Restoring a Windows computer

[Rose]

Is there any way to restore my Dell XPS Gen 5 running Windows XP back to scratch, as in like it was when I first baught it? I need to free up loads of room on my computer, and deleting computer games just doesn't free up enough space. I would like to start from scratch again.

[Letum]

easy, do you have your windows xp disk?

If so you need to run FDISK.....a quick google will tell you how.
*edit* http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348

*edit#2* Best to get all your hardware drivers on to a CD to start with, it makes life easy. Also back up passwords etc too if you need them.

*edit#3*
Do you have a seprate computor on the internet so someone can help you if you get stuck restoreing the dell?

[Rose]

Thanks for the reply. Looks pretty complicated... I'll try it out. And yes, there is another computer with internet available in case something goes wrong.

[Letum]

Its not very complicated. The menu systems are easy if you read it all carefully.
The hard part often comes after you have formatted the drive and need to reinstall all the hardware drivers, but that is a lot easier in XP than it was in windows.

[hoagiedriver]

If you have a working network card after reinstalling, it goes pretty smothly.

Once it is installed, go to 'windows update' and do all the updates. Skip ahead to the service pack 2 update if you can, that will save some time.

Update -> reboot -> update -> repeat until it says you are all updated.

Then you might want to go to the websites of various devices you have, and get the latest drivers from them (video card, sound card, etc). There are cases where an older driver is sometimes better, but usually that isn't the case.

[fatty]

Originally Posted by hoagiedriver

If you have a working network card after reinstalling, it goes pretty smothly.

Once it is installed, go to 'windows update' and do all the updates. Skip ahead to the service pack 2 update if you can, that will save some time.

Update -> reboot -> update -> repeat until it says you are all updated.

Then you might want to go to the websites of various devices you have, and get the latest drivers from them (video card, sound card, etc). There are cases where an older driver is sometimes better, but usually that isn't the case.

Yeah, the updates are pretty simple. I had to format and re-install Windows two weeks ago, it took about three hours before I was back up to snuff. The installation process is easy; just follow the dialogues and you can't go wrong, they don't throw any jargon at you.

After all Windows Updates are installed I go to get the manufacturer's drivers for my devices. WU provides some odd hardware upgrades, like a 3-year-old driver for my Radeon 9600 and a sound driver which disables 5.1 surround.

[fredbass]

When I had a Dell, I usually called them for assistance, which doesn't hurt, though I do hate it when I get someone on the line from some other country who can't talk like me.

[kiwi_2005]

I was going to recommend before you start a new windows installation, partition your drives - so your got a partition D drive that is the most gigs, say your got a 100gig hdd make (C) 30gigs and (D) 70gigs approx. This way install all apps/games/backups onto the D drive so the C drive is always practically clean, some files from applications will still install on your C drive like they need to install to C\Windows\system folders etc., which the program does itself.

This way if your windows messes up and is non bootable at least you know you havn't lost anything as its all on your D drive. I also would copy the registry files of each game (doesn't always work for applications like office) to the d drive, after reinstall of windows most software still has to be reinstalled cause of the new registry but if your saved the registry files before, then its just a matter of double clicking on the rego and answering yes to enter it into the new windows registry. Bingo All games/and some apps that are installed on the D drive are now working with your new windows installation.

I would FDISK to make partitions, but im sure you can do this at the begining of windows installation their is an option somewhere. Or you can partition your drives after windows install, by grabbing a demo of nortons partition or Arconis partition expert on the net.

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by Rose

Is there any way to restore my Dell XPS Gen 5 running Windows XP back to scratch, as in like it was when I first baught it? I need to free up loads of room on my computer, and deleting computer games just doesn't free up enough space. I would like to start from scratch again.

If you bought it new I hope you have the "Restore" disks that came with it....many computers now come with a restore link under "System Tools" and the recovery information is in a protected area on your hard drive....doing this is the easiest way for noobs. Just click next next next and your back to factory state...dat was free.

Originally Posted by fredbass

When I had a Dell, I usually called them for assistance, which doesn't hurt, though I do hate it when I get someone on the line from some other country who can't talk like me.

Yea like the ENGLISH..
Mwahahhaha PWNT. :p


anyways back on topic...

Yea like people have said if they came with a restore disk use that, though companies like Emachines/gateway have you make your own restore disk but you can buy one from the company for 20 bucks.