jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Is there any way to completely "wipe out" your hardrive, all info, games, and what not from your computer? I just want to compltely start my computer as if i just plugged it in for the first time. Ty if you leave help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Basically what you need to do is a reformat of your harddrive and reinstallation of Windows. By the sounds of it you haven't done this before. Do you know someone that could help you do this? Check the Stickies for some guides for reformating your computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 Ive done it once before. The computer came with a new system reinstallation cd. But i just recently tried it again, and says i have a newer version?? So it wont let me do what i did last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Is it a System Restore CD or an actual copy of Windows XP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 Its the actual copy. But it says the windows system on the disk is more previous than the one im using now on my computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Well what version of Windows are you currently running and what version is on the CD? Please try to provide more information in your inital posts to cut out all these questions and answers back and forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 Both systems are windows XP, so im not entirely sure about how i either one could be older or newer. I do have an automatic upadte thing from windows, that adds security updates and what not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldeon Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 EDIT saw u just posted and that its windows xp...jsut continue with my post theres two different types and versions Theres home and pro and service pack 1 and service pack 2 is it a windows cd or does it say windows on it cause it might be a restoration cd made by your manufacturer First you gotta delelte the current partition.....in windows setup it will show you partitions windows is on select it and find the option to delete....if you can delete it or you can run to windows setup i can tell you an alternative way by booting to the DOS prompt. ALSO MAKE SURE ITS A FULL VERSION. IF ITS AN UPGRADE YOU NEED A PREVIOUS FULL VERSION CD OF WINDOWS.ie i have windows xp upgrade and a windows full 98 disc. It part of the verification proccess Before i do tell you how to delete the partition i need you to do some stuff and verify something to avoid messsing up your comp. to verify its a windows Does it say Windows (xp, me, 98 watever) on the disc If its windows me or above it should have holograms on the disc Does it say UPGRADE ANYWHERE on it what version number/year what service pack 1 or 2 (for xp) Does it say do not make illegal copies of this disc Does it have copyright microsoft info on it If so then you must not hold me as any reponsibilty for possbile damage as of unexplained circumstances or inability to follow directions. I will also provide microsoft technical support number to help you if you cant gain access to your computer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 words from disk... Operating system Already installed on computer Reinstalation cd Microsoft windows xp home edition including service pack 1a Only use this cd to reinstall the software DELL 1996-2003 dell comp corporation 1985-2001 microsoft corp allrights reserved for distribution only with a new dell comp its a home edition The words when i try to USE the cd... Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldeon Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Ok this was supplied by your manufactuer contact them and call and ask them can you boot to the dos prompt, wipe out the hard drive, delete the partion, create an new partition, and use that cd to install windows and a completely formatted hard drive. find that out first cuz i have no clue about that disk wheters its microsoft or windows installation supplied by manufacturer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 thanks for your help, ill do that and call them... ..just the foreign people are hard to understand :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldeon Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 thanks for your help, ill do that and call them... ..just the foreign people are hard to understand :? I completly agree with those foreign tech support guys... I always lie and say my cordless gets lots of static and ask them to repeat a lot sometimes 3-5 times. I say its static as not to make them feel offended or something as their articulation or pronunciation is bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Firstly you need to backup all yoru current files on the computer you wish to keep, either to another harddrive, or a DVD/CD. Because all the data will be lost when you reformat, obviously. The CD is for reinstalling Windows, not upgrading. You can't reformat and reinstall Windows from inside Windows, you need to boot off the CD when your computer starts up and start the process from there. So put the CD in and restart your computer. Just after your computer loads the BIOS information, or for your instance probably the Dell logo. Press the F12 key until a boot menu appears asking you what you would like to boot off. Choose the CD and then press a key to let it start loading the pre-Windows setup files. Follow through the prompts that appear and reformat your partitions and start installing Windows back on again. After you have Windows loaded on try to get your Internet setup and update Windows with Service Pack 2 and all the available critical updates as soon as possible. Let me know how you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldeon Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 completly forgot about mentioning that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannibal Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Errm, am I the first to notice that the poster said the cd reads "Use only to reinstall?" and that it detected the current version of Windows on the computer? Meaning, the cd might not work if you totally wipe the harddrive and start from scratch. Manufacturers have that weird knack of setting things up like that due to agreements with MS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Errm, am I the first to notice that the poster said the cd reads "Use only to reinstall?" and that it detected the current version of Windows on the computer? Meaning, the cd might not work if you totally wipe the harddrive and start from scratch. Manufacturers have that weird knack of setting things up like that due to agreements with MS... Yeah I questioned this. He said it was an actual copy of Windows XP. From my experience you either get a System Restore CD from the manufacturer that you use to return the computer back to it's original state, or just a copy of Windows XP. The copy of Windows XP normally would say something like, "This CD is only for use on a X brand computer.". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannibal Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Errm, am I the first to notice that the poster said the cd reads "Use only to reinstall?" and that it detected the current version of Windows on the computer? Meaning, the cd might not work if you totally wipe the harddrive and start from scratch. Manufacturers have that weird knack of setting things up like that due to agreements with MS... Yeah I questioned this. He said it was an actual copy of Windows XP. From my experience you either get a System Restore CD from the manufacturer that you use to return the computer back to it's original state, or just a copy of Windows XP. The copy of Windows XP normally would say something like, "This CD is only for use on a X brand computer.". I don't really care what the poster said the CD was, I care what he said was the text on the cd: words from disk... Operating system Already installed on computer Reinstalation cd Microsoft windows xp home edition including service pack 1a Only use this cd to reinstall the software DELL 1996-2003 dell comp corporation 1985-2001 microsoft corp allrights reserved for distribution only with a new dell comp Of course, it may still work - but it may not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharper Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Errm, am I the first to notice that the poster said the cd reads "Use only to reinstall?" and that it detected the current version of Windows on the computer? Meaning, the cd might not work if you totally wipe the harddrive and start from scratch. Manufacturers have that weird knack of setting things up like that due to agreements with MS... Yeah I questioned this. He said it was an actual copy of Windows XP. From my experience you either get a System Restore CD from the manufacturer that you use to return the computer back to it's original state, or just a copy of Windows XP. The copy of Windows XP normally would say something like, "This CD is only for use on a X brand computer.". I don't really care what the poster said the CD was, I care what he said was the text on the cd: words from disk... Operating system Already installed on computer Reinstalation cd Microsoft windows xp home edition including service pack 1a Only use this cd to reinstall the software DELL 1996-2003 dell comp corporation 1985-2001 microsoft corp allrights reserved for distribution only with a new dell comp Of course, it may still work - but it may not. Sorry I will carify it better. Dell supplies proper copies of Windows XP with their computers. He didn't write everything that is written on his Dell CD. I have a few copies of Dell Windows XP CD's and they are infact proper copies of Windows XP that you can use to reformat and reinstall Windows as normal. Sorry for the confusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keb_Ryo Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Bios is hard shelled to XP sp 1a, most likely Wipeing out the hard drive will do of 2 things Thing one: No CD drivers Thing two: A clean platform to reinstall, If BIOS is shelld to 1a only, the gen. cd drivers are there. In any case, could he uninstall all windows updates and be left with sp 1a? If so would try that first. Most likely let him redo his pc that way Thinking outloud :wall: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsentinaljeff Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 When i did it the first time, The "foreign help" guy helped me reinstall all my drivers. Its not a system restore cd, because i have a built in system restore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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