How can I do a factory new restore on my laptop computer?

[Debby]

Hi! How can I do a factory new restore on my Dell Inteleron (don't know the number) laptop computer? I bought it used several months ago and it worked fine. But now, it's not working - I can't even get into windows. And the only F keys that work are F12 and F2, and sometimes F1. I also bought through Amazon.com, a windows installation disk for windows 10 pro. But can't get it to run on the computer. I got it from Protech Services in Houston, Texas. I haven't gotten around to calling them - as we're often gone from home, and I'm busy with other things when at home. And thought it'd be nice to avoid the need for a phone call anyhow - it there's some way I can figure out how to fix the computer, just by asking a computer help site like you to give me your explanations of how to do it.
If I can't reinstall windows 10, it is fine with me to install windows 7 instead. At least temporarily. The important thing is for it to work again!

I forgot to say that I tried to download Windows 10 system from Microsoft site, and copied it to both a flash drive and to a DVD. But neither will run on my computer.

So if you have any ideas of how to fix this computer, please tell me your ideas - suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Kshipper]

F12 is used to select boot device and F2 is used to get into the BIOS settings. I have to assume your boot device is still detected in BIOS. That's the first order of business is to make sure you still have a primary drive. I suggest you use a different Windows 10 computer to make a bootable flash drive. Just Google search Windows Media Creator, or go here:

Create installation media for Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to create installation media for installing or reinstalling Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10.

support.microsoft.com

Now to make that all work you have to use that F2 key to alter the boot order to make your flash drive (That bootable Windows flash drive you just made) first or the computer will continue to try to boot from the borked primary drive. Once you get it to boot from the flash drive you are going to click custom install and delete all partitions you find there. There will probably be 4 and you will get warnings that it contains critical information. You just delete it all until you have one big drive that you can install on.

Make sure you are connected to the Internet during the install so it can grab license info (if it doesn't grab license info from the BIOS) and it can also grab some drivers.

Once you get it all up and running you are going to want to seek out all the latest drivers on the Dell website for your model and start with the chipset drivers. This stuff is all easy for IT people to do and you are probably only saving yourself a $100.

That seems to be a pretty standard charge these days from the local computer shops.