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October 19th, 2010 15:00
reformat my Dell laptop computer
Hi,
I have a home Dell Laptop computer. However, it must have virus infection and many other things so it becomes extremely slow. I need to reformat it and reinstall the Windows. The problem I encounter is that the computer does not recognize my CD drive anymore. I cannot reinstall it from the original CD that came with the computer. Do anyone have suggestions how to deal with this problem?
Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Henry
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ieee488
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October 19th, 2010 16:00
Did you set the BIOS to first boot from the CD drive?
ddefillipo
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October 19th, 2010 18:00
Have you tried using Ctl-F11 at the Dell boot screen? This should reinstall your system to the factory installed state. You will then have to reinstall any othe software that you have added. It will also blow away any data that you have on the system, if that is a concern. I've used this method on my Inspiorn 6000 saveral times and on my Inspiron 1526. Check the manual too; it's documented there.
tgsmith
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October 20th, 2010 04:00
Hqxl,
If you wish to put your system back to its "as-shipped" condition, you must use the Dell PC Restore by Symantec for Windows XP or the Factory Image for Windows Vista. Using the Dell Reinstallation CD for Windows XP will not install device drivers or applications that shipped on the unit. Those will have to be installed separately. The PC Restore takes 15 to 20 minutes. Installing XP from CD, reinstalling device drivers and applications (if you have the drivers/applications CD), and configuring them can take hours. Installing XP from CD destroys access to the Dell PC Restore by Symantec. Access to the recovery partition can be repaired, but doing so can be a little daunting for a user who isn't comfortable with technical procedures.
As Ddefillipo pointed out, for XP, you restart your computer and press the CTRL and F11 keys simultaneously while the Dell logo is on the screen and then release them simultaneously. This can be a little tricky, but keep trying. Right after the Dell logo clears you should see a blue bar across the top of the screen with www.dell.com on it. This indicates the PC Restore partition is present. Systems manufactured before July 15, 2005 do not have a PC Restore partition, and you must use the Reinstallation CDs.
If you wish to boot from the XP CD to see if your CD(DVD)-ROM is working, simply restart the computer, press F12 while the Dell logo is on the screen, select the CD-ROM as the boot device and press Enter. If you can boot from the CD(DVD)-ROM drive, then your inability to read CDs or DVDs are the filters in the Windows Registry or a boot sector virus. The registry error can be repaired using Microsoft Fix-It available here: http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal
If your system has the Alureon root kit, it can be fixed by downloading and running Hitman Pro available at www.download.com Note that Hitman Pro is a cloud scanner. Your system must be able to access the Internet for it to compare questionable files on your system with the databases of five antivirus companies. Also note that custom-written executables on your system such as those created by Form Filler will be uploaded to the cloud for analysis. If you know those custom-written executables are safe then you can cancel those uploads.
If you are running Windows Vista, you restart your computer, press F8 while the Dell logo is on the screen, select your keyboard, then choose the Factory Image Restore. Installing Vista directly from DVD creates the same problems as previously mentionned regarding drivers and factory installed apps and also destroys access to the recovery partition. Once again, this access can be repaired but is a tad technical.
I hope this information helps. Please post back with whatever method you choose to repair your system and let us know how you fare. It helps everyone reading these posts.
Tony