Reset Computer to Day One

[Guest JohnK]

I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I am trying to help a

disabled woman who has a Dell Dimension 2400 running XP Home Edition. Her

computer has lots of problems and runs extremely slow and so I want to start

over but can't find out how to do this. I have checked in Safe Mode and

Settings Mode but don't see how to make this happen on a Dell. She says she

doesn't have and software CDs with Windows, etc. Would appreciate any

suggestions.

[Guest HEMI-Powered]

Re: Reset Computer to Day One

 

JohnK added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

> I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I am

> trying to help a disabled woman who has a Dell Dimension 2400

> running XP Home Edition. Her computer has lots of problems

> and runs extremely slow and so I want to start over but can't

> find out how to do this. I have checked in Safe Mode and

> Settings Mode but don't see how to make this happen on a Dell.

> She says she doesn't have and software CDs with Windows, etc.

> Would appreciate any suggestions.

>

Commercial PCs like Dell do not have an ordinary Windows install

CD. Rather, they almost always have a customized CD with an OEM

license of Windows and whatever other software originally came

with the PC. The purpose of this CD is to do exactly what you

want to do: restore the PC to its factory state,i.e., how it was

when purchased. There is a BIG, big danger to doing this,

however, if you're unaware of how these OEM installs work.

 

They will automagically clear everything from the HDD, format it,

install Windows and all the apps that came with it, and in

general return it to the as-purchased state. Now, as-purchased

there is obviously NO user data on the HDD so after a "reset" -

Poof! All gone! So, if the woman you are trying to help has any

data of her own in any form, and you can at least access the HDD,

be sure to copy it off someplace for backup and safekeeping until

the restore is complete. Then, copy all of her data back. Failure

to do so may make this woman a big peevish, if you know what I

mean.

 

I've had several friends fall prey to this by having some sort of

serious problem, calling the vendor that sold the PC and/or

supports it, and they are told "just put our CD in and restart

the computer, call again if it still doesn't work." Well, it may

work, but all my friends data - naturally NOT backed up - is long

gone.

 

Good luck with your restoration.

 

--

HP, aka Jerry

 

"Surely you jest - and don't call me Shirley!" - from the movie

"Airplane!"

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Reset Computer to Day One

 

Determine if she has a restore cd or if the hard drive has a restore

partition. If not, start with the Dell site and see what cd's can still be

ordered for her computer.

 

"JohnK" <jkanvik@charter.net> wrote in message

news:O4D188MgIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I am trying to help a

> disabled woman who has a Dell Dimension 2400 running XP Home Edition. Her

> computer has lots of problems and runs extremely slow and so I want to

> start

> over but can't find out how to do this. I have checked in Safe Mode and

> Settings Mode but don't see how to make this happen on a Dell. She says

> she

> doesn't have and software CDs with Windows, etc. Would appreciate any

> suggestions.

>

>

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Reset Computer to Day One

 

Some of the recent Dells have a restore option at boot up, that is invoked

by pressing Ctrl-F11 at bootup. If its available for your Dell, it will

restore the computer to the *originally shipped* condition, BUT you will

lose ALL the other programs that were since added. In other words, it

literally will be restored to the factory shipped condition, if that option

works for you on your Dell.

 

JohnK wrote:

> I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I am trying to help a

> disabled woman who has a Dell Dimension 2400 running XP Home Edition. Her

> computer has lots of problems and runs extremely slow and so I want to

> start

> over but can't find out how to do this. I have checked in Safe Mode and

> Settings Mode but don't see how to make this happen on a Dell. She says

> she

> doesn't have and software CDs with Windows, etc. Would appreciate any

> suggestions.

[Guest Daave]

Re: Reset Computer to Day One

 

JohnK wrote:

> I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I am trying to

> help a disabled woman who has a Dell Dimension 2400 running XP Home

> Edition. Her computer has lots of problems and runs extremely slow

> and so I want to start over but can't find out how to do this. I

> have checked in Safe Mode and Settings Mode but don't see how to make

> this happen on a Dell. She says she doesn't have and software CDs

> with Windows, etc. Would appreciate any suggestions.

 

The first thing you need to do is to save all the data she needs to

keep. I would recommend saving it to an external USB hard drive. In

addition to saving data, you should also save settings, bookmarks, etc.

If she uses Outlook Express for e-mail, you should be sure to save the

e-mails, address book, etc. See:

 

http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm

 

Also consider the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard:

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457074.aspx

 

Once this is done, *then* you can restore her PC to its original factory

condition (it looks like this is done via a hidden recovery partition on

the hard drive). From the Dell manual:

 

Dell PC Restore by Symantec restores your hard drive to the operating

state it was in when you purchased the computer. Dell PC Restore

permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes any

applications installed after you received the computer.

 

Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec

 

Use Dell PC Restore by Symantec only as the last method to restore your

operating system. PC Restore restores your hard drive to the operating

state it was in when you purchased the computer.

 

Any programs or files added since you received your computer — including

data files — are permanently deleted from the hard drive. Data files

include documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, digital photos, music

files, and so on. If possible, back up all data before using PC Restore.

 

NOTICE: Using PC Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive

and removes any applications or drivers installed after you received

your computer. If possible, back up the data before using PC Restore.

 

To use PC Restore:

 

1. Turn on the computer. During the boot process, a blue bar with

http://www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.

 

2. Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>. If you do

not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish restarting, and

then restart the computer again.

 

NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in

the following step.

 

3. On the next screen that appears, click Restore.

 

4. On the next screen, click Confirm. The restore process takes

approximately 6–10 minutes to complete.

 

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

 

NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the

computer completely reboot.

 

6. 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.

 

7. Click Next. The System Restore screen appears and the computer

restarts.

 

8. After the computer restarts, click OK.