Ok... i bought this XPS from a "back-door" special from a manager at circuit city....... it had a Bios password... i finally got that unlocked but it seems that there was some sort of restriction programming installed so it could be used as a demo model at the store.
i spent over 3 hours on the phone with dell today to see what i could do to get rid of the restiction. since i didn't buy it through the actual store ( i paid the manager 100 bucks for it because the store was closing ) Dell isn't willing to help. Though they did suggest reformating the hard drive by installing a new OEM.
Now this is my question.... Would re-installing the operating system fix this problem??
I've been told by different sources different things. some say that re installing without totally deleteing everything off my existing hard drive would still leave that program installed and it would control the new OEM. Others said that the new OEM would override all the previous data.
This leads me to another question..... Should i risk re-installing the new OEM without certainty that the old program/software would be over ridden??? and if i would have to ferform a hard drive wipe... How would i wipe my hard drive clean??
Lastly the XPS system has an Intel Centrino dual core processor.... and is currently being run with Windows Vista Ultimate ..... if i were to install a new OEM i would have to use Windows XP home and i'm not sure if it compatible. i know this is a big issue but i really need help with what to do and how to o it so i don't end up waisting the registration on the Win XP home OEM.
i spent over 3 hours on the phone with dell today to see what i could do to get rid of the restiction. since i didn't buy it through the actual store ( i paid the manager 100 bucks for it because the store was closing ) Dell isn't willing to help. Though they did suggest reformating the hard drive by installing a new OEM.
Now this is my question.... Would re-installing the operating system fix this problem??
I've been told by different sources different things. some say that re installing without totally deleteing everything off my existing hard drive would still leave that program installed and it would control the new OEM. Others said that the new OEM would override all the previous data.
This leads me to another question..... Should i risk re-installing the new OEM without certainty that the old program/software would be over ridden??? and if i would have to ferform a hard drive wipe... How would i wipe my hard drive clean??
Lastly the XPS system has an Intel Centrino dual core processor.... and is currently being run with Windows Vista Ultimate ..... if i were to install a new OEM i would have to use Windows XP home and i'm not sure if it compatible. i know this is a big issue but i really need help with what to do and how to o it so i don't end up waisting the registration on the Win XP home OEM.
