You need a Retail XP installation disc for the 4100 . . you can use your Dell installation disc for the 4700. For both, you will get the best results with a clean installation . .
to do that, enter BIOS ( Setup ) and set the first boot device as CD/ROM. Put your XP Disc in the drive and disconnect all external peripherals except the monitor, keyboard and mouse, and be sure those are not USB, or wireless. Any internal USB card should also be removed.
Once you set your BIOS to boot first from cd . . when it restarts you will see a black screen with a prompt "Press any key to boot from CD" . . do that and you will be able to delete partitions and recreate one or more, then proceed to formating and installing XP.
That message can pass quickly, so have a finger on the keyboard when you boot. This will delete all data on the drive so be sure you have your important data backed up. The prompt will appear after every reboot, but do not press any key on subsequent reboots. The setup process will continue with no action required from you.
If you do not get that message, and you have another optical drive, try the XP CD in the other drive.
XP will load all the drivers for the 4100 . . on the 4700, you may have to reload drivers (Chipset first) and applications, If your XP installation disc does not include SP2, after the installation, you will need to download and install SP-2, while windows is clean. Prior to connecting to the internet be sure you enable the XP firewall.
If you want to save your files and settings, you can use the XP Files and Settings Transfer (FAST) wizard to create an image of them and save to cd or other removable media. These are good guides to using the FAST wizard. Just be sure you have an up-to-date antivirus before you re-instate them!
What your former IT guy told you is correct concerning the 4100. You cannot install ME over XP because it does indeed run on the FAT32 file system while XP runs on the NTFS file system. You can boot from the ME CD and FDISK the drive, which will delete the existing partition. You are correct in stating that ME will format the drive, so no worries there.
Also, reformatting the system will also completely rewrite the registry which brings me to your 4700. You stated that you cannot get a clean format. Are you booting from the cd, or are you initiating the reinstall from within windows? If you boot from the CD, you should have no problems with performing a clean reformat. In case you didn't know how to boot from the CD, you press F12 at the screen with the blue Dell logo. It will then give you the Boot Device Menu. You'll want to select your CD drive and press enter. It will then flash "Press any key to boot from cd..." on the screen, during which time you only have a few seconds to press a key (I prefer spacebar). If you need have any questions or need any help with anything (such as the FDISK process) send me a private message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
These guys have said everything that needs to be said for the 4700. Only thing I would recommend is this site which gives step by step screenshots of exactly how to install Windows XP on a system.
You shouldn't have any problems networking ME and XP together. Just use the XP CD from the 4700 to run the home network setup wizard on the 4100 after you've got ME installed. I would, however, reccomend updating to XP as ME is a fairly unstable operating system. If you purchase a Windows XP home edition upgrade cd, it will be cheaper than to buy the version for pc's without windows and it's still a full version anyway. The only difference is, when you boot from the CD to reformat (assuming you want to run NTFS, XP can run either FAT32 or NTFS) it will ask you to insert the ME CD in the middle of the installation process to make sure that you are indeed upgrading.
As far as your registry issues are concerned, I'm not really sure what to tell you as these functions are a little out of my experience.
Thanks for your help!! Prior to having someone regularly service the 4100, I reformatted it a couple of times. So, I know how the process truly does work, as compared to how it currently works, since we've had the I.T. guy servicing our computers for quite a while. Pre-I.T. days, reformatting did, indeed, provide me with a truly fresh, clean registry - just as though I had just received my Dell. Back then, reformatting worked as it should work and did provide me with a new, clean registry. However, as I said, I am not an I.T. professional, but my father was a software engineer, and I grew up around computers. I am a very astute individual and am one who is able to figure out how to do something, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I have learned from this guy - let's call him "John", just to give him a name - not his real one, of course. John did teach me things along the way about the computers. I understand the registry a lot more than I previously ever did. So, I do have a grasp on some of the concepts, but I just wanted to state that I am not a truly technical individual or software engineer.
Regarding the registry issue on the 4700, John has the registry set up to re-send/save certain files/folders. For example, the AppIDs on the computer are locked somewhere on the registry to save and resend them. Also, Progman/Program Manager is set up the same way. In order to combat this, I have gone through the registry - very carefully - and have deleted the MANY, MANY files that he has set to resend/save on a reboot. However, irrespective of how hard I try, it never seems to work and the same files come flying back in - EVERY DARN TIME!!!!!!!!!!! Because he has not been using the legal key code for our 4700, I have had problems getting the registration screen to come up, for his illegal key code, which does NOT prompt a registration code is still in the computer in a few places. Thus, I made the six diskettes that one can make to boot, and have had MUCH better luck in having the registration screen come up in using the diskettes vs. the CD. So, I use the set of six diskettes for XP Home and am VERY happy with them. With regard to my telling him via e-mail that I needed to know how to unlock the many files and folders that he has set up in the registry, he responded:
I did not lock your machine
I did not create this bulk registry folder that you’re talking about – it’s probably a system folder that Windows created and should not be deleted and you might risk disabling your machine if you do. – it’s probably Windows that has it locked.
As I do know how to reboot and with what a clean reboot should provide you, I am not getting a clean reboot - I can completely assure of that!!!!!!!!!! I have tried changing the directives for the reboot orders that he has set up. However, I do not touch anything about which I do not know. I try to be extremely careful. He denies setting up files that lock. ALSO, I forgot this in my first e-mail - NEARLY EVERY FOLDER OR FILE HAS BECOME "READ-ONLY" AND YOU REMOVE IT, AND WHEN YOU OPEN A "NEW" FOLDER OR FILE, IT IS AUTOMATICALLY "READ-ONLY". ISN'T THAT JUST GREAT?!?!?!?! That occurred after his last visit - but before I started really complaining - and he didn't fix it. That helped push us over-the-edge with him. He also state:
I never gave you any Microsoft software – that would be piracy and illegal. If I accidentally left one of my disks at your place, then I need it back.
If you want to reinstall “Windows XP” on your 4100, then use the OS disk that came with your other Dell. This will work and will not ask you for a key code.
Right... Actually, I simply want to make the 4100 Millenium once again, for now. He never told us about a lot of the things that he did with the computers and how he was setting everything up - with setting up a million registry files and locking off things - to which it seems that he has administrative rights, but my husband and I do not. That is SO not right!!!! I use Dell.com to download drivers and such, specific to my computer. Well, one day I decided to make the 4700 BIOS, which to this day, I truly don't understand and I kind of wish I hadn't done because it seems like a pain now that I've done it. Well, he made the 4100 BIOS and did not ask us about or TELL us about it!! In order to be networked - we have Comcast for the computer, not the television, though - do the two HAVE to be the same? Can I have one computer using Millenium as an operating system and the second using XP Home as its operating system and have my networking work O.K. or, in this instance, do both have be using an XP operating system?
So, because I know what a true, clean reformat provides you, I know I'm not getting it. I don't know what he's doing... I want to redesign our web site, as our business is seasonal and this is holding me WAY up!!!! I am so upset about all of this!!!! The timing of it all couldn't be worse!!!!!! I just want clean, fresh, registries that are not filled with the programs that I have been currently using and such other information. This is quite a lesson learned, and I am hardly an unsophisticated individual, as we run our own business.
Thank you so very much for all of the links that you provided me!!! Your help is greatly and tremendously appreciated!!!!
I now have the Dimension 4100 reformatted and is seems to have done so properly. I was able to enter the Millennium key code for it, and it all worked fine. So, one down... :)
Regarding the Dimension 4700, I perused the links that you provided me and the information that most caught my eye was that about clearing the hard drive in DOS. I have not tried that. However, it sounds as though it might be the answer to my problems. However, to do so, I am going to need more instruction than the page provided, which was simply the DOS command that one enters and "then start the installation". When I was in college, the college library had the "Mac Lab". I have never been comfortable working in DOS. Thus, I am hopeful that this will work for me. However, I shall need a better breakdown of steps to take, so that I do not break my computer. That's all I need...with tax time looming around the corner... :( No thank you!!!! :) So, I just want to be extremely careful in using this DOS process of clearing the XP hard drive. I do have Windows XP SP2, which came with the Dell 4700. The computer is BIOS. Honestly, I did that on a whim, not really knowing what it meant, but knowing that it wouldn't do any harm to the computer. I guess it makes it more stable. My brother-inlaw knows quite a lot about computers, but he is not local and does not quite understand that which I am trying to convey, which surprises me, actually. Not to criticize him, for he is highly intelligent. It happens, though, for he is not an engineer. He simply knows a lot about computers, kind of by default, which happens to some people. Anyway, irrespective of what I have tried, I cannot get a clean install. I have utilized the utilities on the Dell site, the Microsoft site, several downloads, which I checked out, of course, and I even purchased a software product for $40.00 that claimed to be able to "sweep your hard drive", "clear your hard drive", and such things. I do my homework, as best as I can. I don't see the logic in making an uniformed decision. Thus, that is not how I function. Well, irrespective of what I use, nothing works, for I always have at least 200 files or folders(I forget which, as I'm getting tired now.), that cannot be scanned. My contention is that these cannot be scanned because they are the ones that are locked.
Each time I reformat, I have the AppIDs, Progman/Program Manager, Delegate(whatever that is), and a number of other things come flying back in. As a photographer, my husband loaded a Kodak software program on the computer. I have deleted every registry entry to it, yet it returns each time!!!!! My computer loads like I have been recently using it. I do NOT get a fresh installation!!!!!! I have tried changing the code for when the computer selects the information for its reinstallation, but regardless of what I have done, the very same thing happens. It's SO frustrating!!!!! I know that the computer wasn't always like this - so, I KNOW what should happen - and it's not happening!!!!
Is the DOS solution the best way to go, or is that too risky for someone like me who is a highly adept individual, but needs an extremely clear layout of how to proceed with this DOS procedure?
Thanks so VERY much, Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Message Edited by PhilMickelsonIsTheBest on 03-30-2006 10:43 PM
Message Edited by PhilMickelsonIsTheBest on 03-30-2006 10:45 PM
I have used Drive Scruber to completely wipe a hard drive you can get it here:
http://www.iolo.com/ds/ You can read on it first to be sure you really want to clear the drive. Before using it you should also download the utility for your brand of drive like WD or Maxtor. After you use drive scruber then reformat with your utility disk or floppy. Then reinstall OS. I have used this program to clean drives before letting anyone else have them.
There really is no need to format the drive in DOS . . XP will guide you thru deleting the partition(s) and setting up new one(s) . . formating and installing.
It sounds like he may have setup multiple partitions on your harddrive, and it is booting from something other than C:. So when you reformat, and re-install XP on C:, it is not chaning anything, you are just adding a copy of the OS, that the system cannot access.
Try do the clean-install option again, and this time carefully check each partition, and it's size. There will be at least one small partition, probably about 5gig, this has the system restore data in it, and should be left alone. You may a second small partition as well this contains low level format data that tell the system how to access the drive, this should be left alone as well. You should only have 1 partition that is over 5gig in size. If you have more, delete all of them, then create a single partition out of the free space, and format that for NTFS. This should remove all of his changes, and give you a clean copy of XP to start with.
I have EVERYTHING regularly backed up, and I do, indeed, check my back ups. I do appreciate the caveats. However, backing up my data - or not, as the case maybe - is not my problem. As it is Friday evening, I now have both computers reformatted. The 4100 reformat worked fine. For some reason, my diskettes did not work for me today. Thus, the registration screen did not come up for the 4700, as I used the CD to reformat. For whatever reason, "John" used a different key code from my Windows Home XP SP2 key code, even though I have not upgraded it or anything like that. He should have used the key code on the side of the machine, but he did not. I don't know what in the world he was doing or using. Thus, my experience is now that when I boot from a CD, I most often do NOT get the registration screen to come up. As "John" is using pirated software, clearly that is what he wanted. Therefore, that is what, in fact, occurs. However, when I use the set of six diskettes that I created and boot from it, I almost always get the registration screen. Unfortunately, my keyboard stopped working once I got to Disk #6 and I had to hit "Enter". That had not before happened. So, I used my CD and, of course, I did not get my registration screen, which angers me so very much. I don't know how I'm going to get all of the stuff that he put on my computer off of it. I need to find another I.T. individual, for files and folders are, indeed, locked and will not delete.
Regarding the reformat of the 4700, as usual, the files that I had most recently been using came flying back in to the computer. It loaded software programs, drivers, etc... It's awful!!!! I cannot get a clean reformat. At least I have two clean, virus-free computers. Also, I have the 4100 working, which is great. Thank you folks for your help!!! :)
Most unfortunately, all of my files and folders are still "read-only" and when you create a new file or folder, it is created, as such, and you cannot change it!!!!!! I went into F2 and set a function to return everything to the default setting, or something to that effect. I didn't have much hope, but I'm trying anything I can think of to fix these issues. It didn't work. I have used the Microsoft computer "cleaner", which cleans the registry. Some files that it selects will NOT be deleted. I haven't yet checked, but I bet those are locked.
This has caused me so much aggravation!!!! My files and folders should not be locked from me and should NOT be "read-only"!!!!!!!! I possess enough knowledge to try different things to change/fix everything, but nothing works. So, I am stuck with a computer that does not function properly, in part, because it has/had a pirated operating system on it!!!! Also, virtually all of my existing files and folders are now "read-only" and any new file or folder is "read-only"!!!!!!! I don't know what to do!!!!!!!!! This is so not right!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so very much for your very kind help!!!! It is very greatly and sincerely appreciated!!!!!
simpswr
2 Intern
•
3.2K Posts
0
March 30th, 2006 23:00
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/software_reinstall/en/index?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn
http://www.echoproject.net/en/software/catalog.html
http://www.socrtwo.info/cleanxpinstall.htm
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm
autumnbreaks
31 Posts
0
March 30th, 2006 23:00
Also, reformatting the system will also completely rewrite the registry which brings me to your 4700. You stated that you cannot get a clean format. Are you booting from the cd, or are you initiating the reinstall from within windows? If you boot from the CD, you should have no problems with performing a clean reformat. In case you didn't know how to boot from the CD, you press F12 at the screen with the blue Dell logo. It will then give you the Boot Device Menu. You'll want to select your CD drive and press enter. It will then flash "Press any key to boot from cd..." on the screen, during which time you only have a few seconds to press a key (I prefer spacebar). If you need have any questions or need any help with anything (such as the FDISK process) send me a private message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
DoCJace
54 Posts
0
March 30th, 2006 23:00
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxphome/installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm
Good luck!
autumnbreaks
31 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 01:00
You shouldn't have any problems networking ME and XP together. Just use the XP CD from the 4700 to run the home network setup wizard on the 4100 after you've got ME installed. I would, however, reccomend updating to XP as ME is a fairly unstable operating system. If you purchase a Windows XP home edition upgrade cd, it will be cheaper than to buy the version for pc's without windows and it's still a full version anyway. The only difference is, when you boot from the CD to reformat (assuming you want to run NTFS, XP can run either FAT32 or NTFS) it will ask you to insert the ME CD in the middle of the installation process to make sure that you are indeed upgrading.
As far as your registry issues are concerned, I'm not really sure what to tell you as these functions are a little out of my experience.
PhilMickelsonIs
4 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 01:00
Hi, AutumnBreaks:
Thanks for your help!! Prior to having someone regularly service the 4100, I reformatted it a couple of times. So, I know how the process truly does work, as compared to how it currently works, since we've had the I.T. guy servicing our computers for quite a while. Pre-I.T. days, reformatting did, indeed, provide me with a truly fresh, clean registry - just as though I had just received my Dell. Back then, reformatting worked as it should work and did provide me with a new, clean registry. However, as I said, I am not an I.T. professional, but my father was a software engineer, and I grew up around computers. I am a very astute individual and am one who is able to figure out how to do something, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I have learned from this guy - let's call him "John", just to give him a name - not his real one, of course. John did teach me things along the way about the computers. I understand the registry a lot more than I previously ever did. So, I do have a grasp on some of the concepts, but I just wanted to state that I am not a truly technical individual or software engineer.
Regarding the registry issue on the 4700, John has the registry set up to re-send/save certain files/folders. For example, the AppIDs on the computer are locked somewhere on the registry to save and resend them. Also, Progman/Program Manager is set up the same way. In order to combat this, I have gone through the registry - very carefully - and have deleted the MANY, MANY files that he has set to resend/save on a reboot. However, irrespective of how hard I try, it never seems to work and the same files come flying back in - EVERY DARN TIME!!!!!!!!!!! Because he has not been using the legal key code for our 4700, I have had problems getting the registration screen to come up, for his illegal key code, which does NOT prompt a registration code is still in the computer in a few places. Thus, I made the six diskettes that one can make to boot, and have had MUCH better luck in having the registration screen come up in using the diskettes vs. the CD. So, I use the set of six diskettes for XP Home and am VERY happy with them. With regard to my telling him via e-mail that I needed to know how to unlock the many files and folders that he has set up in the registry, he responded:
I did not lock your machine
I did not create this bulk registry folder that you’re talking about – it’s probably a system folder that Windows created and should not be deleted and you might risk disabling your machine if you do. – it’s probably Windows that has it locked.
As I do know how to reboot and with what a clean reboot should provide you, I am not getting a clean reboot - I can completely assure of that!!!!!!!!!! I have tried changing the directives for the reboot orders that he has set up. However, I do not touch anything about which I do not know. I try to be extremely careful. He denies setting up files that lock. ALSO, I forgot this in my first e-mail - NEARLY EVERY FOLDER OR FILE HAS BECOME "READ-ONLY" AND YOU REMOVE IT, AND WHEN YOU OPEN A "NEW" FOLDER OR FILE, IT IS AUTOMATICALLY "READ-ONLY". ISN'T THAT JUST GREAT?!?!?!?! That occurred after his last visit - but before I started really complaining - and he didn't fix it. That helped push us over-the-edge with him. He also state:
I never gave you any Microsoft software – that would be piracy and illegal. If I accidentally left one of my disks at your place, then I need it back.
If you want to reinstall “Windows XP” on your 4100, then use the OS disk that came with your other Dell. This will work and will not ask you for a key code.
Right... Actually, I simply want to make the 4100 Millenium once again, for now. He never told us about a lot of the things that he did with the computers and how he was setting everything up - with setting up a million registry files and locking off things - to which it seems that he has administrative rights, but my husband and I do not. That is SO not right!!!! I use Dell.com to download drivers and such, specific to my computer. Well, one day I decided to make the 4700 BIOS, which to this day, I truly don't understand and I kind of wish I hadn't done because it seems like a pain now that I've done it. Well, he made the 4100 BIOS and did not ask us about or TELL us about it!! In order to be networked - we have Comcast for the computer, not the television, though - do the two HAVE to be the same? Can I have one computer using Millenium as an operating system and the second using XP Home as its operating system and have my networking work O.K. or, in this instance, do both have be using an XP operating system?
So, because I know what a true, clean reformat provides you, I know I'm not getting it. I don't know what he's doing... I want to redesign our web site, as our business is seasonal and this is holding me WAY up!!!! I am so upset about all of this!!!! The timing of it all couldn't be worse!!!!!! I just want clean, fresh, registries that are not filled with the programs that I have been currently using and such other information. This is quite a lesson learned, and I am hardly an unsophisticated individual, as we run our own business.
Thanks so very much for your help!!!!! :)
PhilMickelsonIs
4 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 03:00
Message Edited by PhilMickelsonIsTheBest on 03-30-2006 10:43 PM
Message Edited by PhilMickelsonIsTheBest on 03-30-2006 10:45 PM
royhud
85 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 05:00
simpswr
2 Intern
•
3.2K Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 15:00
pixiekiller
50 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 16:00
It sounds like he may have setup multiple partitions on your harddrive, and it is booting from something other than C:. So when you reformat, and re-install XP on C:, it is not chaning anything, you are just adding a copy of the OS, that the system cannot access.
Try do the clean-install option again, and this time carefully check each partition, and it's size. There will be at least one small partition, probably about 5gig, this has the system restore data in it, and should be left alone. You may a second small partition as well this contains low level format data that tell the system how to access the drive, this should be left alone as well. You should only have 1 partition that is over 5gig in size. If you have more, delete all of them, then create a single partition out of the free space, and format that for NTFS. This should remove all of his changes, and give you a clean copy of XP to start with.
simpswr
2 Intern
•
3.2K Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 17:00
sparkenh
570 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 17:00
gudgeon
683 Posts
0
March 31st, 2006 17:00
PhilMickelsonIs
4 Posts
0
April 1st, 2006 00:00
Hi -
I have EVERYTHING regularly backed up, and I do, indeed, check my back ups. I do appreciate the caveats. However, backing up my data - or not, as the case maybe - is not my problem. As it is Friday evening, I now have both computers reformatted. The 4100 reformat worked fine. For some reason, my diskettes did not work for me today. Thus, the registration screen did not come up for the 4700, as I used the CD to reformat. For whatever reason, "John" used a different key code from my Windows Home XP SP2 key code, even though I have not upgraded it or anything like that. He should have used the key code on the side of the machine, but he did not. I don't know what in the world he was doing or using. Thus, my experience is now that when I boot from a CD, I most often do NOT get the registration screen to come up. As "John" is using pirated software, clearly that is what he wanted. Therefore, that is what, in fact, occurs. However, when I use the set of six diskettes that I created and boot from it, I almost always get the registration screen. Unfortunately, my keyboard stopped working once I got to Disk #6 and I had to hit "Enter". That had not before happened. So, I used my CD and, of course, I did not get my registration screen, which angers me so very much. I don't know how I'm going to get all of the stuff that he put on my computer off of it. I need to find another I.T. individual, for files and folders are, indeed, locked and will not delete.
Regarding the reformat of the 4700, as usual, the files that I had most recently been using came flying back in to the computer. It loaded software programs, drivers, etc... It's awful!!!! I cannot get a clean reformat. At least I have two clean, virus-free computers. Also, I have the 4100 working, which is great. Thank you folks for your help!!! :)
Most unfortunately, all of my files and folders are still "read-only" and when you create a new file or folder, it is created, as such, and you cannot change it!!!!!! I went into F2 and set a function to return everything to the default setting, or something to that effect. I didn't have much hope, but I'm trying anything I can think of to fix these issues. It didn't work. I have used the Microsoft computer "cleaner", which cleans the registry. Some files that it selects will NOT be deleted. I haven't yet checked, but I bet those are locked.
This has caused me so much aggravation!!!! My files and folders should not be locked from me and should NOT be "read-only"!!!!!!!! I possess enough knowledge to try different things to change/fix everything, but nothing works. So, I am stuck with a computer that does not function properly, in part, because it has/had a pirated operating system on it!!!! Also, virtually all of my existing files and folders are now "read-only" and any new file or folder is "read-only"!!!!!!! I don't know what to do!!!!!!!!! This is so not right!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so very much for your very kind help!!!! It is very greatly and sincerely appreciated!!!!!