Reinstalling XP On A Dell


  #1  
Old 12-29-11, 10:37 AM
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Lightbulb Reinstalling XP On A Dell

Ex-BIL has a fairly new Dell desktop that he wants to wipe clean and start over again. He's talked to the fine folks over in India....I can't begin to write here what he wrote lest I get banned.

Looking at the discs I have that came with my 8200, providing he has the same, would this be the way to do it?


1) Format present drive

2) Run reinstallation CD (seems to me it makes the partitions and all that)


3) Install something like Avast then all his programs.

Another thing we were wondering is Service Pack 3. Is this on his computer somewhere where he could copy it and re-install rather than downloading the whole thing.

I'd like to do the same thing to my 8200, original hard drive is over 10 years old and getting pretty slow.

Does this sound like a plan? (fingers crossed)

Thanks
 

Last edited by Baldwin; 12-29-11 at 11:51 AM. Reason: Remove a step
  #2  
Old 12-29-11, 10:55 AM
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You could use your disks on his computer as long as the version is the same and he has his install key.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 11:06 AM
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The disc should give the option to format and install fresh or just re-install. Just boot your computer from the CD. It'll automatically install drivers. You'd have to download the service packs tho. They're not on the install disc.
Then re-install all the programs.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 11:49 AM
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Five hour drive to his house so that won't work. He has the XP CD and I just read you don't need the resource CD to install so we're good there.

How do you get it to boot from the CD? Put the CD in and restart?

Seeing the XP CD has Dell on the label is it safe to assume it will install as it came from the factory? I would think so.

Thanks very much.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 11:57 AM
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If I remember, I think the computer will boot from the CD if you start up with it in the tray. If not, it's easy to go into the bios and tell it to boot from the CD.
Yes, it will install the way it came from the factory.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 12:08 PM
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Okay, when it's starting hit F12 and change the boot menu to:

5. IDE CD-ROM Device

Practicing all this on my other computer.

I'll pass this on to him, he'll be one happy camper!!

Thanks
 
  #7  
Old 12-29-11, 12:13 PM
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Yes, it will install the way it came from the factory.

That is what I wanted to hear!


Everywhere I read they say install the operating system and then install the drivers. What drivers and where? That is what scared me all this time from doing it to my 8200.

Thanks
 
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Old 12-29-11, 01:19 PM
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Most of the drivers you need are on the disc, and Windows will install them when it's time to detect the hardware, like your video card, monitor, mouse and keyboard and whatever you need to use the computer. If you've added any hardware after the fact (say like a webcam or a backup drive for examples) you'd have to install the drivers yourself. They would be on the driver disc that came with the hardware or you can download it from the manufacturer's website.
Otherwise, don't worry about it.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 02:41 PM
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Sounds like you have been given excellent advice. Watch for a message on the screen shortly after you start the computer that says, " Press any key to boot from CD Rom". Don't miss that when you see it hit the space bar or any other. If you have placed the Cd in front of the hardrive in the "boot device order" in BIOS and the Dell Op System disc in the drive and hit that key like the computer has prompted you, you are off to the races. Unplug your peripherals. You might even want to unplug your wireless mouse if you have one and use your built in skid pad.

With a Dell you will not have to reactivate your Windows installation with Microsoft.

Good luck

Hopefully you will have a Dell disk that is at least up to SP2 because otherwise you will have a couple hundred updates. I usually set the auto update setting and let it update overnight. You will have to get the newly installed Windows XP system up to the SP3 level before you can put the newer antivirus's on (Like Microsoft Security Essentials)

bs5
 

Last edited by bullshooter5; 12-29-11 at 03:23 PM.
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Old 12-29-11, 03:59 PM
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I agree you have been given excellent advice. I would like to add that after you first start up windows and press any key to boot from cd rom only do that once otherwise the process might start over again. Shadeladie is right all of the Dell drivers will be on the disk or should be at least. There is a way though for you to ask Dell to scan your computer for any drivers you might need and I don't see that as a problem especially if something isn't working right. They also can give you updates to drives and I think those should be done before any other updates are done unless they say otherwise as sometimes a service pack is needed from Microsoft first. Also for your information a good thing you are doing this now as Microsoft I think is getting ready to pull the plug on Windows XP. Good luck to you!
 
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Old 12-29-11, 04:09 PM
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I think I have a disc here from MS with SP2 on it for my old XPS machine. I'll have to look and see if they still send them with SP3.

If you have SP3 on your computer, somewhere, why can't you copy it to a CD and reinstall it after you format? I'd suppose it is huge but I don't know.

Thanks very much, again!
 
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Old 12-29-11, 06:01 PM
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It's kind of all over, not one big file. It's your Windows System files and Registry entries and more that have been updated.
 
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Old 12-29-11, 06:57 PM
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Okay, that explains that. It looks like you can order a CD from MS for $4 with SP3...

https://om2.one.microsoft.com/opa/Va...vaScriptOn=yes


That is what makes this computer stuff so confusing. On one page it says you can't install SP3 without having SP2 installed first and this page says SP3 includes all previous updates. Makes my brain hurt.

I'm gonna order one for my XP Home machine and one for my XP Pro.

Like my grandpa used to say, "too many angles."

Thanks
 
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Old 12-29-11, 07:34 PM
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(On one page it says you can't install SP3 without having SP2 installed first and this page says SP3 includes all previous updates. Makes my brain hurt.)(Baldwin)
=====================

It's very confusing, Microsoft scans your computer when you go online for the first time after a fresh install of Windows to update and to check your system for genuine software. To do that the first update downloaded you will get is a software download that does this scan for MS. Most everybody that seems to reload something like Windows XP does so with an older copy with either no service packs included or just 1 & 2. My recent experience was to reload a computer with a disc that had SP2.

So I went online and got to the MS Update site and received a webpage that told me words to the effect that MS has stopped supporting some earlier versions of Windows XP. Well, I did not know what that meant but figured I was going to have to chase my tail. SP1 & SP2 are earleir versions but how could I get SP3 installed if they would not update this computer because of it's SP2 or older version. Anyway I got around that by leaving automatic updates enabled and the computer downloaded 75 upates including an updated Internet Explorer overnight which brought it up to SP3 status.

If you have a good cable connection it's not that bad of an upload but I use a slow Satellite that limits the amount I can download in a 30 day period. Glad to know you can buy the disks. Big downloads are a pain.

bs5
P@
 
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Old 12-29-11, 10:03 PM
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For drivers, go to dell.com and navigate to Tech Support/Drivers and Downloads. There should be a sticker somewhere on your machine with the Service Code. Type in the service code and all of the available drivers will show up on a list. The tricky part: Some of the files are zip executables that only unzip when launched -- they do not install until you click the unzipped files.

For SP3, have a look at this: How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack
 
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Old 12-30-11, 12:26 AM
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Geezz.....

Your order will ship via Standard - Smart Mail ($5.99).
Please allow one to three weeks for delivery.
For that price it had better arrive day before yesterday!


THANKS everyone, nice to get answers an old man can understand.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
 
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Old 12-30-11, 01:14 AM
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For drivers, go to dell.com and navigate to Tech Support/Drivers and Downloads. There should be a sticker somewhere on your machine with the Service Code. Type in the service code and all of the available drivers will show up on a list. The tricky part: Some of the files are zip executables that only unzip when launched -- they do not install until you click the unzipped files.

For SP3, have a look at this: How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack


Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/co...#ixzz1i0TaePX5
I agree with Rick Johnston actually in a way a bit easier than my method of having Dell scan your system for new drivers. One thing I should have mentioned is have all of the downloaded files go to my documents for the Dell Driver updates and set up a sub file called Dell drivers it saves having to hunt for the new driver updates they sent you and saves time and headaches. Then make a copy of those driver updates and if you use automatic updates from Dell copy those too if anymore are forthcoming as once Microsoft drops its support of Windows XP then so will Dell. You can sometimes find drivers that others have posted that might or might not work from here DriverGuide - XP Drivers, Windows 7 Drivers, Printer Drivers, Audio Drivers, CDROM Drivers, Network Drivers, USB Drivers, Device Drivers, Driver Downl I have used them in the past with very little success as most of the drivers didn't work for me but others have had more success so it depends on what you have and what you need. Some things partially worked and other things didn't work at all. It could have been the devices though as some were very old. Happy New year to you too!
 
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Old 12-31-11, 05:48 AM
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Old 01-01-12, 03:15 AM
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Yeah except he lives near the end of the earth (Roosevelt, MN and can almost see Russia) with a flaky dial up. At best it would take a year to download 500+MB.

I'm thinking he has a virus in there. After talking with the folks in India he hasn't been able to defrag in a year, he did the repair option and now IE doesn't work unless he does a restore.

A real mess.
 
  #20  
Old 01-01-12, 03:36 AM
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32 Or 64 Bit

He thinks it is a 64 bit computer, I don't think so.


[221-9947] Intel Pentium D 830 (3GHz) w/Dual Core Technology
[311-5362] 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
[310-5870] Dell Enhanced Multimedia USB Keyboard
[464-6616] 20 in (20.0 in viewable) 2005FPW Wide Aspect Digital Flat Panel Display
[320-4383] 256MB ATI Hyper Memory PCI-Express X16 (DVI/VGA/TV out) Radeon X600 SE
[420-5455] Dell 924 Printer Driver
[341-2459] Serial ATA RAID 0 With Dual 160GB Hard Drives
[341-2773] Dell 13 in 1 Media Card Reader
[341-2297] 3.5in Floppy Drive
[420-5585] Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, English without Media, for Dimension
[412-0688] Image Restore
[412-0721] Dimension Dell Support
[420-4927] Windows Media Player 10
[463-2282] Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to acce

And here are the specs for his computer:

Documentation

Everything I see is 32 bit unless dual core makes it 64??? I'm not sure what that means.

Thanks and Happy New Year!
 
  #21  
Old 01-02-12, 06:59 PM
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I agree Baldwin it looks like your friends computer will best work with a 32 bit version of Windows. You really start to see 64 bit operating systems in a quad core processor although I have heard of it in smaller processors but not with the same stability that a quad core processor will give. A dual core processor really wouldn't cut it. Happy New Year!
 
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Old 01-09-12, 10:27 AM
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Don't know why I didn't think of this before. All he has to do is download Speccy from Piriform, will tell him more than he needs to know and it's free.

Speccy - System Information - Free Download


I'd bet the farm it is 32 bit.

Thanks
 
 

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