Recent purchase of a Dell XPS

Hi...
I recently purchase a used Dell XPS...I believe its a L421x model...but I'm not 100% sure about that...? It came with Linux Mint 16 OS installed...I purchased it from a private owner off of Craigslist.
I connected a external DVD drive to install window 7 Ultimate...It went
through the first reboot and in the finale completion stage I got a error message stating something like can not install windows 7 due to the hardware on this computer...I repeated the install and got the same message...
If anyone can provide any assistance I look forward to the help...

Thanks...MadHatter4119

 

Anybody...Please...would like to get Windows 7 on this laptop...

 

Were you able to get into the BIOS and change the HDD settings to like AHCI settings? Or remove any BIOS password to prevent the HDD from being formatted? It sounds like the person that sold you password protected the HDD and you will need to get that person to tell you the password and then from the BIOS remove the password to be able to format it.....It just sounds like a password protected HDD so go to your BIOS and remove all passwords and try again and make sure the HDD settings are to AHCI settings. Otherwise you will need to get some BIOS screen shot and posted it here for others to see what if any changes are needed but makes sure to remove on the screen shots all number related to the system Serial numbers....

 

Thanks for the reply...starting to wonder if I was ever going to get a reply...
As stated above...the computer came with Linux Mint 16 on it...after Windows gave me that
computer hardware error message on the last part of the Windows install twice... I went to linux
and downloaded mint to my desktop...put it on DVD and then install it back onto the XPS without an issue...If the Bios was password protected...It wouldn't allow me to do this...I call the person I bought it from and he told me he didn't put a password in the Bios...Thanks

 

In addition to the above...I went into the Bios by pressing F2...No passwd required to enter
Also, I looked through the bios and it shows that no passwd is installed in the Admin / System and nothing in the HDD passwd setting...The bios did show that the XPS has what appears to be two (2) harddrives...(1) Fixed HDD... 500GB Hitachi HTS (2) Samsung SSD PM 830 mSata
32GB...I'm able to make changes in the bios...Is it possible that it tried to install Windows on
the Samsung drive and thats the reason for the hardware error message...Hope this helps ?

 

That's possible but take out the mSata and install it on the Hitachi and see how it goes to reformat to Windows 7. That is how I would do it keep the HDD and install it and see if that works better could be it was trying to install on the mSata and wasn't able to and cause the glitch. But try that again with the mSata removed and see how that goes. But make sure you change your boot in the BIOS to the Hitachi drive to make sure the install disc see it and installs to it. Then report back. But remember this is a very old laptop but I have one and it is a great machine that isn't around anymore but I also have its sister the M1730 as well and will keep both a working units as they were prime computer to collect and still use IMO. And both have Windows 7x64 Ult Sp1 and works great for it's age. Then after that and windows update put in the second mSata drive and wipe it clean and format it for Windows a a second drive. But how much capacity is the Samsung msata???? If that drive is sufficient it might suffice for the main boot drive??

 

I think I had a similar error. The problem is that windows could only be installed to the boot drive: make sure that the hitachi 500gb is set as the boot drive. Then boot of the USB CD (pressing F12 after booting shows the boot menu) and make sure you select the 500gb as install device.