Optiplex 7010, Windows XP Pro?

Hi @Bub2 ,

OPTIPLEX 7010 do support running on WinXP. You may find corresponding drivers from Dell support page as well.

For the WinXP installation problem, are those 2 CDs work on other computers? If not, probably due to bad installation media (i.e. installation CD corrupted). You may need to find a new installation media which Microsoft do not offer free download. Take a look at Amazon or eBay.

Advanced format drives REQUIRE F6 AHCI drivers.  This is any Hard drive over 120 gigs and made after 2011.

Older 40, 80, 120 gig Sata 1 drives are 512e so they work without advanced format drivers in ATA mode when installing from External USB DVD drive on a USB 2 port.

You must use F6 drivers or Use External USB DVD drive on USB2 ports and F12 Boot from the USB DVD drive with SATA OPERATION Set to ATA mode.  Otherwise XP will not install.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20868/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-RAID-for-Intel-Desktop-Boards-DX58OG-DP55WB-DX58SO2

XP requires Specific model USB floppy drive for this AND you must unzip the zip file or extract to  the floppy and press F6 to load from the floppy.  The 7010 DOES NOT have an internal floppy controller.

Stop 0x0000007B Inaccessible_boot_device

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/314859/limited-oem-driver-support-is-available-with-f6-during-windows-xp-and

Mass storage controller drivers can be loaded only from floppy disks by using the F6 key. The F6 key cannot be used to load drivers that are stored on USB flash drives, on USB hard disks, or on other external storage devices.

http://www.tim.id.au/blog/tims-f6-driver-guide/

Microsoft KB916196 explains that the following three USB floppy drives are compatible:

USB\VID_03EE&PID_6901 – Mitsumi
USB\VID_057B&PID_0000 – Y-E Data; Sony part number 09K9835
USB\VID_0644&PID_0000 – TEAC; IBM option part number 27L4226, FRU 05K9283

https://www.amazon.com/IBM-05K9283-Portable-Diskette-05K9276/dp/B000COSCKE

If you cannot find a suitable USB floppy drive to use the F6 method to install Intel AHCI drivers, you may want to try this suggestion.

Advanced Format drives were introduced from around 2010 onwards.  If you fit a SATA2 hard drive made before 2010, it should be possible to install Windows XP when you configure the BIOS to use 'legacy Boot' (not UEFI), and use ATA mode (not AHCI) settings.

Seagate 3.5" drives are popular and it shouldn't be too difficult to find an old drive up to and I believe including Barracuda 7200.11 family.  (I think Barracuda 7200.12 family were the first AF drives from Seagate).  

I should add that once XP is up and running with hard drive in ATA mode, it is Very difficult to change it to AHCI mode without hacking the registry etc. if I recall.

I also recall when AF drives were first introduced on the market, some hard drive manufacturers introduced 512e emulation as a temporary workaround even though it was less efficient. The method they used varied between manufacturers.  Vaguely recall on one brand of drives, you could simply set a jumper to force a drive into 512e mode.  Check whether the original drive that came with the 7010 can do 512e emulation.  Someone will correct me if I'm mistaken.

I tried a new hard drive, new cables for hard drive to motherboard, a different DVD reader, I downloaded the XP drivers, I tried two separate XP install discs. No luck. I successfully loaded Windows 7 to the new hard drive, so my DVD drive and hard drive a functional. If I try to install from the install disc I get a dialog box with INSTALL WINDOWS XP grayed out (re: image2). If I try to boot from the install disc, it will load all the files, but when it goes to restart windows I get an error message saying the hard drive or hard drive controllers may be corrupt (re: image1). I tried to follow the previous suggestions but was unsuccessful. Anything new? Thanks.

Stop 0x0000007B Inaccessible_boot_device

is the exact issue.  The F6 drivers are NOT optional.

There is even a Cab File Set for XP for this specific model. YOU CANNOT POINT to a CAB file.  You extract its contents with 7zip and then transfer the files you need to floppy.

https://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER02061566M/1/7010-xp-A05-K0CK5.CAB

https://www.7-zip.org/download.html

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/314859/limited-oem-driver-support-is-available-with-f6-during-windows-xp-and

You need this specific drive

https://www.amazon.com/IBM-05K9283-Portable-External-27L4226/dp/B016YKDI1M/

XP is end of life

Dell’s End of Life process flows through several stages:

• Sales of a product are restricted (End of Sale)
• Development of a product ends (End of Development)
• Support for the product ends (End of Support)

Once all of these stages have been reached, the product or feature is considered End of Life.

It is an old guide now, however follow this to slipstream the SATA drivers into the Windows XP Media:

https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/legacy-windows-xp-reinstallation-guide/windows-xp-service-pack-3-standalone-updates/slipstreaming-service-pack-3-windows-media-player-11-and-sata-drivers-into-your-windows-xp-reinstallation-media/

Once you've done this you should be able to install Windows XP. Note you may be better to install Windows 10 Pro on this system and then use the likes of VMware player to install XP as a Virtual Machine:

https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/installation-of-windows-and-linux-on-a-virtual-machine-using-vmware-player/

This systems hardware is pretty weak however an XP VM shouldn't be too taxing.

I tried all these suggestions, no success. I was discussing this with a computer tech and he said that modern hard drives are ADVANCE FORMAT and will not run Win XP because of the way it is formatted. He said I needed to find a non-ADVANCE FORMAT (older) hard drive and replace the current one. I cannot find out what hard drive will work. Dell said the computer is out of warranty and they won't help. I tried the current hard drive manufacturer and was told they cannot make a recommendation because Dell buys hard drives as a manufacturer and the supplier is not able to make a recommendation. Anyone know which hard drive will work in the OPTIPLEX 7010 and accept Win XP? Thank you.

Advanced Format Drives are Any Drives larger than 120 Gigs made after 2011. ALL SATA SSD's are Advanced Format aka AHCI instead of ATA.

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

XP works fine on these drives but REQUIRES Specific F6 Drivers from Floppy. OR you set SATA OPERATION to ATA instead of AHCI and use a Drive that is 120gigs or smaller that has 512e aka emulation for ATAPI.

You can always use an ancient drive from a computer that uses vacuuum tubes.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Latitude-D630-80GB-Laptop/dp/B00RW8AJ2W/

F6 mass storage Drivers are required for XP / VISTA / 7/ 8 / 10

The difference is that unlike XP you can put the driver onto USB flash drive instead of floppy.

If you absolutely have to have XP then INSTALL WINDOWS 7 PRO and use XP Mode.

F6 Drivers on Floppy NOT A ZIP FILE

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/314859/limited-oem-driver-support-is-available-with-f6-during-windows-xp-and

There are only a few USB Floppy Drives that work with XP.

When you are installing Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 on a new computer or on a computer that has the latest SCSI or IDE controller technology, you may have to use an OEM device driver to support, for example, a new mass storage controller, to continue with the installation. The symptoms that you have to install an OEM device driver include the following:

• The computer may keep restarting and never start the GUI installation after the text mode Setup is finished.
• The Setup program may stop, and you may receive an error message if the Setup program does not correctly detect the controller.
• If you are booting from the installation floppy disks or CD-ROM disc, you receive the following error message:
  
  
  Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your system
  If you are upgrading by using the Winnt32.exe file, or if you are performing a new installation by using the Winnt.exe file, you receive the following Stop error:
  
  
  Stop 0x0000007B Inaccessible_boot_device

During the text-mode phase of the setup process, Windows pauses briefly and prompts you to press F6. This option is displayed in the status line and lets you use an OEM mass storage controller driver. The F6 option is provided strictly as a means to install OEM drivers for mass storage controllers only. This is required to let the installation of the operating system continue. Microsoft does not support using F6 to install any device driver other than mass storage controller drivers.

Note F6 Mass storage controller drivers can be loaded only from floppy disks by using the F6 key. The F6 key cannot be used to load drivers that are stored on USB flash drives, on USB hard disks, or on other external storage devices.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20868/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-RAID-for-Intel-Desktop-Boards-DX58OG-DP55WB-DX58SO2

Download the driver STOR_Win7_XP_11.0.0.1032_PV.exe and one of the following F6 driver diskettes, depending on your operating system:

• f6flpy-x86_11.0.0.1032.zip - for 32-bit versions of Windows 7*, Windows Vista* or Windows XP*

You have to unzip this and store on floppy.

Mass storage controller drivers can be loaded only from floppy disks by using the F6 key. The F6 key cannot be used to load drivers that are stored on USB flash drives, on USB hard disks, or on other external storage devices.

http://www.tim.id.au/blog/tims-f6-driver-guide/

Microsoft KB916196 explains that the following three USB floppy drives are compatible:

USB\VID_03EE&PID_6901 – Mitsumi
USB\VID_057B&PID_0000 – Y-E Data; Sony part number 09K9835
USB\VID_0644&PID_0000 – TEAC; IBM option part number 27L4226, FRU 05K9283

USB FLOPPY Drives made by other makers WILL NOT EVER WORK.

https://www.amazon.com/IBM-05K9283-Portable-Diskette-05K9276/dp/B000COSCKE

Microsoft’s support policy for Advanced Format hard drives is described in detail in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: "Information about Microsoft support policy for large sector drives in Windows" Article ID: 2510009. Due to Windows XP not supporting Advanced Format hard drives, Dell strongly recommends transitioning to Windows 7. If use of Windows XP is unavoidable, refer to the <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>section of this article, which outlines Dell’s recommendations for deploying Windows XP on systems with Advanced Format hard drives.

Don't waste your time trying to install a modern SATA drive in the Optiplex.  How much is many hours of your time worth trying to find the right AHCI storage driver that works with Windows XP?   For about $14 including shipping you can buy a used 100GB or less laptop hard drive that works with the ATA mode in the Optiplex.