Dell Optiplex 170L freeze when trying to install winxp

Hi,



I've this Dell Optiplex 170L having win7 installed, but I want to install winxp instead.
So I tried to install it via a CD copy which I use with other Optiplex 780 and it works with no problem.

I could really install the winxp on a Dell Optiplex 780 and put it back again in this rig, but this one doesn't use SATA ports.


1. This picture for the internal motherboard system.




2. One way to choose to boot from the CD ROM. Which doesn't work, I don't remember what happens but I know it won't work.



3. Another way to select the CD ROM from the boot manager but at this point the system freezes.

 

seems like there is a problem with your cd rom device, have you a spare you can test with?

 

Yes, actually the first one was not recognized by the boot manager, then I took one from another rig in the warehouse and installed it in this rig and it got recognized.

But when I get into the boot menu, and select the CD ROM, the system freezes.

 

Recognized?
look in device manager, does it show that a driver is needed?
does the system boot properly when choosing hard disk boot?

 

The system has windows 7 installed and it boots properly and no problems.

But the problem is that I want to install winxp, and here comes the problem. I can't install it by booting from the CD ROM with winxp CD.

 

when you do a dual boot, you have to install the older OS first, in this case win xp and then win 7.

 

You have a choice. Either install in the order which Elizabeth23 suggests, and Windows will recognise its existing previous versions, and take on the task of organising the multi boots for you. It cannot recognise versions not yet in existence, so other way round is a no go. (I believe it is easy to edit Windows bootloader to overcome this limitation, but is not a thing I have experience of)

Alternative is to use Boot manager software to load each OS and organise the boot sector/processes.

In past, I have used 'EasyBCD' to do this, but not recently as having Linux, I have 'GRUB' on hand to perform the task.

Maybe Google 'Boot Manager' software to see what up to date recommendations are.

I am sure others will be of help if you find any specific question raised in response to using boot manager sw.

 

I don't want a dual boot, I just want to wipe win7 and install winxp.

 

It's an old rig using parallel ports. Hmmm, I want to try to install any old ubuntu or any other system to get around the problem, I think it could be a bios problem, because the system freezes in the boot menu when I select booting from CD ROM drive.

 

Have you done as Elizabeth suggested, and checked in device manager to see if driver is needed for the CD drive that you have exchanged?

If BIOS is offering the option of boot from CD, but unresponsive when you make that selection, can you get your hand on a plug-in USB drive to see if it will boot from that? I have loaded XP in past using these and have not required any OS driver to be loaded. ie BIOS has been sufficient to drive them. Also, they can bypass glitches in IDE operability. (Will of course depend on the BIOS, but old, ie Pentium 4 machines have worked for me in past)

 

I can't login to the win7 system, I don't know the password.

OK, I selected option 6 from boot menu to check for the drives and I think there's a problem:



Could that be the problem ?

 

The diagnostics not supported thing I don't think it's related. I think that it its looking for smart data which cd-dvd drives doesn't have. If the system freezes when you select the drives probably means a hardware problem. Since it's an IDE system you have to check 2 things the jumpers on the drives and the cables. I remember that in some brand name computers the IDE cable connectors are labeled Master and Slave. If the cable is labeled you can put the jumpers on both drives on Cable Select Option. In that option, the way it is plugged decides who's master and who's slave. Or you could put the jumper in master and plug the part of the cable that says master and the other drive slave at the connector. I don't know if I explained myself correctly. English isn't my main language

 

yes, so long since I used ide devices, i had quite forgotten those quirks.

If in doubt, set CD drive to master, and temporary disconnect all other ide devices. See if Bios will recognise it when it is the only connected drive. If it does, then you will need to, as said by tekkaman, set jumpers to enable it to be recognised along with hdd. I seem to remember that not good to set cd as master and hdd as slave. Other way round better.

EDIT sorry, just looked again at your attached illustration, andas you have

 

Mea culpa

Sorry just looked again at your attached illustration. As you have devices on separate ide channels, disregard what I posted. Just check that jumpers are correct for what you are using.

(Its my birthday: I really should not attempt to give any advice when drinking)

 

happy birthday, priscus,

 

Hi guys thanks for the answers.

I might try to investigate the master and slave cables which I think you mean the HDD and CD-ROM cables because they are the biggest ones.

But actually another thing happened the last Thursday, I found a similar rig in one of the labs.



It's for a CNC machine, so I took it with good hopes that it shouldn't have any problems. Then I took the HDD of the 170L and put it in the GX260, put the CD and it worked



But the surprise, that the colors system is basic 4-bit:





And I can't change the colors and the resolution !

Any suggestion of what to do next ?

 

in the advanced boot menu, click on Enable VGA, as this might be enabled, reboot, and if this does not work, then check the driver for your video card, Look in device manager and see if there is a yellow exclamation point telling you that you need a driver.

 

I agree/ I have seen similar things when installing Windows XP. The Device Manager may show you that you also need other drivers for the GX260.

 

Yep ! you're right.



I downloaded the drivers from Dell website and installed them. And it worked




So, what I did next ? I took the 170L HDD from the GX260 and put it back in the 170L, but the system couldn't boot up !

It say DESK0 failure. I guess different motherboards and different system boot system. I think it's something not like UEFI or legacy modes.

I thought next I would take out the CD ROM driver from GX260 and put it in 170L and try to install winxp again.

 

I know it has been mentioned before but how have you set the jumper on the CD drive? According to the user manual for the OptiPlex 170L it should be cable select.

Dell OptiPlex 170L User's Guide (page 110)
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/optiplex-170l/docs

Note this assumes you are using the cable that came with the computer. If you use another cable it may require the jumper to be set to master or slave. The end connector is for a master connection while the middle is for a slave connection.