Formatted Hard Drive, but missing help files

Did you use the Software Reinstall Guides available via the Product Support button above, to reinstall the OS, drivers and applications (in the correct order)?  If not, you should have.  They'll give detailed instructions as to how to reinstall anything that's available via the OEM software and/or downloads.  If it isn't on your supplied software or available via the Downloads link, it's gone forever, which may be a good thing, in the case of some of that Dell software.

Message Edited by redwolfe_98 on 11-14-2004 05:07 AM

Redwolf,

I have a Dell Dimension 8400. I also had to do a complete reinstall of Windows, doing a full format of the hard drive. Well, as mentioned here, I lost all Dell applications like that icon that says Help and Alert. You know, that little colored Icon on the desktop and on the System tray. I also lost the online user's guide. Actually I lost all the Dell software that wasn't on the Resource CD when I did the reinstall. Is this going to affect my computer? Is there any way of getting them back? I even lost the Dell logo wallpaper. Any suggestions? Can I get a disk with these Apps from Dell? My pc is only a month old.

Robin

I've just had the same experience with my year-old 8300. I had to reinstall in the end because this seemed the only option left to me, the Dell Technical Support on-line "help" regarding my problem was utterly useless and absolutely beyond belief. The reinstallation of course sorted my problem (sound card / DVD player). However, all the stuff that people above have refered to is missing. I tried again to get some help from their on-line help and once again they were utterly useless. (It's impossible to believe that this company actually built the thing!) They said it was on the "Drivers and Utilities CD". NOT very helpful when there are TWO different CDs with this title. I narrowed it down to one of them, followed all their links down the tree only to find at the last step no such file existed on my cd!  I've written back, but no response. It seems to me the chance of getting any actual help out of Dell once you've bought your computer is zero. This forum is your only hope. I think the advice of others above is that the loss, although infuriating, is not really that serious. Should you ever need to communicate with Dell, and heaven help you if you do, once you've entered your "service Tag" on their Site support page it automatically fills it in on any communication form.  If you press F2 when the Dell logo appears at start-up, you'll see the service tag no. is still there (if that's any consolation) at the top of the system set-up screen.

 

8300user,

My pc was just a month old when I had to have one of the drives replaced. Actually, I don't think it ever worked.

So far, I've only been able to reach Online Tech Support once. The other times it always says that all available agents are unavailable. I've found the support, both tech support and online support, very poor. Now, having said this, if I had knows this fact when I was getting ready to order my Dell, I would have said "forget it." I would have taken my Compaq AMD and see what it would have cost to upgrade Ram, Hard Drive, and maybe get an external burner because there were no extra bays. Before I bought this system, I thought about it for over a month. It wasn't one of those "whim" purchases, as I'm sure yours wasn't either. I had always heard that Dell had a good name. I just assumed wrong about their support. Had I known it wasn't good, I never would have bought this pc. Now I'm stuck. I absolutely hate calling tech support because of the language barrier, and the fact that last time they had me doing a bunch of useless things for over an hour that only made things worse.

I know that it isn't a matter of life or death if the Dell System Software that was first installed isn't on one of the Recovery disks, but it helped me to be able to look up the information on the desktop because I could read it much better. I had both my eyes operated on last year and reading print that is up close is impossible. When the monitor is far away, I can see much better. Like when I read the Service Tag number and the Express Service Code on the front of the pc, it's so difficult. Even with glasses I have a hard time. Why they never put that software in the Reinstall disks is beyond me.

So, like you said, our only hope is this Forum. Either that or I have to learn to be my own technician. It took me 10 hours to Reinstall Windows on my 8400 with a 250GB hard drive. Oh, and there is the "other" thing. About not being able to talk about certain things on the forum. It's ridiculous. I got a warning about that. From what I've heard, you can get kicked out of the forum for mentioning certain things.

Robin,

SINCE WRITING I TRIED WHAT  PROO959  SAID HAD WORKED FOR HIM. IT WORKED FOR ME TOO!! THANKS PROO959. HOWEVER YOU HAVE AN 8400 AND NOT AN 8300. THAT I DON'T THINK WILL MATTER.  SINCE THE INSTALLATION SOFTWARE IS ON THE DRIVERS & UTILITIES / RESOURCES CD I SET ABOUT FINDING OUT WHY DELLS INSTRUCTIONS SENT BY THEIR ON-LINE SUPPORT DIDN'T WORK. THEY NATURALLY TOLD ME TO SELECT 8300 AND THEN CHOOSE "APPLICATIONS"  UNDER TOPIC. HOWEVER, IT ONLY DISPLAYS "MULTIMEDIA KEYBOARD".

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS SELECT 4550 THEN UNDER TOPIC YOU SELECT"DELL HELP & SUPPORT CUSTOMISATION" , CLICK ON "EXTRACT" AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL SHOUL BE WELL AGAIN. IT SEEMS SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT A LINK UNDER THE 8300 ROUTE. THE "GLOBE" THAT PROO 959 TALKS OF IS AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN AFTER YOUVE TYPED "NEXT" ON THE PAGE THAT AUTOMATICALLY OPENS WHEN THE CD IS INSERTED.

HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOUR 8400 CD .  BY THE WAY IF I WERE YOU I WOULDN'T INCLUDE MY EMAIL ADDRESS ON A WEB PAGE OPEN TO ANYONE. PERHAPS YOU CAN EDIT IT OUT?

8300,

I can't edit out my email address, now, unfortunately. It's up to the Moderators or Regulars to do that.

Now, when you went by Proo959's advice, when you tried those keys, did you first boot to the bios by pressing F2, or did were you at your system desktop instead? Can you please let me know, because I've been having major problems with this machine and I need to know if it is the computer or if I went into the wrong settings. I'd appreciate the info. If I went into the Bios by mistake, then that was my fault.

Thanks for the other information also.

Robin

Pr000959,

I wanted to see if you were talking to me before I tried anything. Now, I hope I don't sound stupid, but which Dell CD and which file? I have no clue as to what file I am looking for. But please excuse me if you aren't talking to me.

Robin

Sorry I thought I'd spelled out for you which cd pr00959 was referring to  when I said DRIVERS & UTILITIES/RESOURCE.

DRIVERS AND UTILITIES IS IN BLUE LETTERS ON WHITE SEGMENT AT TOP OF LABEL

UNDER IT ON BLUE BACKGROUND IN WHITE LETTERS IS Dell Dimension Resource CD

JUST STICK THE CD IN AND FOLLOW MY LAST INSTRUCTIONS. HOWEVER AS I STRESSED I DON'T HAVE AN 8400, but an 8300 and dont know if this same disc has been sent to you.

TODAY AFTER I'vE BEEn knoKING ON DELL' DOOR FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS THEY TELL ME IT IS AVAILABLE  AS A DOWN LOAD. GO TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE BASE AND ENTER  TT69734

You know, I got confused because I thought you were talking about another problem I was having. I did find the help files on the Resource CD. What I had been referring to is that Pr00 said in order to make sure the IDE Devices were loading, because I got an error message, to go into system setup and press Alt E, Alt B and Alt F. Well, I went into the Bios and Windows got wiped out. Had to do a total reinstall and it took me about 10 tries. The pc didn't want to accept the disks for some reason. What I'm trying to figure out is if he was referring to going into the Bios to see if the pc beeps to get the IDE devices working, or at least a few, or if he was talking about just going into Windows. That is what I was confused about.

Robin

URGENT CORRECTION GREMLINS IN MY KEYBOARD , MESSAGE BUT ONE BEFORE THIS -- KNOWLEDGE BASE NUMBER SHOULD BE TT1069734 . SORRY THE '10' SOMEHOW GOT LOST. NB IHAVEN'T PERSONALLY TRIED THIS DOWNLOAD BUT IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY DELL SUPPORT YESTERDAY. HOPE NOBODY'S BEEN LOOKING FOR THE WRONG ITEM.