Dell TJ021, 745c manual Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP, Getting Started, Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP

Getting Started

NOTE: The procedures in this document were written for the Windows default view in Windows XP Home Edition, so the steps will differ if you set your Dell computer to the Windows Classic view or are using Windows XP Professional.

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.

1Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

3Click System.

4In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.

5Click Device Manager.

6Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click Properties.

7Click the Drivers tab.

8Click Roll Back Driver.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver (see "Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore" on page 28).

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer. Use the Drivers Utilities CD to load any required drivers, including the drivers required if your computer has a RAID controller.

Reinstalling Windows XP

NOTICE: You must use Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later when you reinstall Windows XP.

NOTICE: Before performing the installation, back up all data files on your primary hard drive. For conventional hard drive configurations, the primary hard drive is the first drive detected by the computer.

To reinstall Windows XP, you need the following items:

•Dell Operating System CD

•Dell Drivers and Utilities CD

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.

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