Reinstall XP

You don't say what model computer you have, but if it has
the symantec PC restore the instructions are below.

Run the Dell PC Restore Utility

Power the computer on.

When the Dell screen appears press and HOLD the Ctrl key on the keyboard, press the F11 key, then release them both at the same time.
The Dell PC Restore by Symantec window appears.

NOTE: Only press the keys one time, if you press them more than once you will receive a keyboard error and will have to start the process over.


Click the Restore button.
A caution message appears advising that all data will be lost.

Click the Confirm button.
The progress window appears.
When the restore is complete the message The system recovery process was successful. appears.

Click the Finish button.
The computer will restart.

Your software is now back to the way it was when you first received your computer

I have an XPS600......

also I did the things you describe but the restore screen will not come up....

Windows instead continues to load as normal.....

Are you sure? If so, it would explain why I cannot access it on my inspiron 6000 shipped in September 2005. But I am confused. Dell document 291641 (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/tree?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs&journalid=6DCA8102628D11DB88C1F57FF714D322&treeid=FFA33DA99941FEDFE030030ABD62041A) states that it is available on systems shipped after 7/16/04 but says nothing about an end date.

Part of this page is reproduced below.


Microsoft® Windows® XP Reinstall Guide [ All Desktops and Portables ]

This is a step-by-step Troubleshooting Wizard. Use the options below to navigate.

STEP: Perform a PC Restore of the operating system.

NOTICE: To help prevent further complications, it is important to disconnect the system's modem or network cable before starting the restore process.

To perform a restore of the operating using PC Restore, perform the following steps:
NOTE: Dell PC Restore by Symantec is available on Dimension and Inspiron systems that shipped on or after 7/16/2004 in the Americas and 8/30/2004 in Europe.

---

@jmwills wrote:

Does the Disk Management Applet in Computer Management show a smallish Fat32 partition?

---

??? Sorry, is this a response to my post?
If so, I don't understand what you mean by "Disk Management Applet in Computer Management"

Unfortunately I cannot go to control panel. The reason I am looking to restore my computer (or re-install windows xp) is that I am unable to get a start button. Perhaps I should be starting a new thread, but at the risk of putting my problem int he wrong thread I shall explain it fully.

-I have an Inspiron 6000 running Windows XP Media Edition. I have a windows xp operating system disk and a Dell drivers and utilities disk.
-It has run flawlessly until yesterday. Of course, the computer was delivered sometime in September 2005, so it's now about a month outside of its warranty period!
-Suddenly (Saturday) it would not boot. I got a black screen stating something that I did not take down. I somehow got to a blue screen that said "A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer....etc..Run CHKDSK /f......etc.....***STOP: 0x00000024(0x000190203,0x8658DA98,0xC0000102,0x00000000)
-I tried to repair windows by booting from the DVD (using the windows xp disk) and then running Recovery Console. However, there was showing no existing windows installation to log onto.
-What I did do was I finally figured out how to run CHKDSK (as the blue screen had instructed)from the recovery console . I was not able to run CHKDSK /f (no option for that) but was able to run CHKDSK /r which, I believe, does the same thing.
-I then booted again from the DVD drive and tried Recovery Console again. This time there was a windows installation showing (c:\windows) which I proceeded to repair.
- I thought that this had solved the problem, since when I re-booted it appeared that windows was loading. However, it was not working correctly.
-When I boot up the following happens:
1) a dialogue box comes up "tfswctrl.exe - Application Error...the application failed to initialize properly (0xc0150002). Click on OK to terminate the application". I click on OK.
2) there is no start button. The task bar is white instead of blue.
3) I can get the Start Menu up by pressing the windows key. But it is blank except for All Programs and the Log Off and Turn Off Computer buttons (hence I cannot access Control Panel)
4) My desktop items are present. I can use windows explorer to access folders by right clicking a folder icon and then "Explore" or "Open". However, when I do open a folder there is no menu at the top (ie no "File Edit View Favorites Tools Help". There is a Back/Forward button and a Search and Folders button and a view button, but there are not the usual icons with them.
- Sometime in all this (I don't recall exactly when or how) I ran System Restore and restored the system to sometime the beginning of last week, when it was still working fine. But there was no change to the windows environment (ie the problems were still there), so I cancelled that restore.
- it appears to me that I have to re-install windows. I thought the easiest thing to do would be to run the Symantec PC Restore but, as I indicate above, I do not know if I have it. Certainly, I cannot get it to run by using control f11 on bootup (nothing happens and the boot to windows proceeds).
- in answer to the question is there a small fat32 partition, it appears that there is (if I boot from DVD and then enter to install windows xp, after agreeing to the licence and pressing escape to install I get a screen that shows the following partitions: " -: Partition1 [FAT] 63 mb 55 mb free> C: Partition2 [NTFS] 71500 mb 25755 mb free> E: Partition3 [FAT32] 4754 mb 1479 mb free>"
- but if this indicates the present of Symantec PC Restore, as I said above I cannot access it. I have tried repeatedly to get it to run by using ctrl f11 at the Dell screen - no reaction at ball: the system continues to boot up windows.

Sorry to be so long winded, but that's my problem laid out as clearly as I can.

OK I have booted to CD and opted for a new install. The partitions table is as indicated in my post above - ie:

-: Partition1 [FAT] 63 mb 55 mb free> C: Partition2 [NTFS] 71500 mb 25755 mb free> E: Partition3 [FAT32] 4754 mb 1479 mb free>

-I have no idea why there is a 4gb fat32 partition.
-As I stated above (in my long explanation as to what I did up to now) I did try to repair the existing installation (I think). But I'll try it again and let you know what the result is.

To be clear, what I am doing is the following:
-rebooting from cd:
- at first screen (Welcome to Setup) I press Enter To set up Windows XP now
- next screen is licence agreement
- next screen allows me to select a windows xp installation to repair it. I select my (one only) installation and press R

Is what I am doing correct? Thanks.

I'm confused. The second link takes me to a page XP Repair install. This instructs me to do exactly what I wrote that I am doing - step for step.