Jennybay   Alexandra is correct. The BIOS will not see the DVD drive as a boot option because the DVD drive is not at the end of the ribbon cable, and is probably jumpered to slave. The DVD drive will need to be configured so that it shows in BIOS, and therefore can be selected as the first to boot. The easiest way may be to remove the ribbon cable from both drives, jumper both optical  drives to CS, and attach only one drive to the very end of the ribbon cable; the DVD drive. The CD drive would not be hooked up. Go into BIOS and set DVD to boot first. If DVD drive still doesn't show up, jumper it to master. Install XP, then make both drives jumpered to CS, and re-attach ribbon cable as it was new. A more difficult, but permanent solution, would be to remove both drives and switch them (DVD on top), set as CS (or DVD master, CD slave if that does not work). Replace the ribbon cable with the very end on DVD drive, the other on CD drive.
I am trying to perform a clean install of Media Center 2005 on my Dell XPS 600 using the Reinstallation DVD that came with the computer about 3-1/2 years ago.  I have a CD drive and a DVD drive.  The Reinstallation DVD can only be seen and read in my DVD player; however I can only boot to my CD drive not my DVD drive.  I changed my boot sequence to boot to the CD; DVD was not an option.  I tried using the DVD in my CD drive but the boot drive was not found.   I then loaded the DVD and tried to install XP from there.  It says that it is going to install and needs to restart.  When it restarts, I have an additional OS listed (I'm now up to 2 Windows Media Centers and 1 XP Professional - not sure how that happened).  Now after a restart, I have to select an OS first or let it default to the XP Professional.   How can I get a clean install of Media Center when all I have is the Reinstallation DVD.  Even if I could get a floppy version of the install, I have no floppy drive.  I also checked to see if I had the Dell restore and I do not.   Thanks in advance!
Clean Install of Media Center 2005