Failed XP format/reinstall on XPS M1710... Help!

Question

I had to reinstall Windows XP Media Center 2005 onto my M1710 laptop when Windows failed to load repeatedly. I tried the 'repair' option first, but this failed to work btw.

I used the Dell Windows disk and thought I was reformatting the drive as well as reinstalling Windows as I was asked whether I wanted the disk to be fat32 or NTFS; I chose NTFS btw.

However, now I have somehow created a second install without erasing the original data that was on my hard drive. This means that as well as losing valuable hard disk space; many applications although I reinstalled them from the original disks are failing to load under my 'new' Windows set up.

I noticed that on c drive there are two different versions of 'me' in docs and setting. However I cannot access my original config from users and therefore cannot delete it. I cannot delete any of the apps from the original install as I cannot access my original user profile. Therefore things such as iTunes now tells me I have authorized two computers, i.e. the same machine. McAfee will not install, although it is present on my computer and appears to start up. As well as the fact that the first thing I did when Windows started up was install all the drivers from my Dell Resource disk and McAfee. The McAfee Virtual Technician informs me that McAfee isn't installed on my machine and the Dell Support Center and Dell Support programs fail to load properly as I presume they are 'confused' by the two installs. WiFi drivers will not install and various update programs cannot access the Internet as they tell me I'm not connected when I am. I guessing that somehow the McAfee Firewall is blocking them, but as I cannot access or delete and reinstall McAfee I'm stuck. I have downloaded AVG for now so that I have some protection and am also using Spyware Doctor as added protection.

I know that I have to reformat the drive and reinstall everything again, but how exactly should I do that? I thought I already had, but was wrong. I need to ensure that this is a clean install otherwise I will probably end up with three installs and three different profiles of myself on the one machine.

I have all my essential data backed up on an external hard drive thankfully, so I do not mind losing everything on the machine.

Unfortunately I'm working in Moscow at the moment and will not be able to contact Dell UK until I fly back home in about 8 weeks. I can hang on till then and phone them up as soon as I get back in early July, but I thought/hoped that someone here might be able to give me some advice now.

Help needed. Thanks in advance.

P.S. I need to contact Dell anyway as I also have a problem with slight display burnout in both bottom corners of my screen; and also a blue-screening problem which is designated as:

Hardware malfunction

NMI : Parity Check / Memory Parity Error

The System has halted

Message Edited by Tam Sadek on 05-08-2007 05:38 PM

Message Edited by Tam Sadek on 05-08-2007 05:44 PM

Message Edited by Tam Sadek on 05-08-2007 05:52 PM

compujoe · Answer

Do another clean install (deleting all partitions) and that should fix your problem. I sometimes reinstall WinXP twice before I get only 1 OS on my machine. Just do it again you should be fine.

Leslie1 · Answer

Hi, If You Intend To Bring Your laptop Back To Life As When You Purchased It Then Follow The Instruction That Came With Your Dell. What I Do To My PC's And My Laptop Is To Use Partion Magic To Setup At Least 2 Partions, 1 Partion(C:) For Running Windows & The 2nd Partion(D:) For Storing Files. Install Your Xp Software And If Possible Install All Drivers Required, Then I Use Driveimage Which Works in Dos This Allows Me To Save The Complete Partion 1(C: Drive Partion) Which Will Have The Xp Operationg System On It, Save That Partion With Full Compression And Give It A Name To The 2nd(D: Drive Partion). As I Use The Xp Operating System And Add Programs That I Use Alot I Will Again Save Another Image To Drive (D:) So If I Want To Revert To My Standard Xp system And Start All Over Again I Would Use The First Image That I Had Saved To Drive (D:) Or Another Image. If By Any Chance I Screw Up Anything In Xp Or Something Starts Playing Up I Can Boot DriveImage In Dos Delete Drive (C:) Partion Then Reload 1 Of The Saved Images Form Drive (D:) Which Will Bring Back The Xp To The Full State When The Day I Saved It To Drive (D:). Things Like Favs & Email I Store On A Backup Device Before I Do A Full Restore. This Is Theeeee Best Software I Have Ever Used, It's Far Quicker Than Doing A Fresh Install Of Windows

Tam Sadek · Answer

Thanks for the detailed walkthrough Leslie :smileyhappy:

I'll try it when I'm back home, in about seven weeks, just in case anything goes wrong and I need help on the other end of the phone. Also I want to make sure that when I update Windows, etc online that my IP is from home in the UK rather than from my temporary one here in Russia :smileysurprised:

Much appreciated:smileywink:

Message Edited by Tam Sadek on 05-15-2007 04:23 PM

Tam Sadek · Answer

Thanks for the advice compujoe :smileyhappy:

prashanth_prasa · Answer

Well if i got you right, you said that you did not delete the partition that was there. in that case, there is something called, PC Restore that dell puts on your computer. It is actually something like an image that leslie was talking about. The only difference here is that it cleans your computer completely and puts it back to the factory settings. That way the computer will look exactly like how you got from dell. Then again, you will loose all your data. But you would not have to install drivers and anything, It will all be there.   For this, what you have to do is, when you are on the dell logo, hit CTRL+F11. This will start the PC Restore or the Norton Ghost Restore. Very simple. Very quick. It virtually formats your computer and reinstall windows and the drivers in about 15-20 mins. Very simple to follow. Once you hit the keys, just follow the onscreen messages. Should work for you.   In any case, if it does not, then just put the windows OS cd in the drive, and hit F12 when on the dell logo. Select the optical drive and follow the instructions to do a clean install like compujo said. But all you have to do is to select options for formating the partition and reinstalling. the rest of the procedure is like what you do when you did the second partition install. Hope I didn't confuse you.:smileywink:

Tam Sadek · Answer

Thanks Prashanth:smileyhappy:   I'll definitely have a go with that, if it's on my laptop :smileyhappy: Should be as nothing seems to have been deleted, but I'll wait till I get back to the UK... just in case something goes terribly wrong at my end :smileywink:

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Failed XP format/reinstall on XPS M1710... Help!

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