Windows XP Won't Reinstall

My computer has start up issues, as the majority of the time it can not get past the Welcome screen - when it actually gets past that it works perfectly, but of course it's annoying to sit there turning it on and off all day until it finally works.

Dell sent me Windows XP reinstallation disks this morning, but they won't actually work. The problem being, Windows needs to restart in order to do it.

The first 30 or so times it restarted, the problem came up where it would give me the option to either reinstall or load the computer normally. This was when it was still loading up, before the DELL screen, etc. Of course I went for reinstall, but my computer responded by immediatley clicking and going straight back to the beginning. Over and over again. And then of course, when I tried to load it up normally it couldn't get past the welcome screen. Now it no longer clicks, but instead goes to a black screen with what is like a white underscore flashing in the top left hand corner, and won't get any further.

Any ideas on either how to get it to actually reinstall, or how to sort out the loadup problem? It works perfectly when it actually loads, the exception being two programs won't run - system restore will not, and disc defragmenter will not.

 

The only CDs they sent me was the windows one, the drivers one and a programs one. It did not originally come with any at all. And it took a lot of effort to even get those three as they just kept telling me it was no longer under warranty

None of them appear to do anything and pressing F12 has no effect either, whether I hold it down or repeatedly tap it it just loads as normal. I've tried running the disks both when turned on fully and when loading.

 

A Dell computer should have come w/ a recovery CD, that's standard for any preloaded computer. You might call them and request they overnight one to you.

 

Warranty or not, should make no difference.
Keep pushing them.

 

Check the following list to access your Bios.

Dell® 400 F3, F1
Dell 4400 F12
Dell Dimension® F2 or DEL
Dell Inspiron® F2
Dell Latitude Fn+F1 (while booted)
Dell Latitude F2 (on boot)
Dell Optiplex DEL
Dell Optiplex F2
Dell Precision™ F2