108 Reinstalling Software
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To reinstall Windows, you need the following items:
•Dell
Operating System
media
•Dell
Drivers and Utilities
media
NOTE: The Dell Drivers and Utilities media contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the
computer. Use the Dell Drivers and Utilities media to load any required drivers. Depending on the region
from where 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 Windows
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After you reinstall the operating
system, you must also reinstall the device drivers (see "Reinstalling Device Drivers" on
page108), virus protection program, and other software.
NOTICE: The Operating System media 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 a Dell technical support representative instructs you to do so.
1
Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2
Insert the
Operating System
media. Click
Exit
if the
Install Windows
message appears.
3
Restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
NOTE: If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see
the Microsoft® Windows® desktop; then, shut down your computer and try again.
NOTE: The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the
computer boots according to the devices specified in the system setup program.
4
When the boot device list appears, highlight
IDE CD-ROM DeviceCD/DVD/CD-RW
Drive
and press <Enter>.
5
Press any key to
Boot from CD-ROM
.
6
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
Reinstalling Device Drivers
If you need to reinstall or update your system’s device drivers, Microsoft Windows does not
require that they are installed in a specific order. However, for best results, use the following
installation order.
1 Notebook System Software (NSS) A compilation of critical operating system updates.
2 Chipset Helps the operating system control system board
components and controllers.
3 Video Controller Enhances video performance.