OT/ computer re-installation

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colpepper

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I appreciate this is not core topic but I believe there are some computer savvy folk on this board. Please move it if it spoils the analogue theme.

I have just purchased a new laptop and want to donate my current one to an elder son as his mother is fed up of him pinching her Mac. My Dell laptop is about 4 years old and has slowed on start up so I'm thinking of uninstalling, getting rid of the redundant software and re-installing the essentials. It has always run virus ware and other regular bug hunts.

The main running system came pre-installed. Can anyone recommend a method for re-envigorating a tired computer?
 
Did the computer come with installation discs? If so use these and start again OR download all the latest drivers from their site and burn these to disc then use a generic Windows XP home (or whatever OS it is) disc and do a clean install with a reformat then install the new drivers.
 
Unlikely a 4 year old dell will have disks, probably a restore partition on the hard drive.
 
If its a Dell try pressing F8, F11 or F12 as the system boots, this usually takes older Dells into the restore which is on a hidden partition, run the restore and itll be exactly like it left the factory, all you need do is then update windows and install any software you want on it
 
Using PC Restore:

1. Turn on the computer.

During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.

2. Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press Ctrl and F11 together and hold down

If you do not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish starting, and then restart the computer again.

If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot.

3. Click Restore and click Confirm.

The restore process takes approximately 6 to 10 minutes to complete.

4. When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.

Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.
5 When prompted, click Yes. The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original operating state, the screens that appear, such as the End User License Agreement, are the same ones that appeared the first time the computer was turned on.

6 Click Next. the System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.

7 After the computer restarts, click OK.

Of course this only works if the D restore partition hasn't been deleted or corrupted
 
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try this method first if that fails

Windows Vista: Dell Factory Image Restore

Turn on the computer. When the Dell logo appears, press <F8> several times to access the Vista Advanced Boot Options Window.


Select Repair Your Computer.


The System Recovery Options window appears.

Select a keyboard layout and click Next.


To access the recovery options, log on as a local user. To access the command prompt, type administrator in the User name field, then click OK.


Click Dell Factory Image Restore.


NOTE: Depending upon your configuration, you may need to select Dell Factory Tools, then Dell Factory Image Restore.

The Dell Factory Image Restore welcome screen appears.

Click Next.


The Confirm Data Deletion screen appears.

NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with Factory Image Restore, click Cancel.

Click the checkbox to confirm that you want to continue reformatting the hard drive and restoring the system software to the factory condition, then click Next.


The restore process begins and may take five or more minutes to complete. A message appears when the operating system and factory-installed applications have been restored to factory condition.

Click Finish to reboot the system.
 
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