Hello Al,
An initial thought. If this Dell was purchased as "refurbished" this means
that it has been restored or updated to at least the original working state.
"Working", in this instance, would include the operating system. I mention
this as it may be a course of action available to you in the event you
continue to have problems and it can be returned for exchange or a refund.
On your install efforts, I can see no reason why it shouldn't work on a
properly prepared disk. The fact that it's a Dell, or another brand, isn't a
factor. Assuming the Win2K CD and the 20 GB drive are okay, I would try it
this way. Using a Win98, WinMe, or DOS start up disk, use the F-Disk and
Format tools to partition and format the drive. If you want the OS on the 40
GB drive, do the same thing creating two 20 GB partitions. I use 20 GB
because this allows the OS all the freedom it needs and space is cheap. Even
if you install your programs on the second partition, there are some
applications that don't give you an option and will install on the same
drive / partition as Windows and others that will install portions of the
program there. Either way, having the OS on one drive or partition and your
personal data on another provides some degree of protection if Windows
crashes or, for some reason you can't start the computer and access your
data. This is NOT a substitute for back ups, but it is additional insurance.
To minimize possible problems, only connect one hard drive making sure the
jumpers are set as master or single, depending on the drive. Disconnect all
peripherals such as printer, scanner, etc., that are not essential to the
operation of the computer. Finally, double check all connections to insure
they are proper and making good contact. Proceed to prepare the drive. Here
is a MS Knowledge Base article that describes the procedure:
How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a
Hard Disk:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=255867
An alternative would be to download the disk preparation software from the
disk manufaturer's Web site and use it to prepare the drive.
After the drive is prepared, proceed with the installation of Win2K. The
Format tool cannot format using the NTFS. You have that option during the
install of Win2K. When you reach the "install or repair" option you
mentioned, insure "Install" is selected before proceeding. I hope this
helps. Good luck.
Sven Swanson, Sr.
----- Original Message -----
From: "alan smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 7:43 AM
Subject: [PCBUILD] no os
I bought a refurbished DELL desktop, P3 997mhz, 20Gb drive, remnants
of Win98. I changed to 40Gbdrive, used eraser to clean it, and I'm trying to
install Win2Kpro. I get to the install or repair, click ENTER and I get a
window
".SIF file corrupt or missing, value on the line in section [source disk
files]
with key "sp4.cab". Setup cannot continue, pressF3 to quit"...
Is something missing from DELL because I changed the hard drive ??
This is my first experience with a DELL pc. Very well built unit.
Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you, AL SMITH
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