The issue with Windows XP installation on your Dell PC remains unresolved.
The issue with Windows XP installation on your Dell PC remains unresolved.
I just purchased a Dell Inspiron 4700 and am struggling to install Windows XP Pro. I suspect the issue might be related to the hard drive replacement, but I'm unable to find a solution. Could you assist me?
It is the Dimension 4700 from 2004 that came with XP. The Precision M4700 from 2012 with discrete graphics should function with XP, except for the USB 3.0 components. However, it won't work with Inspiron 14 or 15 that have a Ryzen 7 4700U.
In any scenario, you're likely trying to boot from a hard drive with an existing Windows installation from another machine. Avoid doing this; instead, boot from the XP install media on CD-ROM to install Windows. You might need to adjust the BIOS settings and prioritize the optical drive over the HDD.
It might also be due to missing drivers, as some early XP releases had no SATA support at all.
Use the Dell XP recover CD. I've tried it on several 4700 models, including at least a dozen pre-installed systems, and it functions perfectly.