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Out of Range error on Dell Optiplex When Installing New Seagate Barracuda 80 GB HDD
While upgrading a Dell Optiplex GX240 to a Seagate 80GB and installing Windows XP Professional from Volume License disk, I get an Out of Range Error that shuts down the computer.
Equipment: Dell Optiplex GX240; Microtek C593 flat panel monitor of unknown age, New, never before used, Seagate Barracuda 80 Gb Ultra ATA100 7200.7; ATA Rage 128 Pro, 256 MB PC133 SDRAM, GVC modem, integrated NIC. Same problem using Dell Optiplex GX150 nVidia 64MB and alternately, integrated Intel integrated video.
Software: Microsoft Windows XP Professional volume license that easily installs on other equipment, including Dell 4700 and Dell 8400, but disk lists as October 2001 version although recently purchased.
Problem: While Installing WXPP, everything works fine until completion of install and reboot at end of install process, we get a sudden "Out of Range" error, then several rapid horizontal and vertical streaks, then quickly a dark screen and no image. Windows XPH SP1 April 2002 installs fine. Windows 2000 Professiona installs without problem.
I have traded out every component except CPU and power supply in these two machines: Modem, NIC, Sound, Video card, memory modules. The only constants are the Seagate Barracude drive and the Windows XP Professional October 2001. The same error occurs on both machines with essentially four different configurations. When using A different OS, or 40 GB hard drive, I do not get the error. When moving the components to other machines, they work normally.
What am I doing wrong? What have I missed? I don't understand how the hard drive could be the problem, so is the Windows XP Professional Volume License disk October 2001 (without, I assume, SP1) part of the problem. I have many years of top level experience, but have never installed a volume license disk before.
Equipment: Dell Optiplex GX240; Microtek C593 flat panel monitor of unknown age, New, never before used, Seagate Barracuda 80 Gb Ultra ATA100 7200.7; ATA Rage 128 Pro, 256 MB PC133 SDRAM, GVC modem, integrated NIC. Same problem using Dell Optiplex GX150 nVidia 64MB and alternately, integrated Intel integrated video.
Software: Microsoft Windows XP Professional volume license that easily installs on other equipment, including Dell 4700 and Dell 8400, but disk lists as October 2001 version although recently purchased.
Problem: While Installing WXPP, everything works fine until completion of install and reboot at end of install process, we get a sudden "Out of Range" error, then several rapid horizontal and vertical streaks, then quickly a dark screen and no image. Windows XPH SP1 April 2002 installs fine. Windows 2000 Professiona installs without problem.
I have traded out every component except CPU and power supply in these two machines: Modem, NIC, Sound, Video card, memory modules. The only constants are the Seagate Barracude drive and the Windows XP Professional October 2001. The same error occurs on both machines with essentially four different configurations. When using A different OS, or 40 GB hard drive, I do not get the error. When moving the components to other machines, they work normally.
What am I doing wrong? What have I missed? I don't understand how the hard drive could be the problem, so is the Windows XP Professional Volume License disk October 2001 (without, I assume, SP1) part of the problem. I have many years of top level experience, but have never installed a volume license disk before.
ASKER
Original Volume License disk that looks clean, with no observable damage, and it has worked on four other installs on Compaq PC's with slower smaller hard drives..
How did you go about getting a replacement of the volume license disk. Did you call Microsoft because of the problem, or did you purchase an upgrade. I am about certain that the disk is somehow the problem, and I have the paperwork from the Volume License purchase, but unfortunately, that department is closed until 5 a.m., Monday morning.
Thank you for your inquiry. Every bid helps.
How did you go about getting a replacement of the volume license disk. Did you call Microsoft because of the problem, or did you purchase an upgrade. I am about certain that the disk is somehow the problem, and I have the paperwork from the Volume License purchase, but unfortunately, that department is closed until 5 a.m., Monday morning.
Thank you for your inquiry. Every bid helps.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Or, if you can't find a CRT, startup in safe mode and set the refresh rate to 60Hz (right-click empty desktop space, select properties, then click on Settings, set resolution and color depth to your monitor, probably 1024x768 by 32Bit, then select the Advanced button, the monitor tab and then lower the screen refresh rate to 60Hz).
We're on a corporate plan - they send us each CD as it's release - so by replacement, I was referring to the release of an integrated XP pro install with SP1, then later with SP2
Hey I'm almost laughing here becuase after reading burrcm, and rindis responses, that's totally got to be it - out of range is an error your monitor would give if the resolution or scan rates were set wrong, and you even mentioned that the monitor is of an unknown age! The older installs defaulted to 640x480 but I believe XP's minimum is 800x600 - you probably have an old old panel that can only do 640x480 If thats the case please give 100% of the points and an A grade to Burrcm!
Hey I'm almost laughing here becuase after reading burrcm, and rindis responses, that's totally got to be it - out of range is an error your monitor would give if the resolution or scan rates were set wrong, and you even mentioned that the monitor is of an unknown age! The older installs defaulted to 640x480 but I believe XP's minimum is 800x600 - you probably have an old old panel that can only do 640x480 If thats the case please give 100% of the points and an A grade to Burrcm!
That monitor does support 800x600 and XPs default is 60Hz but since you are doing an upgrade, your system was probably already set up higher than that so safe mode is your only option.
Which BIOS version are you running? A05 is (I think) the newest for the GX240.
First do a BIOS-reset (ALT+E (Erase Log), ALT+F (BIOS Factory Default), ALT+B (Reboot).
Go into BIOS again and check at least one setting under Integrated Peripherals: Drive UDMA (Factory OFF). Set this to ON and check the rest of the BIOS settings as needed and then do your reinstall again.
First do a BIOS-reset (ALT+E (Erase Log), ALT+F (BIOS Factory Default), ALT+B (Reboot).
Go into BIOS again and check at least one setting under Integrated Peripherals: Drive UDMA (Factory OFF). Set this to ON and check the rest of the BIOS settings as needed and then do your reinstall again.
You might want to check with the Dell GX240 Diags if there is no issue with this PC.
ASKER
Several people who responded came up with the correct solution, with my accepting Burrcm when he first proposed the solution. It was a problem with this old flat panel monitor and the refresh rate. I tested the problem on two other computers just for the exercise, then the solution of using the CRT first, after which I moved back to the Microtek flat panel.
Thank you all for some useful comments that taught me a lot about an area I hadn't bothered to study in the past.
Thank you all for some useful comments that taught me a lot about an area I hadn't bothered to study in the past.
Luckily, MS replaced the original XP with XPSp1, then XPSp2 so we eventially had 3 originals to use.