Thread: Reformat Windows XP
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Old 06-09-2008, 12:03 AM
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Reinstall the operting system. You will be able to use it because the generic drivers that are installed will run ok.

The next operation is to use the following discs in this order:

M781 Color Monitor Quick Setup (Displays by DELL)...this is your video driver and should be installed. There will probably be other driver installations on there as well such as Direct X version This you would also need to get full potential from your 3D graphics.

Dell Dimension ResoruceCD for Reinstalling Device Drivers and Using Diagnostics, Utilities, and Online Documentation (Drivers and Utilities)...these are your motherboard drivers for the devices that are pre-installed on the motherboard.... The utillity things from Dell can be left off if you are confident on being able to diagnose any failures..if not then install them as well but they are full of bloat that is not needed or wanted by most users.

Don't use the Roxio installation disc...wait till you are completely updated and then get Nero (free edition)

Depending on how you connect to the internet:
If by cable I wouldn't install the modem card in most cases I would remove it...if it is built in to the motherboard then set the thing to disabled in device manager and forget about it....resource hog.

If you have to use it then install the drivers for it because you will have to do windows update to get all the updates for that computer.

If required you need to activate the xp installation or you can not get updates.

once the drivers are installed then you need to go to set your auto updates to off...then go to the windows update and when asked choose "custom" and when the updates are shown first look at the left side and select all the hardware installations as first....this will update all your hardware drivers to the newest that M$ has. then repeat going back to windows update to get the latest updates for the software and operating system that you have.

read what UpDates are being installed...DO NOT INSTALL SP3 SP3 will cause you computer to crash as there are lots of issues with SP# and Dell.



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