Solved Cannot Install Windows 7 on my Dell XPS 8500

[jsquareg]

I have switched HP's and Asus's from Window 8 to Windows 7 over the past few months and tried to do the same this morning on my Dell XPS 8500.

I have spent most of the morning trying to install Win 7 on my Dell XPS 8500 that came with Windows 8.

I disconnected the supplied HDD, attached an SSD and tried to install Win 7 from DVD. It copied the Windows files, asked me what language and Started Setup. I immediately got a message saying something like 'there is no driver for the CD/DVD device....' I browsed for a driver but Setup couldn't find one. I've never seen this before

I have the Dell Driver CD that came in the box but there is no way I can get to from that point.

How may I overcome this?

Thank you.

 

[fireberd]

Is AHCI set in the BIOS for the drives? If not, give that a try. Also, the drive needs to be formatted, by the Win 8 install program, before installing on the drive (whether SSD or conventional hard drive).

Usually, F2 accesses the BIOS in most Dell's.

Also see this Win 7 forum tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[Ztruker]

I couldn't find the info at the Dell web site, but is this a UEFI or BIOS system? If UEFI then install is different.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[fireberd]

Looking at the Dell manual, it appears to be a standard BIOS.

 

[jsquareg]

Thank you.

As I said, I can get to 'Starting Setup' and then get this message window:

[FONT=&quot]Load Driver[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash dirve, please insert it now. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Well the only such thing I have, as I said is the Drivers and Utilities disk that cam with the computer but there is no way I can figure out how to use it at this point in the process.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]What do I do now?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Is there something peculiar about the Dell CD/DVD drive maybe?
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I have made the transition from win8 to win7 on an HP and an ASUS, both having an UEFI bios as does this Dell. No problem with the HP and ASUS. Go figure.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks again.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I've looked at the links you provided and they don't seem to offer anything that I haven't tried. Will try again.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks again.
[/FONT]

I have switched HP's and Asus's from Window 8 to Windows 7 over the past few months and tried to do the same this morning on my Dell XPS 8500.

I have spent most of the morning trying to install Win 7 on my Dell XPS 8500 that came with Windows 8.

I disconnected the supplied HDD, attached an SSD and tried to install Win 7 from DVD. It copied the Windows files, asked me what language and Started Setup. I immediately got a message saying something like 'there is no driver for the CD/DVD device....' I browsed for a driver but Setup couldn't find one. I've never seen this before

I have the Dell Driver CD that came in the box but there is no way I can get to from that point.

How may I overcome this?

Thank you.

 

[fireberd]

If you haven't done it, the Dell Community Desktop Hardware forum (which has users helping users as this forum) would be the place to go, since there are those there that are familiar with Dell products.

Did you verify AHCI is set in the BIOS? That is the default but could have been changed.
Desktop - Dell Community

 

[bobkn]

Thank you.

As I said, I can get to 'Starting Setup' and then get this message window:

[FONT=&quot]Load Driver[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash dirve, please insert it now. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Well the only such thing I have, as I said is the Drivers and Utilities disk that cam with the computer but there is no way I can figure out how to use it at this point in the process.[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]What do I do now?[/FONT]

This is often due to bad installation media. (I suppose that a defective DVD drive would do the same.)

What's the source of your Win7 installation disk?

 

[Faladu]

Wondering if you could try a USB pen drive install as an alternative?

Info is in the Tutorials, need a blank 4gig or larger.

 

[theog]

I have switched HP's and Asus's from Window 8 to Windows 7 over the past few months and tried to do the same this morning on my Dell XPS 8500.

I have spent most of the morning trying to install Win 7 on my Dell XPS 8500 that came with Windows 8.

I disconnected the supplied HDD, attached an SSD and tried to install Win 7 from DVD. It copied the Windows files, asked me what language and Started Setup. I immediately got a message saying something like 'there is no driver for the CD/DVD device....' I browsed for a driver but Setup couldn't find one. I've never seen this before

I have the Dell Driver CD that came in the box but there is no way I can get to from that point.

How may I overcome this?

Thank you.

1) Downgrade to Windows 7.
Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
Warning you must have the uEFI/BIOS firmware setting in Step Three set.


2) If Using a USB Pendrive on a PC with a uEFI BIOS.
USB Pendrive need to be formated to FAT32 as in
UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows
Take note of Step 11 for Windows 7.
Also you will need to use a USB 2.0 port, as there are no USB 3.0 drivers in Windows 7.

 

[SandeepP]

I have switched HP's and Asus's from Window 8 to Windows 7 over the past few months and tried to do the same this morning on my Dell XPS 8500.

I have spent most of the morning trying to install Win 7 on my Dell XPS 8500 that came with Windows 8.

I disconnected the supplied HDD, attached an SSD and tried to install Win 7 from DVD. It copied the Windows files, asked me what language and Started Setup. I immediately got a message saying something like 'there is no driver for the CD/DVD device....' I browsed for a driver but Setup couldn't find one. I've never seen this before

I have the Dell Driver CD that came in the box but there is no way I can get to from that point.

How may I overcome this?

Thank you.

Hi jsquareg,

Please check the post below which outlines the steps for downgrading to Windows 7:

http://dell.to/11i3tZt

Hope it helps.

 

[jsquareg]

Thank you to all who replied. The problem is now solved but I can't really tell which of the replies did the trick. Most of them pointed to several, similar solutions and I just don't remember which did the trick but I now have Win 7 installed on my Dell.

Thanks again to all of you.

 

[SandeepP]

Thank you to all who replied. The problem is now solved but I can't really tell which of the replies did the trick. Most of them pointed to several, similar solutions and I just don't remember which did the trick but I now have Win 7 installed on my Dell.

Thanks again to all of you.

Hi jsquareg,

Its great to hear that Windows 7 is installed and working on your system. If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

 

[estekelog]

@jsquareg

Hello there Sir,

Im searching the web about my XPS 8500 problem and we totally have the same
problem. When I tried installing my OS it also says "a required dvd/cd is missing"

But like what you said, you didn't know how you've done it.
I'm just wondering maybe now you know how you did it?