Trying to reformat

Try following my wiki A Clean Install of Windows and wipe with DBAN step 7a.

Also you can try slipstreaming Service Pack 1 if it isn't present on your installation DVD and make a bootable USB. See here.

"Step 6. Preparing SATA Drivers

For many systems this step won't be necessary, it is less likely to be required for an AMD system for example. I recommend skipping this step unless you run into one of the following errors below:

• Errors which state there is no hard drive.

• A CD/DVD device is missing.

• Windows Setup could not configure Windows on this computer’s hardware.

To prevent these errors it is necessary to download SATA drivers such as the "Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver" and load it during the Windows setup."

I just read over this part of your WIKI. When I was trying to reformat I was getting the "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing." After many attempts I did get VISTA back on this computer.  However I did not do any of Step 6. Preparing SATA drivers. Should I start over?  

Thank you.  This WIKI looks like what I need.  Where are these Wiki's located? Is there a general area? If I could have found this earlier today it could have saved me so much time. I was able to reinstall the OS-AFTER MANY HOURS. However the disk that had the drives and utilities on it was a bad disc. So using my service tag I went to the Drivers and Downloads support area on the dell site and when I downloaded the download for the NIC it took out my wireless connections. So now I am not very confident in using this site for any more downloads. I have read others hve had problems also. I am still working on this system. 

Your WIKI is very complete. It must have taken you many hours to put this together. I hope Dell appreciates your time. I certainly do.

If you managed to install Windows Vista then there is no need for the SATA drivers.

They are sometimes needed for the errors above alternatively the errors above can crop up if bad media is used which is why I mentioned slipstreaming of Service Pack 1 and making a bootable USB.

If you made the bootable USB and added Service Pack 1 than this may have fixed the issue as the media was different and/or more up to date. If you used the same media as before I am not sure why it didn't work first time round.

My wikies are located mainly in the Microsoft OS Forum wiki area.

The numbered ones are mine. Other wikies may be found in other Support Forum boards by clicking wikies in the same manner but there are more in the Microsoft OS Forum as I tend to use/write them a lot more. Several wikies are also found in the OS and Applications wiki area although none of them are mine.

My wikies are designed to be very complete and are continuously improved (I amend them in areas I see users get stuck at).

Installing the NIC should not take out your wireless connections. Are the wireless connections still out after the computer is restarted?

Watch out with inputting the Service Tag on the Drivers and Downloads Page in my experience you end up missing most of the drivers (Dell upgraded their website a year ago and since then the service tags don't work correctly). If I input mine for example I get:

Which isn't so great. I am really unhappy with Dell Drivers and Downloads and have submitted a lot of feedback to Dell about it.

I prefer the Dell FTP browse for drivers website explained in Step 5b (opposed to 5a). It isn't updated as frequently as the Drivers and Downloads Page but for a Windows Vista Installation its fine to use as the drivers are probably not going to be updated much more.

natakuc4.   I am not sure why I never noticed the Wiki's before.  Sometimes I am just overwelmed by the Dell forum. The forum used to be a great place and the support was good on Dell's end however there has been a downgrade in the last few years. I   visit the Rockstars part and the Virus part the most often and I   have seen some of your posts concerning the Driver and Download sections.  This is so poor on Dell's part.  Just this week three family members have given me their older Dells and bought apple products.  I am reformating these Dells for the younger children in the family. 

I am still working if reformating this Precision  M65. I did get the operating system back on although I do not seem to be able to install the Service pack 1. It goes through the motions but I do not see it listed anywhere. 

"If you made the bootable USB and added Service Pack 1 than this may have fixed the issue as the media was different and/or more up to date. If you used the same media as before I am not sure why it didn't work first time round."  I have not done this part. I was using Windows Updates to install the updates and have been trying to install service pack 1.  I am not sure why Service pack One is not installed.  It does not show up  in the  Control Panel however the history from Windows Updates shows that it is installed.

Press [Windows] and [Pause|Break] or right click computer and select properties.

On this screen here http://en.community.dell.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-wikis-components-files/00-00-00-00-18/6874.A-_2D00_-Copy-_2D00_-Copy-_2D00_-Copy.png (Under Windows Edition at the top).

To be honest I do not trust Windows Update with the instalaltion of Service Packs (it often leads to issues) so I recommend users to install the standalone service packs before installlation of the system drivers which is not what Microsoft recommend (they say not to use the file for just 1 PC) but it leads to best results.

I was able to download and intall the standalone Service Pack 1.  Thanks for this help.  And I have been reading through your WIKI's.  Thanks for all your contributions to the forum and the help you have given me.  Annie

One other question-can I delete the file called Window.old?

Yes you can delete Windows.old providing you have copied everything from the old user directories that you want. You can't use anything from the old program files etc. so its really just wasted space.

Darn!  It won't let me delete. The message I get when I try to delete windows.old is "you need permission to delete this file."

Annie

I meant to say, Step 15 of my guide gives more detail:

If you have everything on the external hard drive then ignore this step. If not go to computer, then to C then to C:\Windows.old look through the users folder, move all the items (you want to keep) from "documents" to "documents", "desktop" to "desktop", "music" to "music", "pictures" to "pictures", "downloads" to "downloads". Look about in this folder for anything else, has old windows files you won't need, old program files probably won't need. It is very large. Delete it when you have moved whatever you need as it is a very large folder and unnecessary once you have your new windows installed. Note there is more information and an automated tool here.

Copy anything you need from the user directories and then delete it as it is wasted hard drive space. As the Windows.old folder is quite large sometimes there are issues deleting it so sometimes I use Unlocker to forcefully delete it.

Annie,

You can't delete the windows.old folder until the Susquehanna River freezes and then thaws. :emotion-5: Got cold quick

If you had any files and folders that you need, they are in the windows.old folder.

Rick

The temperature did drop and the wind was fierce yesterday.  I have all files, documents, etc. that I want on discs so I need nothing from windows.old.  So I will delete it.  Thanks for the reply. 

What about the file windows.old.000.  Can this be deleted also?  I am trying to make this laptop as clean as possible. 

Use unlocker install without the toolbars

Run unlocker, accept the UAC and then select the Windows.old folder and select delete. Repeat for any other Windows.old000 folders.

Then restart and install CCleaner, run the cleaner and the registry cleaner (optional).

Although if you want to be as clean as possible, use DBAN Step 7a and this will wipe out the entire drive there will be no windows.old folders but you will need to start from the scratch again.

natakuc4,  I used Unlocker and it worked! Windows.old is gone and much disc space has been freed up.  I never saw the "Choose Components"  window so I had to manually get rid of the QuickStore stuff. I should have used DBAN, however I am not going to start over since I have another dell laptop to format later this week.  I will try DBAN on that one.

I am downloading CCleaner now.  I am familar with this program.  Thanks again for the help.  Formattting this laptop has been like taking a course.  Thanks again for the help.