Dell PP19L manual Reinstalling Windows XP

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 a Dell technical support representative instructs you to do so.

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.

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

2Insert the Operating System CD. Click Exit if the Install Windows XP message appears.

3Restart the computer.

4Press <F12> 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 press <Enter>.

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

7When the Windows XP Setup screen appears, press <Enter>.

8Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the reinstallation.

9When the operating system reinstallation completes, reinstall drivers and applications as necessary. See "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 101.

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Troubleshooting