Dell 8600 manual Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP, Before You Reinstall, Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP

Before You Reinstall

If you are considering reinstalling the Windows XP operating system to correct a problem with a newly installed driver, first try using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback (see page 104). If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 107) to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver.

Reinstalling Windows XP

To reinstall Windows XP, perform all the steps in the following sections in the order in which they are listed.

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.

NOTICE: The Operating System CD provides options for reinstalling Windows XP. The options can overwrite files and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless instructed to do so by a Dell technical support representative.

NOTICE: To prevent conflicts with Windows XP, disable any virus protection software installed on your computer before you reinstall Windows XP. See the documentation that came with the software for instructions.

Booting From the Operating System CD

1Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.

2Insert the Operating System CD. If any program starts automatically, exit the program before proceeding.

3Shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page 42) and restart the computer.

4Press immediately after the DELL™ logo appears.

If the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Windows desktop, and then shut down the computer and try again.

5Press the arrow keys to select CD-ROM, and then press .

6When the Press any key to boot from CD message appears, press any key.

Solving Problems

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