re-install XP?

[mcrinHR]

My son has a Dell PC...he got a little knowledge (a dangerous thing I
know) and tried to install a linux image onto his machine. Well, long
story short, not only did the linux not come up, but now XP will not
work either.

Dell was gracious enough to supply an XP install disk (XP was OEM on
the Dell). My question is this, does he just have to boot with the XP
install CD in and follow prompts? Is there something he has to do (or
even can do) before hand to erase/format his hard drive?

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Phillip Windell]

My son has a Dell PC...he got a little knowledge (a dangerous thing I
know) and tried to install a linux image onto his machine. Well, long
story short, not only did the linux not come up, but now XP will not
work either.

Dell was gracious enough to supply an XP install disk (XP was OEM on
the Dell). My question is this, does he just have to boot with the XP
install CD in and follow prompts? Is there something he has to do (or
even can do) before hand to erase/format his hard drive?

Yea. pretty much, but it depends if it was a Restore CD or a Windows OEM CD.
A restore Disk will install all the hardware drivers and Applications that
came with the machine when it was new. The Windows OEM CD will not have any
of that and it will all have to be manually put back from a Drivers Disk
that should have came with the machine.

Dells usually had a Restore Partition on the HD as well. You just hit a key
during startup (F2?, F11?, F12? sorry, I can't remember) and choose the
option to boot it up into the Utility to run the Restore. This does the
same thing as the Restore CD would do. But that could have gotten destroyed
by the Linux installation attempt.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed are my own (as annoying as they are), and not those of
my employer or anyone else associated with me.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[mcrinHR]

The disk is a restore disk from Dell, but the note says 'not for the
reinstallation of programs or drivers', which is what the Dell support
person told me...he will lose all application data an d have to
download the drivers from Dell.


Thanks for the quick replies, that gives me something to go on. His PC
is 700 miles away so I am going to pass this info on to him and he will
have to attempt it when he gets back from Christmas break.

My son has a Dell PC...he got a little knowledge (a dangerous thing I
know) and tried to install a linux image onto his machine. Well, long
story short, not only did the linux not come up, but now XP will not
work either.

Dell was gracious enough to supply an XP install disk (XP was OEM on
the Dell). My question is this, does he just have to boot with the XP
install CD in and follow prompts? Is there something he has to do (or
even can do) before hand to erase/format his hard drive?

Yea. pretty much, but it depends if it was a Restore CD or a Windows OEM CD.
A restore Disk will install all the hardware drivers and Applications that
came with the machine when it was new. The Windows OEM CD will not have any
of that and it will all have to be manually put back from a Drivers Disk
that should have came with the machine.

Dells usually had a Restore Partition on the HD as well. You just hit a key
during startup (F2?, F11?, F12? sorry, I can't remember) and choose the
option to boot it up into the Utility to run the Restore. This does the
same thing as the Restore CD would do. But that could have gotten destroyed
by the Linux installation attempt.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed are my own (as annoying as they are), and not those of
my employer or anyone else associated with me.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[Rock]

My son has a Dell PC...he got a little knowledge (a dangerous thing I
know) and tried to install a linux image onto his machine. Well, long
story short, not only did the linux not come up, but now XP will not
work either.

Dell was gracious enough to supply an XP install disk (XP was OEM on
the Dell). My question is this, does he just have to boot with the XP
install CD in and follow prompts? Is there something he has to do (or
even can do) before hand to erase/format his hard drive?

The XP CD is bootable and has all the tools to format and install XP clean.
Here is a good link with info:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html