Dell Optiplex, P2, hard drive partitioning?

JustinJustin Atlanta
edited February 2004 in Hardware
I just recieved this Dell Optiplex GX1 with a P2 and the hard drive has been wiped clean and is in need of partitioning I am told. WHere do I start? I am ready to install Windows 98 on the unit. I did D:\setup and it began to scan the registry but seemed to freeze there. Any suggestions? :respect:

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    if you have a C: drive, then it's already partitioned and formatted.

    If it's freezing at the registry scan, there's something else wrong.

    try setup /nr

    if you add the "/nr" switch after the setup, it will skip the registry scan.
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited January 2004
    Did it, I get this: "Please wait while Setup initializes.
    Scaanning system registry...
    Windows Setup requires 7340032 bytes available on your" and that's it. What now?
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    DOS will report a C drive if there's a FAT partition there, formatted or not. You'll need to run fdisk to ensure that there is a partition on your hard drive, then exit, restart, and type "FORMAT C:". If there isn't a FAT partition or it's the wrong size, type, etc, you'll need to partition it the way you want it with fdisk.

    I'm assuming you're doing this from a Win98 rescue disk.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited January 2004
    No more hard drive issues, just this. I got pc133 RAM 64MB to beef it up to 128MB (if you can call it that) and the stick itself does not register. There are two toher sticks in there already, I am assuming they are 32MB a piece. There are three slots, when it is in the front, no boot, middle, only 32MB, and in the back, 64MB. Could the problem be that it needs pc100 not 133? The specs I found said that it would take 100/133 so I'm not sure if it is the stick or the speed. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    1) How many chips are on your 64MB module? If it has 4 chips, it won't work; 8 chips, maybe; 16 chips, it should. The 440BX chipset doesn't support high-density modules.

    2) Did you figure out whether or not the 2 32MB modules it already has are registered/ECC modules? If they are, then it won't take an unbuffered module in addition, since you can't mix and match 72bit and 64bit DIMMs. In fact, in this configuration it will behave strangely and probably won't POST.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited January 2004
    No clue on ECC, I do know that they are 64bit. The current units have 16chips so I will match that up. Any idea on the speed issue? Will 133 work as well as 100? I can find 133 on new egg but they don't seem to have any 100 (understandably). What should I do? Will it support a module of 128MB like this? http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-146-019&catalog=147&depa=1
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    The speed issue isn't an issue. The PC133 spec is backwards-compatible with the PC100 and PC66 specs, though each different kind of motherboard chipset will accept a different type of memory organization. For instance, the Intel 440 series won't take anything bigger than 16 megabit chips. Maximum memory module size is 256MB, though I'm pretty sure that Optiplex requires 256MB modules to be registered/ECC. It'll take 128MB DIMMs as long as they're organized with 16 megabit or less chips.

    MOST cheap PC133 128 and 256MB modules use 32 megabit chips, so your machine will either see half the capacity of the module or won't POST.

    You can tell a registered/ECC module by looking at it. It will have an odd number of chips on each side and a line of small IC's between the memory chips and the card edge connector. Those IC's are the "buffers" or "registers" that add an additional clock cycle between each memory transaction and beef up the signal strength. Registered/ECC RAM is really only desirable in mission-critical servers and desktops that need extra stability (usually dual processor boxes).

    -drasnor :fold:
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited February 2004
    I am having a hard time finding 16 chip modules anywhere, they all seem to be high density, any suggestions? Also, what socket type is a P2? I am thinking about switching out the mother board but I am willing to bet that I will have as many issues finding that mobo as I am finding the RAM. Should I jut punt?
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    A Pentium II uses the Slot1 form factor. Note that it's a slot, not a socket. You can get slockets (Slot->Socket converters), but not the other way around.

    No point in swapping out the motherboard. You'd have to find an identical Dell motherboard since Dell uses proprietary case designs.

    I found some sticks of 128MB over on zipzoomfly for a Dimension XPS R series today. Here's the link: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80306-A

    -drasnor :fold:
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