# Dell Optiplex 755's and Windows XP installation

Windows XP installer does a blue screen of death on installation, with a <span class="caps">STOP</span>: 0×0000007B error. Installation fails due to the <span class="caps">BSOD</span> and is not recoverable.

In this particular instance, it means Windows cannot detect and load the correct harddisk controller driver, because it does not support the default <span class="caps">SATA</span> operation mode in the Dell <span class="caps">BIOS</span>.

In <span class="caps">BIOS</span>, in the Drives — <span class="caps">SATA</span> Operation, you can change from the default <span class="caps">RAID</span>/<span class="caps">AHCI</span> mode to <span class="caps">RAID</span>/<span class="caps">ATA</span> mode (*not* Legacy mode), and Windows setup will now run.

This error occurs in both Windows XP and Windows XP x64, even with SP2 slipstreamed. As for the fix, I have only tried it with Windows XP x64 **with** SP2 slipstreamed.

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A user online has reported the same problem, albiet with a slightly different solution: [http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=107364c](http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=107364c) :

The user there recommends installing the updated <span class="caps">BIOS</span>, which then enables a “Legacy” mode to be selected in the <span class="caps">SATA</span> Operation menu. Then the user loads Windows XP and with F6, loads the Dell <span class="caps">SATA</span> drivers. From my testing, you do not actually need to load the Dell <span class="caps">SATA</span> drivers, but I believe this user was using a different OS (XP SP2 32-bit) and that may be a factor.

The Dell <span class="caps">BIOS</span> update (rev A04) was released 6 November and is available on the Dell site at [http://support.dell.com/](http://support.dell.com/) .

" 5. Added <span class="caps">SATA</span> legacy mode support for older operating systems. "

This update is labeled as “<span class="caps">URGENT</span>” according to Dell. It adds a “Legacy” mode support for the <span class="caps">SATA</span> operation, although we do not need to use this mode, so I am unsure if we need it or not.

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Slipstream drivers as well as SP2 with the insturctions below, or use [www.nliteos.com](http://www.nliteos.com) tools or similar.  
[http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=414](http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=414)

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If the system is configured with a recovery partition. It may need to be removed before you will be able to boot from the xp disk.