Windows Vista help

[Darren1]

Hi, Im having problems with my DELL computer and was told it would be a good idea to ask for help here.

Alright so I turned my desktop computer on earlier when I got home and for some reason it gets stuck on the DELL logo startup screen

(Black background with the white writing) and isnt changing screens at all, it just stays there and doesnt move on to the user account sign in part.

Ive been looking on the internet and reading manuals and stuff on how to fix it for around 5 hours combined, and I think the only option is to just re-install vista with the discs that I got with the computer as I dont have backup discs but I dont really have any important documents or pictures or anything else saved onto it those are on usb sticks, so I figure I should be ok with just re-installing vista.

I seem to be doing it all okay up untill now, and since I cant use screenshots to you show which parts Im on, Il use this video as reference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puY4vRhAKYo and tell you where to fast forward the video to (eg 1:54)

So Ive gotten to 1:25 in the video where it asks "Where do you want to install Windows?" but on the video there is a thing (Drive?) that I think says "Disk 0 Unalocated space"... and on mine there is no drives at all and a message at the bottom saying "No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installation."

I click Load Driver and it asks me to put in a disc from when I got the computer, I put it in and it comes up with 2 things and a message saying "Select the Driver to be installed" - the two "things" which I think must be the drivers are named this... "Intel® ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller (D:\ -Bunch of numbers/letters which are different on the second one from the first one-)

Ive tried clicking them both and then "Next" but the same thing happenes both times.. it just brings me back the the "Where do you want to install Windows" screen, and still no drives there for me to select.

Does anyone know what is wrong with this, or how I can sort this and move on to the next setup stage. Id really love to hear any ideas or soloutions you guys have, Im going insane and getting even more frustrated with the damn thing.

Also if theres any other info Id have to give then just say and Il try to give as much info as possible, such as the actual "bunch of numbers/letters" because I didnt feel they were neccasary, but anything like that then il get it.

Other info: computer model is a DELL XPS 420

Thanks in advance, Id appretiate any help.

[Boris]

Dell often uses a hidden "Recovery Partition" to enable you to re-install easily.

You usually action this option by pressing the F8 key while you boot

[Darren1]

Dell often uses a hidden "Recovery Partition" to enable you to re-install easily.

You usually action this option by pressing the F8 key while you boot

When I boot my computer there isnt a F8 option, I also tried holding down F8 as the computer started which still didnt work.

Could you explain further how I could find this Recovery Partion, and also what I would do when I find it, would this be the thing that I would "Install Windows" onto?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Did you get a Windows install disk from Dell with your PC - and is that what you are using to reinstall Windows?

Did you get any manuals from Dell that tell you how to go about Windows recovery?

Anyway, before starting to reinstall, I would I least have tried to boot into Safe Mode - just to see if that works.