I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.

1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
she needs and installing those separately?

2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?

Thanks!

Should be no problems at all. What I would do is purchase the OEM version
that is the same as the Dell has now, Home or Pro, that way you can install
using the product key on the sticker on the laptop, and you'll have an extra
key in case you need it. Also visit Dell's website before you format and
reload and download all necessary drivers and burn them to a CD.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
_________________________________________________________________________________


<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:e29acb5c-d427-4ea3-b7dc-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
> old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
>
> 1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
> using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
> she needs and installing those separately?
>
> 2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
> when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?
>
> Thanks!

Make sure the restore disk is not on a hidden partition on the hard drive
before you buy anything.
Louis

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:e29acb5c-d427-4ea3-b7dc-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
> old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
>
> 1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
> using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
> she needs and installing those separately?
>
> 2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
> when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?
>
> Thanks!

>I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
>old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
>
>1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
>using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
>she needs and installing those separately?
>
>2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
>when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?

For kicks you should contacts Dell support and say you "lost" the
install CD and ask if they can send you a replacement. That way you
might not have to pay for something you already own...twice.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

On Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:21:05 -0500, "David B." <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Should be no problems at all. What I would do is purchase the OEM version
> that is the same as the Dell has now, Home or Pro,


A contrary opinion here: An OEM version comes with several
disadvantages, the most severe of which is that it is permanently tied
to the first computer it is installed on, and it can never be legally
moved to another computer, sold, or given away.

I almost always recommend getting a retail Upgrade version instead. It
usually costs only very slightly more than the OEM version and comes
without its restrictions. And contrary to what many people think, it
*can* be used to do a clean installation, as long as you have a CD of
a previous qualifying version to insert when setup asks for it. Most
people have a Windows 98 or similar CD around, but worst case, you can
buy one inexpensively on eBay.

Also regarding drivers for the laptop, I would make sure they are all
available and download them first, before buying anything. You don't
want to find out at the last minute that you can't find what you need.


> that way you can install
> using the product key on the sticker on the laptop, and you'll have an extra
> key in case you need it. Also visit Dell's website before you format and
> reload and download all necessary drivers and burn them to a CD.
>
> --
>
> ----
> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> _________________________________________________________________________________
>
>
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:e29acb5c-d427-4ea3-b7dc-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
> > old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
> >
> > 1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
> > using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
> > she needs and installing those separately?
> >
> > 2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
> > when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?
> >
> > Thanks!

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
> old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
>
> 1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
> using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
> she needs and installing those separately?
>
> 2. Will the computer automatically recognize the XP disk in the drive
> when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?
>
> Thanks!

During Bootup press Ctrl/F11 or maybe just F11 to get to the option to
reinstall XP. At least those work with most Dell computers.

--
Joe =o)

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> I want to help a friend reformat her Dell laptop. It is around 4-5 yrs
> old and she is not sure where the restore disk is.
>
> 1. Are there any issues with purchasing a new XP install disk and
> using this on her laptop and just finding any drivers out there that
> she needs and installing those separately?
>
> 2. Will the computer automatially recognize the XP disk in the drive
> when we reboot and take us to the menu for reformatting?
>
> Thanks!

Based on the phrasing and words you've used, you should not be messing with
anyone's computer but your own. You don't understand the conecpts needed
yet and need more experience.

Maybe YOU don't understand the concept of these groups, everyone else
understood perfectly well what the OP was saying and what they wanted to do,
if you don't understand English, maybe a remedial course at a community
college would be a good thing for you.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
_________________________________________________________________________________


"Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Based on the phrasing and words you've used, you should not be messing
> with anyone's computer but your own. You don't understand the conecpts
> needed yet and need more experience.
>
>

I used the Dell restore disk to reformat and reinstall Windows XP on
my friend's old Dell notebook (about 5-yrs old). I also installed the
drivers that came
on the Dell cd and installed Service Pack 2 from a CD and everything
seems to work ok, except the D-Link WiFi card that connects through
the PCMIA slot. I downloaded the drivers for it and rebooted
several times, though it seems that Windows does not recognize it. She
has an existing wifi network in her house that I am trying to connect
to.

1. Other Windows computers I have seen seem to have a small icon in
the right side of the lower task bar that shows the status of the
internet connection. When you double click on it it opens the
available connections, etc. This one does not. How can I make it
display?

2. Does anyone have any advice for what I might be able to do to make
this recognize the card and connect to the web?

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!


On Nov 21, 6:06 am, "David B." <brooks...@nomail.com> wrote:
> Maybe YOU don't understand the concept of these groups, everyone else
> understood perfectly well what the OP was saying and what they wanted to do,
> if you don't understand English, maybe a remedial course at a community
> college would be a good thing for you.
>
> --
>
> ----
> Crosspost, do not multiposthttp://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> How to ask a questionhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> ___________________________________________________________________________ ______
>
> "Poprivet" <popri...@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
>
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> > Based on the phrasing and words you've used, you should not be messing
> > with anyone's computer but your own. You don't understand the conecpts
> > needed yet and need more experience.

Click Start, Run (Type) Services.Msc [Enter]
Scroll to the entry Zero Wireless Configuration. Make sure the service is
set to Automatic Start type and that the current service status is
Start(ed).
Also some Driver packages for Wireless cards add their own applet for
controlling wireless connections instead of the Native XP Wireless applet.
(That appears in the System Tray by the time display)

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:92dc8fd7-5d62-426a-b4f6-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I used the Dell restore disk to reformat and reinstall Windows XP on
> my friend's old Dell notebook (about 5-yrs old). I also installed the
> drivers that came
> on the Dell cd and installed Service Pack 2 from a CD and everything
> seems to work ok, except the D-Link WiFi card that connects through
> the PCMIA slot. I downloaded the drivers for it and rebooted
> several times, though it seems that Windows does not recognize it. She
> has an existing wifi network in her house that I am trying to connect
> to.
>
> 1. Other Windows computers I have seen seem to have a small icon in
> the right side of the lower task bar that shows the status of the
> internet connection. When you double click on it it opens the
> available connections, etc. This one does not. How can I make it
> display?
>
> 2. Does anyone have any advice for what I might be able to do to make
> this recognize the card and connect to the web?
>
> Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
> On Nov 21, 6:06 am, "David B." <brooks...@nomail.com> wrote:
>> Maybe YOU don't understand the concept of these groups, everyone else
>> understood perfectly well what the OP was saying and what they wanted to
>> do,
>> if you don't understand English, maybe a remedial course at a community
>> college would be a good thing for you.
>>
>> --
>>
>> ----
>> Crosspost, do not multiposthttp://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>> How to ask a questionhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>> ___________________________________________________________________________
>> ______
>>
>> "Poprivet" <popri...@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
>>
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> > Based on the phrasing and words you've used, you should not be messing
>> > with anyone's computer but your own. You don't understand the conecpts
>> > needed yet and need more experience.
>