Specifications

46 Troubleshooting
Reinstalling the Operating System
To reinstall Windows, you need the following items:
• Dell Operating System media
•Dell
Drivers and Utilities media
Before you Begin
Reinstalling your Operating System from media will completely remove all
data from your hard drive. It is important to make a full backup of any files,
internet favorites, photos, documents, movies, music, e-mail archives, or
other media and personal information you wish to keep.
Reinstalling your Operating System from media will also require the user to
reinstall all hardware drivers for their installed components. These drivers and
software may be found on the provided media or under the Drivers and
Downloads section of
support.dell.com .
NOTE: The Dell Drivers and Utilities media contains drivers that were installed
during the assembly of the computer. Use the Dell Drivers and Utilities media to load
any required drivers. Depending on the region from which you ordered your
computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell Drivers and Utilities media
and Operating System media may not ship with your computer.
Reinstalling your Operating System from media will also require the user to
reinstall all software and applications including any productivity applications
(Microsoft Office), e-mail applications, graphics and audio applications,
media player software, DVD playback software, antivirus, and spyware
utilities. Where applicable, Dell provides media for the reinstallation of these
applications. Some utilities and software may be found under the Drivers and
Downloads section of
support.dell.com .
Reinstalling Windows XP
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After you
reinstall the operating system, you must also reinstall the device drivers, virus
protection program, and other software.
CAUTION: The Operating System media provides options for reinstalling
Windows XP. The options can overwrite files and possibly affect programs that are
installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless a Dell
technical support representative instructs you to do so.
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