If you want to try something quick, then reinstall the chipset drivers that came with your pc, they would be on your dell cd, or go to their website and download them and run the install program. This may get your drives back barring a hardware problem.
The chipset drivers are what enables xp to negotiate the ide controllers. You won't harm anything by reinstalling them.
Sorry last post was meant for Howlin.
I actually reformatted and loaded SP-2 without any progs.
It drove me to drink.
I tried everything, processor drivers, chip set. The works.
SP-2 will not boot and it crashes as soon as the load begins. It is instantaneous to the load so it is in the very beginning of the code as the bios loads, or somewhere real close.