How do i reset factory settings?

Question

hope this is in the right place!   inspiron 2200 xp home   i had a virus which could not be removed. i was advised by an 'expert' to use the disc which i created when i bought the laptop to re install windows. i did this thinking that the laptop would return to the configuration that i receivced it in. as you probably know this did not happen. i now have a laptop with a basic version of xp home on it but none of the Dell software. the keyboard does not function correctly (you press one key and two letters/numbers appear) i've lost the Fn functions etc etc etc.   is there an idiots guide to restoring the factory settings or am i stuck with what ive got?   ive contacted dells email tech support service and now need a computrer science degree to understand what they are on about.   thanks for any help you can give.

obey_gravity · Answer

Procedure for Restoring : http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&dn=1090151 Not sure if it will work, as you don't say if you 'wiped' the partition this resides on when you 'reinstalled'. Also,  did you reinstall your drivers as well? Chipset first?   If it is still there, but does not work you could (if you're game ;)  )  try here:   http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/ Message Edited by obey_gravity on 07-23-200606:52 AM

ihatelaptops · Answer

the partition is still there but the Ctrl F11 key does not work.   did install drivers etc from the dell site but cant remember in which order.

obey_gravity · Answer

Second link in my post above will should have info on restoring that partition  Tho it isn't for the faint of heart ;)  It's up to you, but....... I would suggest you try reinstalling again, to see if your other problems are fixed. http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=EB38B3447F694B05A210626EC42E8A1B&c=us&l=en&s=dhs http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?

ihatelaptops · Answer

i cant get the laptop to boot into DOS. ive tried the methods in the link but cannot get them to work.

ive attached a usb floppydrive with a win 98 start up disc but although it sees it it will not start from it

any ideas

Argus1996 · Answer

I kinda have the same problem except that the Ctrl+F11 does absolutly nothing. It just loads the OS and will not get into the restore part Any suggestions for me????

obey_gravity · Answer

If you don't want to reinstall: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=EB38B3447F694B05A210626EC42E8A1B&c=us&l=en&s=dhs http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx? I would suggest you go here: and repost your question --  Be sure and mention that after the reinstall, the keyboard does not function correctly (you press one key and two letters/numbers appear) i've lost the Fn functions etc etc etc. It is possible there is a fix with reinstall

obey_gravity · Answer

Argus 1996: Only systems shipped after July 15, 2004 came with Symantec PC Restore.  What are your system specs?

Argus1996 · Answer

I have a Lattitute D610, win XP 520 ram . Everything works well except for the office 03. It will not allow me to remove the old 2000 so I thought if I started with a clean slate I would not have the problem of office looking for install files everytime I log in.

If I go through the troubleshooting tree I get to where I need to press it does not recognise the keystroke.

the_natural · Answer

To clear it all up, once you've Reinstalled the OS using the Operating System CD from Dell, PC Restore would not work anymore regardless if you did or did not delete the hidden partition containing PC Restore. Running the fixboot/fixmbr command in Recovery Console would also yield the same result. So basically if you want the other programs that were preinstalled by Dell, then you can use the Tools and Applications CD from Dell to reinstall them manually.    I really don't know the reason why PC Restore becomes non-bootable once you've reinstalled the OS using the CD.  Maybe Dell is tweaking the Boot Sector/MBR of their pre-installed Operating Systems, integrating the PC Restore in it so basically, configuring the Boot Sector/MBR using the Operating System CD would load the original Boot Sector/MBR of Windows, not the one configured by Dell, and that would mean that PC Restore would not be bootable anymore.    I'm still thinking a way on how to retrieve the PC Restore once you've lost it. I've heard from a friend about a program called Partition Magic (I think it's also from Norton) but I haven't tried that one yet.   Hope this helps and good luck!

Denny Denham · Answer

Argus1996,

Another user had a similar problem and finally resolved it. Just on the chance it might work for you, his post is here.

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=196097&jump=true#M196097

ihatelaptops · Answer

i never got a Tools and applications cd from dell. the only cd i have is one that you have an option of creating when you first start the laptop. this cd is just the operating system.

ihatelaptops · Answer

obey_gravity   you say:   'I would suggest you go here:'   where??

obey_gravity · Answer

Denny, Wow,  I did not know that,  that is some weird wild stuff.........  :) I really hope the solution is that simple. Of all the  'stickies' they have posted on these boards  I think 'Shesagordies post here: http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_harddrive&message.id=113940 Should be  'Cut and Pasted' at the top of all of them with an  'If F11 doesn't work for PC Restore' title on it. also from that posting is this;   How the Dell PC Restore by Symantec Image can be made unusable,   http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1090198&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19   Message Edited by obey_gravity on 07-26-200601:40 AM

obey_gravity · Answer

Ihatelaptops,       I have just now noticed I forgot to post that link, so I am including it here today. But first:  Have you 'clicked' on the link in 'Dennys' post?  Apparently there's some debate over when exactly to use the F11 key If this doesn't work for you (and as I said, it may not since I don't know how exactly you reinstalled the o.s.) As I said yesterday if reinstalling once again is something you don't want to do I would suggest you go here: http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=insp_general and repost your question --  Be sure and mention that after the reinstall, the keyboard does not function correctly (you press one key and two letters/numbers appear) i've lost the Fn functions etc etc etc.

obey_gravity · Answer

First, I would try the procedure outlined in Denny's post,

If that doesn't work, my thinking behind reinstalling is that you may have (inadvertantly) overlooked, or missed a step in the supplied "reinstalling windows" link I gave you earlier (i.e. the order of the drivers install Chipset first, then Notebook System Software etc)

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=netwkint&message.id=74&query.id=154478#M74

Message Edited by obey_gravity on 07-26-200602:53 AM

Windows General

How do i reset factory settings?

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