HAY GUYS

I poked it and it made a sad sound · Oct 20, 2006, 09:18 AM

So I really don't do this kind of shit a lot, but Radez, I can tell you that if you call Dell with your SN on your tower, they WILL send you a CD with everything that came on your computer - including drivers and shit. (And all the other shit that came on it too. "Recovery CD" I think its called)

I've had to to that before few a laptop or two here (assholes NEVER send a disc), and I can sympathize.

And Dell loads their new PCs with a bunch of bullshit. It'd probably best best to do a clean install, but without a disc, unless you want to pull some illegal shit, it won't be easy.

I am sorry for posting in here - I am not a computing expert, but I figured I should let him know that he CAN get the disc from Dell. (They may charge you $12 or so for shipping, max)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I poked it and it made a sad sound · Oct 20, 2006, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Soluzar

That's very true. However, I'm under the impression that all it can do is to restore the system to the state in which it was shipped. It can't perform a clean installation of Windows, as far as I know.

It's a restore to factory defaults, I believe. Its as clean as it was when it came, yes. Which isn't CLEAN per my standards, but it'll get you back to default factory setting, I assume.

Of course, I'm not an expert. So theres that.

Quote:

You're dead right, but I certainly didn't think these recovery CDs were capable of a clean install. Are you sure that they are?

Maybe I'm not using the term "clean install" phrase properly. If he wants to wipe it without having to purchase a new license, then this is probably a good place to start, no? I mean, hell. I would want to just get a "clean" OS going without the Norton/McAfee, AOL Trial, pre-loaded CRAP, but hey.

Quote:

I'm not criticizing your advice, but I thought you needed an original Windows CD to do a clean install, whereas the recovey CD was some crap cooked up by Dell, with all their shitty pre-installed bullshit on it.

The only benefit I really see with a recovery set is, you know, having everything suited to the SN of the tower and it's components and it's drivers matching up.

I guess it really depends. Again, "clean install" was likely misused in terminology. APOLOGIES.

If he is timid about doing a "clean install" (which some people are, GFFers included) and wants to just restore to factory defaults, its worth a shot. It's nearly free.

But yea - it's likely hardware.

Speaking of hardware failure - Radez, we just got a new Dell in our office and a stick of RAM went in less than 20 operating hours of use. So yea. DELL. ;_;

How ya doing, buddy?