Is there a way to wipe your dell windows xp home edition and then have it so its like when you first started?

Question

I'm having trouble with my dell windows xp home edition that I bought last year, It keeps saying that my computer is running low on virtual memory and I have 0% space left. I tried every clean up thing there is. Is there anyway to have your computer wiped so its just like it was when you started the computer for the first time? Thanx.

Answer 1

I really hope you haven't tried what the other people are tell you to do yet.

YOU DON'T NEED TO REINSTALL WINDOWS!!!

Your paging file is too small. You can increase the size of your paging file very easily.

Click on start, click on control panel, (in category view click on performance and maintaince) then double click on the system icon. The click on the advanced tab of the system properites window. Click the performance button. Then click on the advanced tab, then click on the change button. You are most likely set to a custom level. click on "system managed size" then click ok on the bottom of all the windows. Now your fine and you won't lose any data by reformatting, for no reason, your computer.

Answer 2

Yeah, you can format your hard drive and reinstall Windows XP but there are some concerns. Before reformatting your hard drive, you have to backup all your important files to a removeable media. After reinstalling Windows, you have to download and install all the security patches from Microsoft again. In addition, you will have to reinstall any new device drivers you lost after the reinstall.

You might want to reconsider and try to see if you can free up some hardware space for virtual memory. Someone mentioned adding some more RAM which is a great idea. RAM modules are relatively cheap and their prices have been dropping steadily. Some ideas to reclaim some hard space and free up memory.

1. Uninstall any software programs which you don't use.
2. Use Windows' Disk Cleanup to delete temporary files and be sure to compress old files.
3. Disable all the Windows Services that you don't need. This will free up some memory.
4. Cut down the number of startup programs.
5. Backup the files you hardly use to removeable media (eg. CD or DVD)
6. Consider using a third party file cleaner like CCleaner (aka Crap Cleaner) or EasyCleaner.

Answer 3

didn't you get a recovery disk when you bought it. You would loose everything you have saved but the computer will be changed back to the original settings that were on the computer when it was new.

If you have stuff you don't want to loose just back it up to cd.
My old HP came with that. But my new one didn't. I have to make my own so that I would have them just in case. If you didn't receive anything like that check your owners manual or call Dell

Answer 4

1. Save all you need saved on disk or external drive.
2. Print out help instructions for reformatting hardrive
3. Make sure you can reload all programs you bought
4.First thing you do after reformat is download all XP updates before loading any programs
5. Load firewall/antivirus before all other programs
You'll be glad you did it.

Answer 5

yea reformat your hard drive and re-install Windows XP. You might want to try getting more RAM memory first.

Answer 6

Go to "start"..."All Programs" then "accessories " then click "system tools" then select "system restore" and convert your computer back before you had an issue :)

Answer 7

reformat your computer, however you will have to reinstall your windows xp

Answer 8

insert your recovery disks which reinstalls everything to factory settings. which takes a few hours...

Answer 9

I'm pretty sure you can delete all the user accounts.