Re-Installing Windows XP on Inspiron 1520

Hi Guys,

This is my first post in this forum.

I have a Dell Inspiron 1520. I want to format the PC and reinstall Windows XP. This is the first time I am formatting any PC. Does inserting the Windows CD and following the installation steps help to do that (format/partition and reinstal) or do I need to set the "boot from" option to CD ROM from the setup first?

Please let me know.

 

You need to Boot from CD.
But with Inspiron 1520 I think you'll need to slipstream the SATA driver into the Installer CD first

 

Slipstream the SATA driver means? How to do that?

 

You can find the details and thorough steps in any of these results:
http://www.google.com/search?q=slipstream+sata+driver

 

If you are unable to slipstream. I will suggest you go into the bios and disable AHCI. You can enter bios by pressing F2 when your computer starts.

Also to boot from the disc press F12 when the computer starts. This will give you a menu to choose the boot device from.

 

Thanks for your suggestion. I have Windows XP service pack 2. Still do I need to Slipstream?

 

yes slipstream is required if you want to use AHCI otherwise you can just disable it in bios settings. Windows xp even with sp3 doesn't come with the AHCI drivers on it and therefore will not recognize your hard drive when you will try to install. To overcome this problem you will have to either slipstream or disable AHCI and use the native SATA option.

 

Go into BIOS and look under hard disk settings and set it to PATA, IDE or Legacy mode. I'm not entire sure what the setting is.

I have an inspiron 1520, I can check tonight when I get home.

 

won't set it to ATA decrease its performance?

 

I didn't get around to checking last night, sorry

The change, if any, should be very small. I'm running a 5400RPM drive and there was no noticeable decrease.

 

this might help with driver install

http://support.dell.com/support/top...0A57&docid=3690A8CC21FAF290E040A68F5B281A12#1

 

OKK Thank you all. I am taking the backup of my m/c. I will do the installation and formatting after the backup is complete and also I collect all the software installers. I may require your help at that time.

 

Hi Guys,

Thanks a lot for all your help. I have installed windows and have successfully partitioned the drive.

I have one query. I purchased the laptop (Inspiron 1520) with specification as 150GB HDD drive. But I only got 106GB. Do anybody have any idea where is the rest of the space?

Also same problem I faced a few days ago when I bought a 500GB Segate external portable USB HDD. I got only 465GB. Why is it so?

Can I get back this space by any mean?

 

The original HDD had a C a D and a Media Direct partition. The D was the system recovery about 10Gb, the Media Direct about 3Gb.
The real deal however is caused by the fact, that for example a 500Gb is only 500Gb in decimal, it is only 465Gb in binary.

 

OKk got it.

But that too makes up to (150 - (10+3)) = 137 GB. But I amgetting only 106GB. Is 106GB binary equivalent of 137GB (Decimal)?

 

Hi Razor2,

I was just trying to find it out by myself. I found that 500GB in Decimal == 111110100 in Binary. Is 111110100 Binary = 465 GB (Binary)? I am using the conversion utility of the Windows calculator. Can you just tell me where am I wrong.