[OhioStateBoy710]

Hello I have a Dell Dimension Desktop 2350.

It came with a windows disc that I can (and have done before) re-install windows on my dell computer giving me a "fresh start" that I like every so often because it gives my computer a boost. My computer is strictly just for browsing/nothing important so it has no files that are of value. In the past, I have gone to do this procedure and my install disc was scratched preventing select windows files from being coppied. I then ordered a new disc from dell and everything worked great. I just wanted to checkout if there is any program i could use to see if this disc has any scratch issues before delteting and being left computerless. OR, option B, is there a way I can create a new partion that will allow me to install a windows and then delete my old windows?

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The best way to work out if there might be problems caused by scratches is to look on the shiny side of the disk for any scratches. I would not advise you install Windows on one partition and then delete the old one becuase several very important files needed to boot to windows are not created on the second partition. So deleting the first partition would give you a computer that dose not work.

Hope this helps.

[Michael]

The best way to work out if there might be problems caused by scratches is to look on the shiny side of the disk for any scratches. I would not advise you install Windows on one partition and then delete the old one becuase several very important files needed to boot to windows are not created on the second partition. So deleting the first partition would give you a computer that dose not work.

Hope this helps.

[OhioStateBoy710]

Thanks for telling me that about partions (I knew nothing about them pre thread). I think i'll just suck it up and consider Windows Media Center because I now have a Hauppauge 150 PVR MCE Tv Tuner Card. I have never seen Media Center before. Do you recommend it?

[kd1966]

MCE is like XP Pro, but with more MM spt............. that's all

note: There is really no (good) reason to do a clean install every so often, especially if your machine is used only for, as you say, browsing...........jmo

[Michael]

I can't make comments, because I realy don't know about Media Center.

note: There is really no (good) reason to do a clean install every so often, especially if your machine is used only for, as you say, browsing...........jmo

I half agree with that. A format regally because

• Cleans out the registery
• It deletes temp files
• Fixes every thing form tests that went wrong
• removes traces for all the programs that I have tested
• can test differant ways of setting it up
• I can feal sure I am clean
• I like doing it

But for most people there are easyer and quicker ways to do it. Formating is also not a big dealy for me. 30 minutes to format and install, 30 minutes to get my settings right (gets quicker each time be cause I write reg files to do it next time) 2 hours to install programs.

[OhioStateBoy710]

See that's is exactly my situation. Formatting witht he dell disc is as easy as 1-2-3 (not even a software code required)...And my main reason is while I do not "professionally" test them and recommend them to users as you do, I do download many different programs to see which one is best (as in when I got my TV tuner card I downloaded 7 different programs)....Plus ontop of all that it just gets everything back to normal clean. And as I am not as computer saavy as you are, I don't have near as many programs as you probably would, probably 20 minutes (Since I have regular computing purposes)

[Michael]

Can't say I do it "professionally." And I don't know about haveing more programs installed than you would. Right now I only have 20 installed, including 2 Anti Virus, witch I know is rather dumb.

Edited by Michael, 02 November 2005 - 07:46 PM.