Yesterday I purchased a used laptop via craigslist. The laptop is a Dell 700M 2.0ghz Centrino with 1GB of RAM and 120GB hd with dvdrw.

It looks like the person that I purchased it from did a fresh install of Windows XP Media Center (I don't know why Media Center...)

The first thing I did was change the account settings and set a password.

I installed a few programs then restarted the computer.

The password that I set will NOT work. I tried every possible combination that I could think of, thinking that I possibly misspelled it, though this is not likely as I had to type it twice to reset the password and I'm generally a good typist.

Anyway, OK. No big deal, I think. I'll just reformat and reinstall windows.


I know the dvd-rw drive was working (at least reading, anyway) as I had loaded up a cd with some software on it before that fateful reboot.

Changed BIOS to boot from CD as the first option.


I popped in a XP cd. Nothing. Goes to login/welcome screen.
Tried a DIFFERENT XP cd. Goes to login/welcome screen.
Tried a THIRD, different XP cd. NOTHING. Goes to login/welcome screen.


Ok. Different approach: Change the boot order to USB.

I copied the files from the XP install cd to a usb hard drive and tried to boot them. NOPE!

Ok, maybe since the hard drive is formatted for vista, maybe that's why it won't work. SO: then I copied the files to a different hard drive (40gb mp3 player, actually, formatted in FAT, I think); No dice.




I'm pretty much at my wits end here. That is pretty much all I can think of.

I left a message for the guy I bought the laptop from asking him to call me. I want to ask him how he got the fresh install on there when it won't boot from USB or CD.

I don't even know where to start now, is there ANYTHING else I can try?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome Pwnthego! PCHF has an incredible membership and talented techs waiting to lend a hand.

Have you tried pressing P12 at boot in order to manually select Boot Options?

I did try that to no avail.

HOWEVER!

I just put in a vista install disc and it saw it (??!!)

The problem now is that the vista disc i have is x64 and not x86.

I don't know why it's not recognizing my xp install discs...

SO confused.

OK.

I don't understand why the laptop can see vista install discs but not XP but I'm installing Vista Ultimate x86.

Basically, my problem is resolved but if anyone has any light to shed on the subject, please let me know why this thing is so temperamental!

Pwnthego,

Glad to hear that you found an OS that will install for you. I'll mark your thread resolved. Please stop back if you need other assistance or just to sit and chat.