable and SATA cable to the hard disk. Got another hard disk you can try connecting up using the same cables?

Failing that, it sounds like Vista has killed the hard disk. Good old Microsoft!

Deleted member 329 · 6 May 2007 at 22:11

sounds like the hard drive has passed away....

Jay123 · 6 May 2007 at 22:26

Dell machines run in raid mode.. If you go into the bios.. Select drives and then drive operation , Then selection auto detect and click yes blah blah then your problem will be no more...

Jay!

help please dell messed up

Deleted member 329

Deleted member 329