For example if I wanted to start with a clean hard-drive and install my own copy of Windows...
2006-10-29 22:37:32 · 8 answers · asked by william_gardner 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
sure but why?
2006-10-29 22:39:27 · answer #1 · answered by bsmith13421 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get the orginal CD and reformat the hard disk.
Its a good idea because all the crap that Dell sticks on the machine, plus they partition your HD and you actually lose space that is unavailable. Just make sure you have all the CDs with the program syou want to install. Dell website will give you all the drivers you need.
I have had several instances of Dell installs where the wireless cards don't work properly and the only solution is to reformat and reinstall. Reinstalling drivers did not work.
If you have a media direct button on your machine make sure you read the instructions on how to reinstall that software. You need to partition the hard disk in a specific way.
2006-10-29 22:43:17 · answer #2 · answered by thunder2sys 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Boot from a Windows 98 Start up diskette, when it gets to the A:\ prompt, type in FDISK. Remove all of the pratitions, and restart from the Windows 98 Boot diskette. When it gets to the A:\ prompt this time, type in FORMAT C:\ When it finishes you will have a blank hard drive, formatted for FAT32. If you next boot from a Windows XP CD you can either reformat the drive to NTFS file system or install Windows XP on the FAT32 partition. Ignore the linux nerds.
2006-10-30 01:24:50 · answer #3 · answered by dogpoop 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!!! I recycle computers like the Salvation Army, Churches, Schools, and families.
The Microsoft EULA prohibits donation of the leased software (you can't BUY Microsoft XP, etc. You LEASE IT!). Corporate Dells run Linux, as a special purchased plan!
You didn't ever read the Microsoft EULA, did you? There are severe restrictions to the use of Microsoft and "Partners" software, under Copyright laws. Many of the Fortune 1,000 corporations can't use Microsoft, and prefer Linux, for the huge repositories of applications, tested and proven since 1984.
Well, after the huge lawsuit of charity organizations, like the SA, everyone switched to Linux, including Microsoft Corporate Microsoft.com, Hotmail.com, and MSN.com, on their 45,000 computers!
This http://pclinuxos.com is FREE for download, and installs in about 20 minutes. Including full format, partitioning...
Runs upto 50X faster, is immune to the "114,000 Microsoft Virus Definitions", and includes all the laptop power management, reporting, supervisory system software for Dells.
PCLinuxOS gives you free wifi, if you have a card, plus, the CD contains 1900 games, programs, browsers, applications that are tested by the Fortune 1,000 corporations, including Microsoft's Redmond Campus Labs with their 400 on-site Linux computers.
After install, connect to the free repository for the 5500 games and programs, apps. and free updates. On a high speed (Bright House broadband cable) connection, this can take about 10 minutes.
Enjoy! Oh! Besides the FREE forum at http://pclinuxos.com there is the linux on laptops websites, in a search of http://google.com/linux
2006-10-29 23:27:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is little point in removing Windows just so that you can install Windows. If you want to install another OS (probably a Linux), then most distros will come with all the tools required to format the disk and so on, so just insert the install CD and boot up!
Rawlyn.
2006-10-29 22:44:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah you can, but you are still going to have to go to dell and put some of the drivers on it. Mine came with win 2000 on it, i put my own version of xp pro on. the only problem i encountered is my inrared port doesn't work, and I had to put my own dvd decoders on as well.
2006-10-29 23:24:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can do this if you have the install CD's.
2006-10-29 22:45:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can remove it, only if I can kick you in the face.
2006-10-30 07:49:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋