[sunstar667]

Trying to help someone by reinstalling windows xp on a dell dimension 2400 from the dell cd's. I did this on my laptop a couple months ago and ended up calling dell because I then had 2 operating systems. Where can I find directions on doing this correctly to avoid this problem? I understand everything will be lost and erased. Trying to fix the computer from slow start-ups 10-12 mins. Tried everything else I could think of and thats the improved time from 15 mins. So something is still not right and want to start with a clean windows again. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.....

DL

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if you have a windows xp cd, you would boot with that and delete the partition, then allow it to create a new partition and format it, and install'


If you are using a dell recovery disk, it will re-create the windows install as if it is straight from the factory.

When you installed two version several months ago, you missed the step where it said to delete the exisitng windows installation, I suspect.

without reinventing the wheel, here's as good a tutorial as any

http://www.cyberwalk...tml#reinstallxp

[gerryf]

if you have a windows xp cd, you would boot with that and delete the partition, then allow it to create a new partition and format it, and install'


If you are using a dell recovery disk, it will re-create the windows install as if it is straight from the factory.

When you installed two version several months ago, you missed the step where it said to delete the exisitng windows installation, I suspect.

without reinventing the wheel, here's as good a tutorial as any

http://www.cyberwalk...tml#reinstallxp

[sunstar667]

thanks for the input, anyone other suggestions welcome...

[makai]

What does "slow start-ups" mean? Where is it slow?

[sunstar667]

It is a desktop, dell dimension 2400, been using about 1.5 years. He did a reinstall with help from dell back in May and it was never right since then. Assuming that reinstall did not finish or missed a few things. Now it will start up slower than it should 3-5 mins to the windows desktop but then it will not allow you to start(click) anything acts like it is still loading something, probably for another 10 mins and then say you click to open internet explorer or MS Word it is slower than normal loading. i check the processes, with ctl-alt-del, tasks and it is not doing anything only using 2-4 % of processor speed. Figuring the best answer is to do another reinstall incase any virus's or missing files? Just looking for directions so I do it correctly without installing 2 windows versions..
computer specs:
Windows XP - Home edition

Processor Celeron
Clock speed
2.40 GHz

RAM installed
512 MB

Video Output
Graphics processor
Integrated Intel Extreme 3D Graphics

Cache Memory
Cache
512 KB L2 cache

Cache per processor size
512 KB

Mainboard
Chipset type
Intel 845GV

Data bus speed
533 MHz

[makai]

Ok, you have a couple of options here.
1) if you reinstall using the Dell disc, more than likely all user data will get wiped out. No recovery! This is an assumption, but most OEM recovery discs will take the computer back to day 1. (as gerryf mentioned earlier)

2) you can back up all the user data before running the recovery and you don't have to worry about losing anything. Note that there is user data that many people forget about... ie... Favorites folder. You want to think about what data is important to back up and try to make sure you get it all.

3) you can attempt to fix the slow start problem. In my signature is a link to Hijackthis. Download/install the probram and "attach" a start log and scan log to your next post. Use the File Attachment feature below the posting window. We can then take a look at some things to determine what may be causing the slow boot times. I can guarantee the machine probably has a ton of unneccessary start programs/monitors and something is probably corrupted. Or... it could even be malware.