I have been trying to install xp pro on a friend's Dell RX-850. Her hdd failed and I bought her a new WD 80Gb IDE.

The formatting goes as expected...setup copies files to the Windows installation folder...setup initializes config...reboots...setup loads files....

The next screen shows the partitions and asks which one to install Windows...so I select the only partition, which is
"C"....

Then...setup says " A \Windows folder already exists that may contain a Windows installation. If you continue, the existing Windows installation will be overwritten"

It says to continue, to press "L" and all info already on the partition will be overwritten...

So I do that and the setup deletes the files and begins to re-copy files to the install folder.

then..back to "Welcome to setup"...and I press 'enter' to set up Windows xp pro...

The 'eula' page...then back to the screen that shows the existing partitions and un-partitioned space where I select the partition where Windows will be installed.

I once again choose C: Partition1 [NTFS]...( I even partitioned the 80G drive into two partitions hoping one or the other partitions would accept the installation and tried both C: and then D: ...but round & round we go...) The next page starts the same ..." You chose to install Windows on a partition that contains another o/s."

And so it goes....loop de loop...

Is there something about a Dell that is not letting this continue?