Dell Latitude CS + XP install + Wont boot, Now dead

How are you guys doing?

I found a few spare computer that where decommissioned so ive been attempting to get them up and running again. Im having problems with the Dell Latitude CS. It had windows 2000 on it, I backed up that system onto an External HDD and transfered it to my desktop.

I attempted to install Windows XP SP2 with a re installation disk. It start to go fine. But ended up getting jammed up half way during he installation process. I they tried to re-do the process using FAT32 instead of NTFS since the system is old anyway. That didn't work either. I wiped the hard drive with the software when attempting the install since it only has a 10GB hard drive. When booting from the now corrupt internal HDD I get a black screen and error message NTLDR is missing.

I have made recovery DVD-R disks with ImgBurn but no luck yet. This might be because the external drive is a LATITUDE 24X VARIABLE CD-ROM MODULE. However the XP SP2 re installation disc started to work off it.

When the boot order is set to CD/DVD/CD-RW it states NO BOOTABLE DEVICES SELECTED.

Is there a way to format the recovery into being bootable?

Also is there a way I can fix it using my desktop by connecting the HDD to it as a second device.


BIOS is revision A13



Any ideas what I can do to reattempt a fix on this thing?

Also does anyone know if these PCs are even capable of having XP?




EDIT: Now I can keep attempting to install Windows XP with the Dell Reinstall disk however it seems pointless. Anyone have any advise on making a proper reboot disk with a file type: Windows Backup File??

AFAIK, antiX basic install with a swap file is the best that can be done with a PII and 64MB RAM. As a suggestion only, look here.

Best wishes.

I see others have no clue! Windoze guys! LOL

What failures were you getting in the initial install?

I suspect there is a physical problem with the hard drive.
Either ways check whether the bootable disk you are using is actually bootable by using it on a different computer and booting from it. And the disk is compatible with the Optical Drive you have.


None the less make Gparted live CD and boot from it and clean up all the partitions and format the HDD. Then try doing an XP install.

mihir said:

What failures were you getting in the initial install?

I suspect there is a physical problem with the hard drive.
Either ways check whether the bootable disk you are using is actually bootable by using it on a different computer and booting from it. And the disk is compatible with the Optical Drive you have.


None the less make Gparted live CD and boot from it and clean up all the partitions and format the HDD. Then try doing an XP install.

Click to expand...

It actually turns out I got it working. Im not really sure what was happening. After trying it about 20-25 times it finally took and went all the way. I think the problem may have been with my external CD drive. Because the re installation disk has worked on maybe 5 computers already.

It kept having multiple different errors, which are making me believe it was reading the CD being the cause. But that is just a guess. Windows XP is now operational.