Are you using the Dell reinstall disk? My thinking at the moment is a bios setting. Boot into the Bios (Press the F2 Key as soon as you see the big Dell splash screen) Scroll down to the Drives listing then go into the SATA Operation setting. Make sure the setting is set to Raid Autodetect/ATA.  If not set it save and exit the bios.  Place the Dell reinstall disk in the drive and boot this time at the Dell splash screen press the F12 key  and select the option to boot from the onboard CD-Rom(dont worry if you have the disk in a DVD drive as this is just a setting to access the optical drives before any other drive)  Let us know as best as you can what errors or problems you are having if this does not seem to solve your issue
I have a Dell 410 xp. Recently the Hard Drive died on it. Took it to a local computer store which is sells Dells, & repairs them. I had them install a new Hard Drive. However when I brought it home I was unable to reinstall Windows XP Media Edition. Dell offered a free Vista upgrade when I bought mine. It origanal came with Windows XP Media Edition. At the release of Vista they sent me the free Windows Upgrade, & Product Key. Which I installed. At the Moment I have a blank hard drive with no Operation System on it. It won`t boot up or Install from the Windows Installion CD. I have tried 3 different CD`s. Is my only option to pay the local computer store $125 every time windows has to be reinstalled?  
Can`t install Windows XP on Dell 410 XP?