Partition/Format/Reinstall XP on Dimension 4700

A 40 billion byte drive will show up under Windows as about 38 gigs. Subtract the restore partition on the hard drive and you have what you see.

If you need the CDs, you'll have to call Dell.

ejn63 --

>A 40 billion byte drive will show up under Windows as about 38 gigs.

Understood (100/1024 etc.)

>Subtract the restore partition on the hard drive and
>you have what you see.

I didn't know that Dell was doing that.  So they sold me a 40 gig drive but they are reserving 15% of it for their own use. {smile}

>If you need the CDs, you'll have to call Dell. 

No joy.  They told me how I can restore the entire partition, but they were not willing to send me the CDs that I'd need to do a selective reinstall.  I don't really want WordPerfect and some other stuff, so I'll partition, restore, and un-install.

shesagordie --
 
>Since installing the Symantec PC Restore utility on the hard drive

Ah, I see.  When did they start doing that?

>Most drivers and applications can be downloaded from
>Dell's website and you can burn them to a CD for future use.

I'll look into that, thanks!

-- Eric

 

Following up for lurkers... I can download drivers and some basic software from Dell, but nothing like McAfee or (if I needed it) WordPerfect, even though they came with my system.

Call me old-fashioned but I'd really like to be able to reinstall everything without restoring the entire partition.  Oh well.

-- Eric

 

 

shesagordie.

You say
> One point about this PC restore, if in any way the MBR is changed,
> then it becomes worthless.

Does this mean that the restore feature is lost
if a simple repartitioning is done on a factory setup
using a tool like Partition Magic?

Bob

Yes.

I called Dell phone support and told them exactly what I wanted to do: re-partition my hard drive and then re-install everything.  They gave me very specific instructions about how to do it.

I followed those instructions exactly:  I deleted the largest partition and created three smaller partitions in the space that was released.  I did not touch any of the other partitions.  I am 100% certain.

When I reached the point where I was supposed to press Ctrl-F11 (when the Dell logo appears) to restore the original XP installation from the hidden partition to my new, smaller C drive, nothing happened.

I called Dell phone support again and their answer was basically "yes, that happens sometimes".  They said "If you tamper" (their word) "with the partitions, the restore partition can be corrupted."

Sure wish they'd told me about that before I started.

They offered to send me a new hard drive with everything on it (a swap, I assume) but I said that I was concerned that if I simply repeated the process, the same thing would happen.  I really need to re-partition the drive.

Then -- and only then -- did they agree to send me all of the CDs I need for a complete manual re-install of all of the software that came pre-loaded on my system.  A "kit" is on its way via UPS ground in 3-5 days.  Let's hope it includes everything.  (I already know that it doesn't include the restore-partition utility, and I don't care.  I don't want it.)

-- Eric Pearson

icbibad.

If you have PC Restore install on the primary hard drive, any time the MBR is changed, by installing a utility, such as Partition Magic, then PC Restore becomes unusable.

Bev.

If you click on Product Support at the top left of this page, select downloads . . you can navigate to your model and download all the drivers for your pc . . burn to a cd and install on the other pc.

wrs

>Follow up when you get the package and do the install.

I will.  Something tells me that this story is not over yet.

>Is there any way to get a friend to cut a CD
>with the drivers you need (etc.)
>Kinko's rents PC time (etc.)

I'm working on various alternatives, thanks.  But it really shouldn't be necessary, don't you agree? {G}

>What tools/steps did you use to remove the C: partition
>and build the three new ones to replace it?

Per the instructions from Dell phone support, I booted the XP CD and pretended to install a fresh copy of XP.  When the XP install program gets to the point where it asks which partition to use for XP, it allows you to delete/add/etc. partitions.  Kind of like a built-in fdisk.

>I could have just removed those partitions too, and used the space.

Yep, by starting from scratch my HD grew from 34 to the full 40 GB I paid for.  However I did leave the little tiny "-" partition in place.  That's a pretty cool little diagnostic program (F12 during boot, then select "Boot To Utility Partition").

-- Eric Pearson

 

Eric.

Congratulations on getting Dell support to help.
Follow up when you get the package and do the install.

Is there any way to get a friend to cut a CD with the drivers you need, and use that CD during the install process you're trying with the existing stuff from Dell?
Here in San Jose, Kinko's rents PC time but I don't know if they have CD burning avaialable.

What tools/steps did you use to remove the C: partition and build the three new ones to replace it?

I used Partition Magic to change the C: partition into three smaller ones by reducing the size of C: instead of deleteing it, and then adding in two new partitions into the available space between the end of C: and the small one at the end. I've written up my experience and posted it as an independent thread earlier today.

My system is running but it is similar to yours in that Restore isn't going to work (as I have learned in this thread - thank you shesagordie), and the space holding the files for the restore is not doing anything useful now. I could have just removed those partitions too, and used the space.

Bob

[MORE]

Since I can't restore the original software until the "kit" arrives I decided to forge ahead.  I partitioned the drive the way I need it, and I installed XP from the CD that came with the system, but I hit a brick wall right away.

I really am stuck for 3-5 business days because when I started the fresh copy of XP it didn't recognize the onboard NIC.  So I can't connect to my network or the internet... to download the NIC drivers I need.   I made the mistake of ordering the system without a floppy drive -- why oh why did I think that saving that 20 bucks was a good idea? -- so there is no way to download or install ANYTHING on the new Dell right now, other than CDs.

I can't even install basic stuff like the video card driver until the UPS man brings me what I need.

-- Eric Pearson

 

Following up:

Yesterday the phone tech told me 3-5 business days but a DHL Overnight package just arrived, containing two CDs from Dell.  Judging by the labels they contain everything I need.

Unless I post further problems here, I guess this issue is closed.

Thanks to everybody.

-- Eric Pearson

 

>Ordered my CDs this morning, had no problems

My recent experience with Dell is that ordering something is the easy part. {smile}

I have finished installing the software from all of the Dell CDs that I have, five that were shipped with the system and two from tech support.  I chose not to install the following software:

WordPerfect
EarthLink intro offer
NetZero intro offer

Also, as I mentioned before, I did not get (or expect) a copy of the recovery-partition software.

Beyond those items, I'm not seeing everything that I saw before.  According to Add/Remove Programs before and after the re-install, I am missing:

1) Banctec support
2) Dell Driver Reset Tool
3) Dell Support

I was able to get Dell Support from the Dell web site, but I'm mentioning it for the benefit of anybody else who is dealing with this.  Dell Phone support told me that I didn't need the Banctec item, and I'm not too worried about the driver reset tool.  (Should I be?)

4) QuickTime
5) RealPlayer

I can of course download those, but I can't help wonder which Dell CD(s) I didn't get.

6) Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Center
7) Microsoft Plus! Photo Story

Dell phone support says that Microsoft Plus! was not on my original order, and there's no CD for Plus!, so I guess I'm out of luck on that one even though it did come with my system.  No big deal.

8) MyWay Search Assistant
9) Viewpoint Media Player

Dell phone support says that those two are spyware and were not installed by Dell.  That's pretty amazing, considering that the system came with McAfee installed and activated, and considering the short amount of time I was on line before the partition.  The net cable was only connected briefly, and I don't remember going anywhere except safe places like Microsoft Update and Dell's site, but I guess anything is possible.  Guess I'd better get anti-spyware installed ASAP.

10) Learn2Player
11) Photo Click

Nobody seems to know what those are.  Even checking Google Groups didn't help.  Spyware too?  One of the very first things I did was inventory the software, so it must have gotten in VERY fast.

I suppose it could be that WordPerfect or the recovery-partition software installs some of those.  Does anybody know? 

By the way, instead of a trial version of McAfee I got a trial version of Norton.  No big deal, I'll probably use something else anyway.  And instead of AOL I have Net Zero.  Also not a problem.

-- Eric Pearson