Hi Mario,
I tried the steps in the document you provided and it still crashed at 80% at the Prepare to Install stage. I do have the full software loaded on another Dell Laptop Latitude laptop running Windows XP 32 bit and it works just fine. So the issue is with my new laptop which is provided to me by my employer and I doubt they will reload the operating system.
Is there a difference between the drivers for Win 8, 8.1 and 8.1 Pro 64 bit?
Thanks for your insight and help, I appreciate the time you spent with me.
BirdieT