Laptop: Fedora 7 -> Windows XP

So...I have a DELL laptop, had a problem with XP on it and could not find the reinstallation CD before, so i installed Fedora 7 on it...everything is good, but now that I got reinstallation CD back from DELL (FINALLY!!!), i'm trying to install XP Home Edition SP2.

So, i went to BIOS and changed settings to boot from CD-Rom, screen comes up "Click any buttong to boot from CD...."...i do that...and that's it...HDD light lights up and system just stands on that black screen...i thought maybe it takes a bit, waited for at least 10-15 minutes...still nothing...can anyone tell me, how do i get it to boot so that i can install XP Home on my laptop..or do i need to do full formatting of the drive, if yes, how do i format it in Fedora 7?

Thank you for your help in advance :)

Go to the BIOS to assure your optical drive is first in the boot order.
Intsert the disk. Shut down. Wait 12 seconds. Reboot.
Watch the screen for the choice to boot from the CD.You will be given a choice to format the disc. Choose NTFS.
If this doesn't work, there is a very good knowledge base article you can find at www.microsoft.com.
Be sure that disk is not scratched or marred in shipping. Be sure it is the Maroon, Grey, or yellowish green recovery disk. If you are using the blue disc, you have the incorrect disc.

now that I got reinstallation CD back from DELL (FINALLY!!!)
it's an OEM restore disk and may not have the format option :(

find a friend with a retail XP cd; start the install, reformat and then abort.
reinsert your restore cd and follow the sequence noted above.

All Dell restore Discs have the format option.

What's the blue DELL disk for?

It almost always labeled, but cryptically. It probably says "Applications", or it may say "CD Creator" or other branded labels. There can be as many as five blue discs, unless they are DVD in which case there may be only one or two... and the labeling more cryptic such as "Software originally shipped with your comptuer." But by Microsoft fiat, the Restore or Recovery disc must be so labeled so it doesn't get thrown away as easily.

its like a purple-ish disk, it says:
1. "Reinstallation CD Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2"

2. "For a distribution only with a new Dell PC."

3. "The software is already installed on your computer. Only use this CD to reinstall the operating system on Dell computer"


Did Dell send me wrong disk?

---= Bump =---

so yesterday, i put in XP Pro disk and screen comes up "Press any button to boot from CD...", so i press any button, it starts to boot...says "Checking system configuration"...then screen goes blank, HDD light lights up and that's it...does anyone know what it could be?

Bad hard drive, but could be any electrically failed component... or even an infestation.
Was this an XP Pro Disk that was labeled OEM, or was it the Dell Recovery disk, or exactly which XP Pro disk was it.

i don't think its any component because when I gets stuck in that black screen, i press Ctrl+Alt+Del...it reboots and loads just fine into Fedora 7...the disk is XP Pro OEM.

Have you tried http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247804?

Zars.

I don't know if you've solved this issue yet, but I've had this exact same problem before. I had SuSE installed and wanted to install WinXP on it as a dual boot. When I popped in the Windows XP disc however, it starts booting on the disc, but hangs on a black screen with the HDD LED constantly lit (just like your situation).

After a lot of research, I find out that this is because the GRUB bootloader from the Linux installation is conflicting with the Windows XP boot disc, preventing the disc from starting.

All of my Google results tell me the same solution:
Start up Windows Recovery Console, run the fixmbr command to re-write the Master Boot Record, effectively wiping out the GRUB bootloader and allowing the Windows XP disc to boot.

I did something else, though. What I did was I installed Ubuntu over my existing Linux. Amazingly, the bootloader that comes with Ubuntu doesn't conflict with the Windows XP boot disc, allowing me to boot up the Windows XP disc perfectly.

All of my Google results tell me the same solution:
Start up Windows Recovery Console, run the fixmbr command to re-write the Master Boot Record, effectively wiping out the GRUB bootloader and allowing the Windows XP disc to boot.

I did something else, though. What I did was I installed Ubuntu over my existing Linux. Amazingly, the bootloader that comes with Ubuntu doesn't conflict with the Windows XP boot disc, allowing me to boot up the Windows XP disc perfectly.
GREAT comment; may I suggest you edit your post above and and a title line
to it for ease of future reference. Also consider posting the same info
as a Tip: Solving dual boot XP GRUB issues