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View Full Version : Seeming Inability To Load OEM O/S


edparrott
02-18-2002, 03:07 AM
Here is the situation: New Dell Dimension 4300 (Xmas) P4@1600, Dell MoBo, Dell Bios v.A04. Shipped w/ WinME, want to move to 98se, This is the exact procedure that I used,-(Note, I have built and upgraded dozens of systems using this procedure, without problems, usually works well)- : LLF HDD, Partition Magic v7.0 to format the 40gb fat32, md c:\windows\options\cabs, copied the 101 files, re-booted, setup. Now, here's where it gets interesting, it does its quick scandisk, scans registry, then when it just begins to start file copy, it just throws me back out to c:\windows\options\cabs. I gave up on that method for the moment and tried to disk load. It gets into file copy pretty good, but at random intervals, becomes unable to copy files, its completly random. I switched out the CDRom to no avail, switched out the HDD, also to no avail. So now I'm left with a new Machine that I can't, for the life of me, get to load an OS. I even tried a different OS disk, also tried loading a different HDD on a different machine, switching it to this one, and it would'nt boot, threw *vcache* error. I kind of expected problems with the OS load from a different machine, though. I'm getting less hair by the minute, here. Dell is no help, as I can't seem to make them understand the problem. I know this is long, and thanks for reading this far, and any tips/ suggestions would be enormously appreciated. Thank You in advance -Ed Parrott

mjc
02-18-2002, 10:08 AM
Does the restore disk from DEll work?

And are the disks you are using actual Windows installation disks or restore disks from other manufacturers?

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mjc
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edparrott
02-18-2002, 01:36 PM
The restore disk from Dell does'nt work, either, same result. The other disks I've tried are not restore disks, they are OEM Operating System. Thanks for suggestion, though. -Ed

sea69
02-18-2002, 02:26 PM
I think DELL has something in the newer BIOS that locks it to the original OS-OEM Restore disk only.

I seem to recall reading about this, as I remember it was some type of agreement with M$ regarding EULA for selling the computers with the OEM CD.

you may need to flash your BIOS.

or, I could be completely off course...

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif


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[This message has been edited by sea69 (edited 02-18-2002).]