Member Panel

Did you enter BIOS and set first boot device to CD/DVD rom put in XP Media Center disk and save and exit?

Reboot computer do you see on post screen listed recovery console or reboot repeatedly tap f8 and see if it is listed there?

jelly bean,
Yes, I have put the cd-rom drive as the first boot device and the dvd does not load. If I put in the diagnostics 'cd', it will boot up just fine. I do not see anything resembling 'repair console' after F8 is used to enter the safe mode screen. The closest thing would be 'Directory Services Restore Mode' (Windows domain controllers only) but when I try that it does a quick system check and goes into safe mode where I still can't get passed the logon screen.
With the cd-rom as the first boot device and reinstall CD in, on reboot there is a 45-60 second delay where nothing occurs and then it does a normal startup. It appears to me that either the dvd portion of the opticle drive is not functioning at this early stage (since the diag. cd works) or the dvd is not bootable. Why would the reinstall dvd not be bootable?

Again, thanks for the help,

Robert

Mmmm,ok do you know if your DVD rom drive is set as master or secondary/slave?

What make and model is this computer?

The PC is a Dell Dimension E510.
I'm pretty sure the dvd is a secondary drive based on BIOS settings.
On the Boot device menu I see the following:
--onboard or usb cd-rom drive
--onboard SATA hard drive.
On the system setup. under drives, I have the following:
diskette drive
drive 0--- SATA-0
drive1--- SATA-1
drive 2--- PATA-0
drive 3--- PATA-1
SATA operation

When expanded it indicates the HD to be drive 0, SATA-0
The dvd shows up as drive 2, PATA-0 (Pri IDE master)

SATA operation is set to RAID Autodetect / ATA (factory default)

Ant thoughts?

BTW... I was able to browse the reinstall dvd on this laptop with no problem. Reading through it I found some information on system repair and some how-to steps but it referenced a reinstall CD... go figure.

TIA,

Robert

Please try the following:

Insert Dell DVD. Make sure first boot device in BIOS cd/dvd drive. Don't worry to much if it's not. Save bios settings and reboot. When pc first starts to reboot tap F12 repeatly until you get One-Time boot menu. Select CD/DVD - press Enter.

Hopefully your PC will boot off the DVD. If you manage to get the windows install screen then try to a repair install. If this doesn't work - then you will need to borrow a XP Pro or Media Centre CD from a friend and use that to repair the Windows installation.

What type of media(CD/DVD) it is on should make no differrence.
It must be a bootable CD or DVD ( or it would not be a reinstall disc)
It must be the same Version of Windows to my knowledge... Media Center = XP Pro with a few extra tools
XP Pro + Home do not mix.
You change the CD or DVD drive to the first boot drive in the BIOS.
If you could find an XP Pro disc-- you might be able to fix the install--

ih8bills,
I agree with you about the media, however, I see how the dvd does not boot but a diagnostic 'CD' can be boot. The dvd is indeed the same version (XP Media Center 2005) and the disk is clearly labeled 'reinstallation dvd'.
I have researched this with Dell and Microsoft and the media mentioned to do a OS repair is always a CD...?

Thanks,

Robert