Good Day!!
I would like to ask for assistance from anyone who can help me with this problem.i have been trying to boot with an XP installation cd since i get the error message NTLDR is missing but once i get to the windows xp set up window where i have the option of chossing if i want to repair windows or even install xp i get the error:SET UP DID NOT FIND ANY HARD DISKS DRIVES INSTALLED IN YOUR COMPUTER.
MAKE SURE ANY HARD DISK DRIVES ARE POWERED AND PROPERLY CONNECTED TO YOUR COMPUTER, AND THAT ANY DISK RELATED HARDWARE CONFIGURATION IS CORRECT THIS MAY INVOLVE RUNNING MANUFACTURER- SUPPLIED DIAGNOSTIC OR SETUP PROGRAM.
My laptop is a Vostro 1510 Dell,it has a Windows Vista sticker on top but it came running with Windows xp.
thank you and i realy need your help.

Drivers & Downloads

This is your driver download page. Go there for all your driver for your system and operating system.

The problem you are experiencing is that you must install the hard drive SATA driver during the installation set up by using the F6 key. Right after the "Boot to CD" prompt you will be asked to install third party drivers by using the F6 key. Press F6 and have the driver on a media format that will fit your computer ...ie floppy or CD.

The driver download will give you directions on how to load the drivers to the media file. Read this very carefully because failing to prepare this driver for installation will stop you from installing any operating system to your computer.

hey lurkswithin
thanks for the advice but am sorry to say it did not help me after pressing f6 and inserting a drives and utilities cd in my laptop i get another error message;setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system or you have chosen to manualy specify an adapter.Currently setup will load support for the following mass storage devices;
NONE
to specify additional SCSI adapters,cd-rom drivers or special disk controllers for use with Windows, including these for which you have a device support disk from a mass storage device manufacture,press s
after pricing s this is what i get:setup could not find a floppy drive on your machine to load OEM drivers from floppy disk.

thank you .

I don't think that you prepared the driver properly. You can't just stick that file on a cd and insert it when aslked. The file must be opened and prepared to install. Please follow the instructions for installing the file from the download center!

Lukswithin

i have downloaded the driver from dell to a CD,but the instractions i got from them is for a working machine mine is blank(black with a note NTLDR is missing press ctrl+alt+del to restart)it only give me the option to press f6 when i have put an XP cd in the CD-rom but i cant do that with the cd containing the downloaded file.
i have tried a lot of times but i have failed it keeps on giving the same error message.ntldr is missing

Sorry it took so long to get back to you....I do have a life other than this LOL

The computer that you used to download the SATA driver file to...In most cases what you need to do is this
1) download the file to desktop.
2) open file and follow directions to install to CD or Floppy media
3) Boot to XP installation CD and when it prompts to press F6 for third party driver press the F6.
4) when asked...remove the XP cD and install the Driver CD and press enter.
5) after file is loaded replace Cd with the XP CD and it will continue to install the operating system from there.

Note.
The driver file must be opened on the CD and not just copied to the CD. In some cases the computer manufacturer uses a program called "makedisk" to create the proper media to be used to install the driver file.