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Inspiron 1520 XP Pro needs to be reset to factory
I've been using Windows 8 on my personal computer and 7 before that. My wife hands me her Inspiron 1520 and asks me to reset it to factory settings so she can sell it without fear of any of her data surviving.
So, tell me, what's the cleanest way of accomplishing this? I have the original OS disk and Utilities disk, so I'm in good shape there. Just, what's the best way to approach this project.
Thanks as always for any help that can be offered,
BSB
BigSkyBob
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August 1st, 2013 15:00
I've been using Windows 8 on my personal computer and 7 before that. My wife hands me her Inspiron 1520 and asks me to reset it to factory settings so she can sell it without fear of any of her data surviving.
So, tell me, what's the cleanest way of accomplishing this? I have the original OS disk and Utilities disk, so I'm in good shape there. Just, what's the best way to approach this project.
Thanks as always for any help that can be offered,
BSB
DELL-Saharsh K
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August 1st, 2013 15:00
Hi BSB,
You may follow the steps shared on the link http://dell.to/13MzsYe to restore the system back to factory settings. If this does not work, then you can format the hard drive and reinstall the Windows using the re-installation media that you have. You may refer to the link http://dell.to/140lPlq for instructions.
Note: Please backup the data as this process will lead to data loss.
Hope this helps. Please reply if you have any questions.
Philip_Yip
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August 1st, 2013 15:00
See Windows Reinstallation Guide/A Clean Install of Windows XP: http://philipyip.wordpress.com/dell-community-forums/
Ensure you carry out the additional Step 7a and securely wipe your hard drive with DBAN. This will be a lot better than the standard format of the factory settings or of the XP installation CD. You may need to temporally disable the card reader as mentioned in the guide.
DELL-Kiran K
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August 1st, 2013 19:00
Hi BSB,
Request you to try following the below steps which might help:
(1) Turn on the computer.
(2) Keep tapping F12 key at the Dell logo.
(3) Select CD/DVD from the menu.
Then you may use the below link to Reinstall MediaDirect:
http://dell.to/12H06Kt
Once this is done you will be prompted to insert the windows disc to perform a clean install. You may refer the below link:
http://dell.to/13qZEFG
Note: If you want you may backup the data on an external hard drive or a flash drive before attempting this.
Philip_Yip
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August 1st, 2013 23:00
I have merged both your posts together. As mentioned earlier you should securely wipe your drive using DBAN. See my Windows Reinstallation Guide for more details.
I have used DBAN on about 30 systems and it does a pretty good job.
The manual clean installation suggested by Dell-Kiran K and restoring to factory settings Dell-Saharsh K have only the weak Windows format and will not completely wipe the drive which is what you should do before selling your computer.
BigSkyBob
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August 2nd, 2013 06:00
Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it,
BSB
BigSkyBob
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August 2nd, 2013 06:00
Thanks for the advice, I'm going to use it,
BSB
BigSkyBob
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August 2nd, 2013 06:00
Saharsh, thanks so much for the informative and timely response, I managed to get the laptop right where I wanted it.
BSB
BigSkyBob
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August 2nd, 2013 06:00
Kiran,
Thanks for your timely reply, I spent the evening tackling this project and I got it !
BSB
DELL-Saharsh K
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August 2nd, 2013 12:00
Hi BSB,
Glad to know that the issue is resolved. Feel free to reach out to us if you need any assistance in future.
Sachiii
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July 1st, 2018 05:00
Hi Saharsh,
I have an Inspiron 1520 that I was wanting to prepare to sell/give away. I forgot the password so reinstalled Windows from a CD and then reset it back to factory settings.
However, I want to ensure the hard drive is really wiped. Is there a Windows utility to thoroughly wipe hard drives?
Regards
Sacha
Philip_Yip
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July 2nd, 2018 06:00
It's aged but so is the Inspiron 1520... use DBAN to securely wipe your systems HDD. Once wiped you'll need to reinstall your OS.