Assuming that both your Dimension 2400 and Dimension 3000 are licensed for Windows XP Home, your 2400 installation CD should work just fine with your Dimension 3000, and the resource CD might work. When you allow it to autorun following installation of Windows you get a choice of computers, but I don't know if the Dimension 3000 is one of them. Even if it isn't on your resource CD, however, you can download the drivers from the Dell support site. See here: Dimension 3000 Drivers.
One bit of advice; you should download the Service Pack 3 update for Windows XP from the Microsoft site, save it to a CD or USB memory key, and install it before you begin loading your anti-virus and other applications. This update will soon be the only version of Windows XP that Microsoft will support and it goes much easier if you install before you have the anti-virus set up. Look here: Windows XP SP-3 Update.
Incidentally, the advice given by the previous poster applies to computers using the factory delivered hard drive. If you see a blue stripe at the top of the display immediately following the self test on start-up, you have this feature. Activate it by pressing CTRL and F11 just before the stripe appears and release both keys simultaneously while the stripe is still present and before you see a message about loading the descriptor for PBR2 just below the stripe.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that you might still be able to get a replacement installation CD. If you live in the U.S., try this form: Dell Replacement CD. You probably won't be able to get a replacement for the Resource CD, however, as the machine is too old. This used to be free, but I understand Dell has started charging for the service in some cases.
Thanks for that assistance. The Dim 3000 is licensed for XP Professional however, so I should probably not even attempt it correct? Also I have just performed a clean install on my wifes' PC(the 2400), and I didn't download the SP-3 update before installing the anti-virus software. The resource cd when I loaded the drivers already had Norton so I went through and installed that. Is it going to cause a problem if I just now update to the SP-3? Or should I uninstall the anti-virus first then update and reinstall the anti virus, I was considering running Avast anyway. She is getting fussy now due to Internet Explorer now running slower than what her AOL was running before the reinstall. Could this be a result of not having this service pack?
If you have already installed the anti-virus you can still install the SP-3 update; it just might take a bit longer is all. The malware that gets into computers these days has required some fancy programming on the part of the anti-virus companies. Some of them resist anything that makes changes to the Windows registry and also they will scan every file that the SP-3 update wants to install. Despite the advice I gave you, I actually wound up installing SP-3 after the anti-virus. It took about two hours, but it finally got done. I was running service pack 2 and had no intention of making the change, and then the announcement came out that Microsoft was only planning to support SP-3.
I think that the speed of your computer is more affected by your anti-virus and other start-up applications than by the updates. Once I had SP-3 installed I didn't notice any affect on speed at all.
Oneplease
3 Posts
0
April 12th, 2010 23:00
I think when you boot your computer pressing F10 opens a tool that reinstalls the windows
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
April 13th, 2010 09:00
Assuming that both your Dimension 2400 and Dimension 3000 are licensed for Windows XP Home, your 2400 installation CD should work just fine with your Dimension 3000, and the resource CD might work. When you allow it to autorun following installation of Windows you get a choice of computers, but I don't know if the Dimension 3000 is one of them. Even if it isn't on your resource CD, however, you can download the drivers from the Dell support site. See here: Dimension 3000 Drivers.
One bit of advice; you should download the Service Pack 3 update for Windows XP from the Microsoft site, save it to a CD or USB memory key, and install it before you begin loading your anti-virus and other applications. This update will soon be the only version of Windows XP that Microsoft will support and it goes much easier if you install before you have the anti-virus set up. Look here: Windows XP SP-3 Update.
Incidentally, the advice given by the previous poster applies to computers using the factory delivered hard drive. If you see a blue stripe at the top of the display immediately following the self test on start-up, you have this feature. Activate it by pressing CTRL and F11 just before the stripe appears and release both keys simultaneously while the stripe is still present and before you see a message about loading the descriptor for PBR2 just below the stripe.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that you might still be able to get a replacement installation CD. If you live in the U.S., try this form: Dell Replacement CD. You probably won't be able to get a replacement for the Resource CD, however, as the machine is too old. This used to be free, but I understand Dell has started charging for the service in some cases.
jenkin56
2 Posts
0
April 13th, 2010 23:00
Thanks for that assistance. The Dim 3000 is licensed for XP Professional however, so I should probably not even attempt it correct? Also I have just performed a clean install on my wifes' PC(the 2400), and I didn't download the SP-3 update before installing the anti-virus software. The resource cd when I loaded the drivers already had Norton so I went through and installed that. Is it going to cause a problem if I just now update to the SP-3? Or should I uninstall the anti-virus first then update and reinstall the anti virus, I was considering running Avast anyway. She is getting fussy now due to Internet Explorer now running slower than what her AOL was running before the reinstall. Could this be a result of not having this service pack?
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
April 14th, 2010 18:00
If you have already installed the anti-virus you can still install the SP-3 update; it just might take a bit longer is all. The malware that gets into computers these days has required some fancy programming on the part of the anti-virus companies. Some of them resist anything that makes changes to the Windows registry and also they will scan every file that the SP-3 update wants to install. Despite the advice I gave you, I actually wound up installing SP-3 after the anti-virus. It took about two hours, but it finally got done. I was running service pack 2 and had no intention of making the change, and then the announcement came out that Microsoft was only planning to support SP-3.
I think that the speed of your computer is more affected by your anti-virus and other start-up applications than by the updates. Once I had SP-3 installed I didn't notice any affect on speed at all.