I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2
with 512 mb ram.

I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the
programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like
to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean
machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.

I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.

Thank you.

On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:15:38 -0400, Mort
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
> machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2
> with 512 mb ram.
>
> I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
> computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the
> programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like
> to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean
> machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.
>
> I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
> above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.


If I acquired a used computer, the first thing I would do with it
would be to reinstall the operating system cleanly. You have no idea
how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
problems, possibility of kiddy porn, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
that anyone else do either.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

You're doing the right thing. I don't mean to cast aspersions on your
friend, but the only way to be really sure that a new-to-you computer is
free of unwittingly installed malware and incorrect configuration is to
erase the hard disk and start from scratch.

Someone way smarter than me has created a clean install guide - complete
with screen shots! Here it is:

"Clean Install Windows XP"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

512MB of RAM is fine for Windows XP. If you can up it to 1GB, so much
the better.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare Humanum Est

Mort wrote:
> I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
> machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2
> with 512 mb ram.
>
> I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
> computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the
> programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like
> to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean
> machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.
>
> I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
> above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.
>
> Thank you.

Thanx for the quick reply.
You mention "erase the hard disk and start from scratch". How do I do this?


Leonard Grey wrote:
> You're doing the right thing. I don't mean to cast aspersions on your
> friend, but the only way to be really sure that a new-to-you computer is
> free of unwittingly installed malware and incorrect configuration is to
> erase the hard disk and start from scratch.
>
> Someone way smarter than me has created a clean install guide - complete
> with screen shots! Here it is:
>
> "Clean Install Windows XP"
> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
>
> 512MB of RAM is fine for Windows XP. If you can up it to 1GB, so much
> the better.
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare Humanum Est
>
> Mort wrote:
> > I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
> > machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2
> > with 512 mb ram.
> >
> > I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
> > computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the
> > programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like
> > to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean
> > machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.
> >
> > I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
> > above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.
> >
> > Thank you.
>

"Mort" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
>machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2 with
>512 mb ram.
>
> I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
> computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the programs
> which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like to wipe out
> all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean machine" with
> only the standard Windows loaded.
>
> I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
> above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.
>
> Thank you.


Use the recovery media originally supplied with the computer to reformat and
re-install 'back to factory'

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default...help&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

"How to partition and format a hard disk in Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348
---
Leonard Grey
Errare Humanum Est

Mort wrote:
> Thanx for the quick reply.
> You mention "erase the hard disk and start from scratch". How do I do this?
>
>
> Leonard Grey wrote:
>> You're doing the right thing. I don't mean to cast aspersions on your
>> friend, but the only way to be really sure that a new-to-you computer
>> is free of unwittingly installed malware and incorrect configuration
>> is to erase the hard disk and start from scratch.
>>
>> Someone way smarter than me has created a clean install guide -
>> complete with screen shots! Here it is:
>>
>> "Clean Install Windows XP"
>> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
>>
>> 512MB of RAM is fine for Windows XP. If you can up it to 1GB, so much
>> the better.
>> ---
>> Leonard Grey
>> Errare Humanum Est
>>
>> Mort wrote:
>> > I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a
>> new > machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home
>> SP2 > with 512 mb ram.
>> > > I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc
>> since the > computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most
>> of the > programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I
>> would like > to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up
>> with a "clean > machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.
>> > > I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing
>> the > above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.
>> > > Thank you.
>>

I forgot to tell you(my old, old brain, lol) that you need a Windows XP Disk,
or the computer's Manufeaturer's Recovery disk to install windows Vista.

What was your name, again?
What am I doing here?
--
---
Leonard Grey
Errare Humanum Est



"Mort" wrote:

> Thanx for the quick reply.
> You mention "erase the hard disk and start from scratch". How do I do this?
>
>
> Leonard Grey wrote:
> > You're doing the right thing. I don't mean to cast aspersions on your
> > friend, but the only way to be really sure that a new-to-you computer is
> > free of unwittingly installed malware and incorrect configuration is to
> > erase the hard disk and start from scratch.
> >
> > Someone way smarter than me has created a clean install guide - complete
> > with screen shots! Here it is:
> >
> > "Clean Install Windows XP"
> > http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
> >
> > 512MB of RAM is fine for Windows XP. If you can up it to 1GB, so much
> > the better.
> > ---
> > Leonard Grey
> > Errare Humanum Est
> >
> > Mort wrote:
> > > I just received a computer from a friend who recently purchased a new
> > > machine. The computer is an older Dell machine which has XP Home SP2
> > > with 512 mb ram.
> > >
> > > I would like to clean out all the existing programs, data, etc since the
> > > computer runs quite slowly. Also, I have no need for most of the
> > > programs which have been loaded over the past few years. I would like
> > > to wipe out all the user-installed programs and end up with a "clean
> > > machine" with only the standard Windows loaded.
> > >
> > > I would appreciate any step-by-step information for accomplishing the
> > > above. I consider myself an intermediate level user.
> > >
> > > Thank you.
> >
>