-=PCTechTalk=- Re: " Situation Now All Fowled Up "

 Now that things are all gummed up, try this... 
use a program... even an 
old Win98SE boot disk with FORMAT on it and
reformat the drive or totally 
over write everything using one of the utilities
described in another thread 
here.

Then insert the Dell OEM Windows install disk and
reboot the computer.  I 
would suggest accepting the offer to partition
and/or format the drive. 
Especially if you used a different OS boot disk
to do the original reformat.

Then install as normal.  First thing after the OS
is installed, use the 
other discs that came with your computer to
install your drivers first and 
then the misc. software.  Much of that stuff is
not necessary, but it might 
be useful sometime.  Especially the software for
burning and 
viewing/listening to DVDs and CDs.

When you insert the driver disc, the drivers
available for your system are 
designated in some way, I just don't remember
how.  It should be easy to 
tell based on your knowledge of the equipment on
your computer (look at the 
shipping document or original order form if you
need to).  Also on the 
support pages you can input the serial number and
service number and find 
your system configuration.

I would suggest you intall the Dell Alerts
software as it will advise you 
when new drivers and other updates are available.
 I think, but don't know 
for syre, that it will also scan your system and
report available updates 
much like Windows Updates does.

If this sounds too daunting and your computer is
still under warranty call 
Dell and have them walk you through it.  If not
under warranty, the support 
site has instructions to do all this.  Enter CHAT
with a live technician and 
request the link to the page or maybe if the
computer you are using is close 
to the one getting reinstalled, the CHAT tech
will walk you through even if 
you are not under warranty.

Last, but not least, install all of your security
software and log on to 
download updates, then run Windows Update. 
Install the rest of your 
software and restore your data from your backups.

Consider using a utility to create a mirror image
of your hard drive on 
another hard drive.  It is much easier to swap
hard drives then it is to 
rebuild an installation.

If you need to try to recover data from this
drive before you reformat and 
reinstall please ask and I will share some tips.

Don
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mytoybox1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "pctalk" <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 5:30 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- " Situation Now All
Fowled Up "


> Hiya ... I writing this from my mail account
using NetZero dial-up ... 
> yoike`s is it slow compared to the DSL that I
have been using ( groan ) .
> Anyway`s ... I had several strange thing`s
occuring with my XP Home 
> operating system on my Dell Inspiration 2400
... so I decided to try a 
> re-install of Windows XP ... using the
instruction`s that I saw on Fred 
> Langlas site .
>
> I put the OEM Reinstallation CD that came with
my computer into the CD 
> drive and it booted up ... and informed me that
the total installation 
> would take about 51 minute`s ... so I brought
over some cookie`s and hot 
> chocolate and pressed ( Install ) .
>
> It was going pretty good although I was not
given the " Press R " choice 
> ... and it proceeded to install Windows XP over
my old origional XP system 
> .
>
> I got to the last 7 minute`s of the install and
was asked if I wanted to 
> register and re-enter the internet
accessability ... and I pressed " Yes " 
> ... I should have chosen " No " but I did`nt (
dummy me ) .
>
> It asked me for my registration information ...
which I entered then 
> pressed " Next " ... then it just hung up and
refused to budge ... I 
> waited for 30 minute`s ... and nothing ... so I
shut the PC off waited for 
> 30 second`s and powered back up with the
Windows Re-Intall disk still in 
> the CD drive ... it was still hung up ... so I
shut the machine off and 
> called Dell Tech Support .
>
> I got a female and male support staffer`s whom
I could not understand ... 
> so I thank`d each one of them and hung up and
redialed the support number 
> ... and finally got a nice male whom I could
understand ... although I 
> could tell that he was a bit perturbed that I
had gotten myself into this 
> situation ( another groan ) .
>
> I was told that I should have first installed
the " Drivers and Utilities 
> " from the CD ... no where in the operating
instruction manual does it 
> mention this proceedure ... nor does it even
mention how to re-install 
> Windows should it ever fail ( pout ) .
>
> So I thanked him for trying to help and hung up
.
>
> I got to thinking that I still have this IBM
back up PC to make a floppy 
> of the " Eraser " program to erase everything
on the Dell hard drive 
> overwritten with 1`s and 0`s to give me a new
start ... also I can make a 
> floppy of the Boot disk from the Windows XP
system to use on the Dell to 
> give me the necessary file`s to accept the
re-installation CD for the Dell 
> .
>
> I also have a full version installation Window
XP-sp2 CD that I bought for 
> the IBM back-up PC when I changed it from
Windows Melenieum (sp?) to 
> Windows XP ... could I use it to re-install
Windows XP on the Dell and 
> then use the Dell re-install disk to install
over that installation so as 
> not to violate the Microsoft Users License
Agreement against using the 
> same disk on two different machine`s ?



 
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