Wait...is the solution as simple as Ctrl + F11 keys being pressed during bootup? Why isn't this documented better if it is so. I'm going through some kind of recovery process right now. Based on things up until now, I have low hopes anything useful will happen. Will update.
Where've you been?? Ctrl-F11 launches PC Restore that resets the hard drive to exactly the way Dell shipped it, on systems running Windows XP.
Remember, you'll have to reinstall the Microsoftt service pack (unless your system came with SP3 installed), plus every update and hotfix for all Microsoft software once PC Restore is done.
And all your personal files will be lost forever, so I hope you backed up first.
F12 got me nowhere with the Dell disc, that's just the boot options. I figured booting up with that thing in place would do it, but it's the F11 thing it wants. Dell should simply give people a bootable disc or better, right up front instructions on what keys need pressing. I don't live for Dell, gave up building my own systems from parts many years ago, and really didn't have time to search around for the answer I eventually found in a sort of "what the hell is there to lose" key pressing moment. This experience made me reconsider (a little) that part about not building my own systems.
Haha! Where have I been? I've been working, on a working computer, and haven't had to bother with reinstalling on a Dell system ever before. I plugged the drive into an external enclosure and pulled all my data off before burning everything down and went through the long process of MS updates immediately. I was meaning to do it anyway since everything had started running at a crawl on my somewhat geriatric system. Much better now!
At the boot options (F12) you select boot from CD/DVD. Then a prompt comes up to press any key so press h for example. The XP installer then begins.
Again my guide here will tell you how to do every step. I guess you have done step 1, 2 and don't need to do 3 as you have the Dell XP disc so start on 4.
Unfortunately that isn't the case with mine. I did the F12 thing, did the bios boot order thing, and the system is capable of booting from disc. The reinstall disc I have from Dell was not bootable. I never did get the "Press any key" message at any point. F11 was all that worked. And it did. So problem solved.
Glad that PC Restore got you up and running again. :emotion-21:
Before you drive yourself totally crazy about that Windows CD, let me ask a couple of questions which you can ignore, if you're tired of spending time this. :emotion-5:
1. What PC model is this?
2. Do you have more than one optical drive in this PC? And are they IDE or SATA optical drives?
3. If yes to #2 and both IDE drives, did you try booting from the CD in the other drive?
4. If yes to #2 and both IDE optical drives, you probably needed to disconnect the optical drive connected to middle of the IDE ribbon cable before the XP CD can boot from the drive connected to the end of that cable. DUH!
5. Put the Windows CD into the drive and look at its contents. Do the file names look like Windows installation files? Dell has -on occassion- mis-labeled some disks as Windows Reinstallation CDs, but which were actually something else, and not bootable disks. Double-DUH!! Dell will replace the CD, if that's the problem.
bfinucan
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
1
September 3rd, 2011 20:00
Wow. That did it. Sorry for posting about it. Not sorry that Dell needs to document Ctrl+F11 better for people doing reinstalls.
bfinucan
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2011 20:00
Wait...is the solution as simple as Ctrl + F11 keys being pressed during bootup? Why isn't this documented better if it is so. I'm going through some kind of recovery process right now. Based on things up until now, I have low hopes anything useful will happen. Will update.
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
0
September 3rd, 2011 20:00
Where've you been?? Ctrl-F11 launches PC Restore that resets the hard drive to exactly the way Dell shipped it, on systems running Windows XP.
Remember, you'll have to reinstall the Microsoftt service pack (unless your system came with SP3 installed), plus every update and hotfix for all Microsoft software once PC Restore is done.
And all your personal files will be lost forever, so I hope you backed up first.
Ron
Philip_Yip
9 Legend
•
16.1K Posts
0
September 5th, 2011 14:00
Hold F12 if you are using the XP reinstallation CD at the BIOs screen, black screen with the Dell logo.
For a complete guide, see below.
bfinucan
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
September 7th, 2011 05:00
F12 got me nowhere with the Dell disc, that's just the boot options. I figured booting up with that thing in place would do it, but it's the F11 thing it wants. Dell should simply give people a bootable disc or better, right up front instructions on what keys need pressing. I don't live for Dell, gave up building my own systems from parts many years ago, and really didn't have time to search around for the answer I eventually found in a sort of "what the hell is there to lose" key pressing moment. This experience made me reconsider (a little) that part about not building my own systems.
Thanks,
Brandon
bfinucan
1 Rookie
•
6 Posts
0
September 7th, 2011 05:00
Haha! Where have I been? I've been working, on a working computer, and haven't had to bother with reinstalling on a Dell system ever before. I plugged the drive into an external enclosure and pulled all my data off before burning everything down and went through the long process of MS updates immediately. I was meaning to do it anyway since everything had started running at a crawl on my somewhat geriatric system. Much better now!
Thanks!
Brandon
Philip_Yip
9 Legend
•
16.1K Posts
0
September 7th, 2011 07:00
The Dell XP disc is bootable...
At the boot options (F12) you select boot from CD/DVD. Then a prompt comes up to press any key so press h for example. The XP installer then begins.
Again my guide here will tell you how to do every step. I guess you have done step 1, 2 and don't need to do 3 as you have the Dell XP disc so start on 4.
bfinucan
1 Rookie
•
6 Posts
0
September 7th, 2011 10:00
Unfortunately that isn't the case with mine. I did the F12 thing, did the bios boot order thing, and the system is capable of booting from disc. The reinstall disc I have from Dell was not bootable. I never did get the "Press any key" message at any point. F11 was all that worked. And it did. So problem solved.
Thanks!
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
0
September 7th, 2011 11:00
Glad that PC Restore got you up and running again. :emotion-21:
Before you drive yourself totally crazy about that Windows CD, let me ask a couple of questions which you can ignore, if you're tired of spending time this. :emotion-5:
1. What PC model is this?
2. Do you have more than one optical drive in this PC? And are they IDE or SATA optical drives?
3. If yes to #2 and both IDE drives, did you try booting from the CD in the other drive?
4. If yes to #2 and both IDE optical drives, you probably needed to disconnect the optical drive connected to middle of the IDE ribbon cable before the XP CD can boot from the drive connected to the end of that cable. DUH!
5. Put the Windows CD into the drive and look at its contents. Do the file names look like Windows installation files? Dell has -on occassion- mis-labeled some disks as Windows Reinstallation CDs, but which were actually something else, and not bootable disks. Double-DUH!! Dell will replace the CD, if that's the problem.
Ron