Solved Dell T3500 Won't Boot

[HenriK37]

Recently, I inherited a 64 bit Dell T3500 workstation PC from a friend's estate. The PC has a Dell COA sticker indicating that it is supposed to have W7-Pro installed. Moreover, the machine has a 3.47 6-core CPU, the memory is maxed out, two hard drives are installed, two CD drives are installed, and the unit is in like-new physical condition. The last use appears to have been in November 2017. Accordingly, I would like to get it running.

As the machine starts to boot, it begins to open Windows and then everything stalls. I have run all of the Dell internal diagnostics and the machine appears to be OK. I was able to get the MS-DOS menu to come up and found what appears to be a complete set of Windows files on the X partition (?) of the main hard drive. Interestingly, the C partition of this same drive shows it is empty. For the life of me I can not understand how operating system files could have been put in other than the C partition or why they would be in some other place.

I don't know if it would be better to get W7-Pro working at least temporarily or simply install the latest version of W10-Pro. It would appear that the late owner was attempting to update the machine somewhat as the original Dell configuration list shows only a single hard drive and a single CD drive and half as much memory as I find now. Could the late owner have added something to the unit and the PC somehow rearranged itself on its own? There is nothing on the machine I want to save and I have what appears to be a CD with a complete set of T3500 drivers and utilities. I find that this material is also still available on the Dell website.

Regardless, I would appreciate advice and/or suggestions on how to proceed to at least get W7-Pro working. I am aware that Microsoft is stopping W7 support shortly but my other two machines use W7 and I am not certain I want to abandon it as I rather like its style. Thanks, in advance for assistance and/or suggestions.

 

[SIW2]

Sounds like autofailover kicked in and booted into winre. It loads into ram and the drive letters you see from there will not be the same as you would expect to see in regular installed windows.

Probably the easiest and quickest thing would be a clean install. You seem to have the license key, do you have installation media?

Here is the spec sheet in case you don't have it

https://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/precn/en/q2wk6_dell_precision_t3500_spec_sheet.pdf

Clean Install Windows 7

 

[HenriK37]

Thank you very much for your advice. As I understand it, the number string on the COA sticker is the original Win7-Pro license key. I also have the Dell Win7-Pro reinstall disc and I know how to download a new copy of Win7-Pro from Microsoft should that be needed.

Do I have to worry about any hard disc partitions or other other material that may be on the hard drive? There is nothing that I want to save.

Since I need to to a clean install, could I substitute a larger hard drive for the current (and apparently original) hard drive 0?

 

[SIW2]

Do I have to worry about any hard disc partitions or other other material that may be on the hard drive? There is nothing that I want to save.

You answered your own question.

could I substitute a larger hard drive

Yes, of course.

 

[Bree]

As I understand it, the number string on the COA sticker is the original Win7-Pro license key...

Not quite. The original Dell-installed image had a generic Dell-specific key which is matched against an SLP marker in the bios. If the two match, it self-activates. The CoA key is a backup that allows you to clean-install with standard MS install media and would activate it online.

I also have the Dell Win7-Pro reinstall disc...

If this is the Dell disk for this model it should include the self-activating key. You shouldn't need the CoA key.

Product Key: 32KD2-K9CTF-M3DJT-4J3WC-733WD
Product ID: XXXXX-OEM-8992671-00524
Vendor: Dell
...All Dell machines installed with Windows 7 Professional will have the same OEM SLP key.

https://www.sevenforums.com/install...reinstall-help-same-key-each.html#post3265828

 

[HenriK37]

Thanks to Bree for the warning about the 'key' on Dell COA stickers. I ran a key finder and found that the reported Win7 key (in the registry?) is very different than the 'key' shown on the COA sticker. Interesting. I wonder why there is that difference.

 

[Megahertz07]

It's a wonderful machine, it only doesn't have a SATA 6 to take full advantage of a SSD speed.

A SLP license don't use a key to activate. It use a code stored on BIOS to compare to a code in the installation (You must use the installation disk from Dell) and does a offline activation.

You can use any Win 7 pro installation disk, but you will need to enter the key code from the COA sticker and it will only activate online.


If you're going to reinstall (with Dell or any Win 7 pro installation disk) make sure to detach ALL other HDDs (SATA or Power cable) from the MoBo, leaving on only the target disk or you may end with the boot loader on one disk and the OS on another disk.
On a Clean Install make sure you delete ALL partitions on the disk till there is one and only one unallocated space, then proceed.

 

[HenriK37]

Thanks for the clarification and advice on having a 'blank' HDD. I decided to do a clean install from a Win 10 Pro ISO. When I tried to activate the new Win 10 installation using the recovered Win 7 key, it failed. I then tried using the key on the PC's COA sticker. That went through immediately and a key finder check advised that the machine is now assigned a new and quite different key and is running Win 10 Enterprise. Strange goings on... I must say, however, that I vastly prefer the look of my previous Win 7 Pro screens but that is another issue. Thanks again.

 

[Megahertz07]

What programs / apps to use to tweak Win 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

[HenriK37]

Thanks for the suggestions on how to make Win 10 look more like Win 7. I hadn't expected those and expected to have to hunt for ideas.

 

[Megahertz07]

You have a Win 7 pro, the best OS.
I still think that Win 7 is a better OS as it's more stable.
If you don't like Win 10, you can always install win 7.