I think I'm going to have to reinstall XP - help please?

I have not reformatted or resized anything that I am aware of.

I think my cousin has some sort of "cheat" for itunes, so I'm not sure about that, I will talk to him before I do it.

My wireless network was a pain to install...yikes! I may have to post here again about that.

Thanks for your help, here goes nothing...

Ok, just did the windows installation, my files are all there. My cousin is going to loan me his something or other storage thing to back up what I want to keep and then I'm going to do the image thing. Thanks for all of your help... I should be good to go by tonight... I hope!

alrighty...files I want to keep are backed up, everything else if free to disappear. I just can't get the ctrl F11 to work. Nothing happens, it just keeps going to the Windows screen.

So...if I go into system tools - system restore once I get into Windows, does that work the same way?

Thanks again.

choices; many, varied AND different consequences too!

SOME (if not all) OEM restores will wipe your drive clean and then restore an
image from day-1 -- meaning you LOOSE everything.

The parallel install idea is VERY GOOD, easy to do, and best of all, KEEPS all your existing files.

My comments re restoring the registry work, are complicated (for many) but
brings your system back to the point where it went haywire.

I highly recommend the parallel install.

I've actually already reinstalled Windows and saved all the files I want to keep. I can reinstall the few programs I had on the computer. I just need to start over. I can't do anything now, I'm just at a basic windows screen..my drivers and stuff are missing (direct x and all that) and I'm getting low on disk space because it's the 4th or 5th time I've installed everything.

I'm looking to just clean out my system and return it to it's original state. Thanks.

GREAT just get the drivers BEFORE you wipe it clean and you will do fine.

the problem is, I don't know how to wipe it clean. :-(

Boot from the CD and it will prompt for a Fresh/Clean install. That will format the partition and BINGO! it's all gone.

will it be like it was when I bought it? After that I will just need to install all of the windows drivers right and then my programs and I'll be set?

each OEM could be different --- heck -- after all you've already gone thru AND
seeing you've recovered your files -- just go for it

if the Dell guy doesn't respond, I may just have to!! Thanks!

How old is your Dell comp? They started the factory image restore feature in July 2004. If you bought before that time, it doesn't have it.

Also, you may have to try several times before you are able to get it. I had some customers where we had to restart and attempt 4 times before we got it. Again, wait until you see the Dell logo then keep pressing cntrl-F11, not too fast, not too slow. You'll know when you kick in the utility because the screen changes to "System Restore by Symantec".

No, the Windows System Restore will not work.

I got it in July 05. I've tried it a million times...hitting them at he same time, one then the other...is there any other way to do it? I'll try again some tomorrow, I sat with it for an hour or so.

ok, I've ctrl f11'd a million times and nothing...is there anything else I can do? Thanks

HOLD the <ctl> and pluse only the F11 ...

Still nothing and very desperate...

tried that for about half an hour and nothing...please, anyone? I am in desperate need to get this computer going.

I recall posting this the other day but it doesn't appear in the list. Strange, I'm sure I did but I'll repost it again.

If you can't kick in the factory image restore utility, then you're out of luck. Either the hard drive was reformatted at some time and the image erased or the Master Boot Record (MBR) has been updated and the link to the image restore utility overwritten. It is possible to find the location of the image and then updated the MBR so this will work but it's very hairy, detailed procedure. You stated you want a simple, straightforward procedure to get your comp working again. Something you can't mess up.

That leaves a reformat & reinstall. Sorry but that's you're only viable option now. I wish I could offer you something better.

Could you tell me how to do it?

Or how to reformat and reinstall even? I'm opne to both at this point, I'm just desperate!!

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixes.htm

thanks - i looked at that the other day and totally didn't understand it.