I need some info about a computer I bought my son for Christmas?

Question

Hi. I know how to use a computer..just the basics though. I bought my 13 year old a Dell Inspiron from a friend that only had it for about a month and didn't use it but a couple of times(got a great deal).But the only thing that came with it is the cord to plug it into the wall. What other things do I need to get to go with it..and there are a few pictures that the guy took that are on it. I want it to appear new(not trying to trick him into believing that it's brand new but just think it would be best to give it to him with nothing on it that belongs to someone else).Any suggestions on what I should do and how do I go about it? Do I need extra cords or software?

Wow! You guys are great! Some good answers so far..and fast! I just went and got it out of hiding..lol..and it is a Dell Inspiron 1501...little stickers in bottom right corner..one says AMD Turion 64 mobile technology....the other says Windows Vista and under that ..basic. It looks pretty cool, silver and the screen is really wide..it extends a little past the keyboard..if that makes sense. (guess you can tell how technologically challenged I am!) I do appreciate all answers as I have no one to ask. I hope the additional info helps some..it looks brand new and only gave 125.00 for it.
Did I get a good deal?Thanks!

Answer 1

To make the PC look new (like it has never been used) set the computer up for use.

This is the sequence for restoring a Dell PC (made after 2004) back to factory

* Turn the monitor on
* While holding down the F11 key and turn the PC on
* When the screen comes up select Factory Restore ( wording differs slightly model to model)
* Follow the Prompts.

You want to do a Destructive Restore.

What a destructive restore does is puts every thing back to the factory image.

Any programs or data that was installed or created by your friend will be deleted.

Now restart the computer and go thought the setup. (This part you can wait for your son so he can see it is fresh).

Basic Hardware needed

Dell PC with AC plug to wall
Monitor with AC plug to wall and cable to PC
Keyboard
Mouse

The rest depends on how you want to connect to the Internet

You don't have to spend a fortune.
If you have any questions you can contact me through Yahoo Answers to maintain anonymity.

Answer 2

well a printer might be a nice extra piece of equipment.Or some external speaker maybe fro better sound quality.
Seeing how its a laptop you have a mouse and keyboard.

As for the pictures, Just go to my documents/My pictures and open up the file and on each picture right click on it and then choose delete and these will be gone,Dont forget to empty the recycle bin.
Then go to the desktop and and hit the start button and choose from the menu My computer and when you see the Local Drive C right click on it and then choose disk cleanup.
after it is done calculating click OK and this will clean it up of temp internet files.
This will be as good as new as it will get without reloading the operating system.
Oh and don't listen to these People sayin without the recovery CD it is worthless and not a deal. Those are just people who don't know how to fix anything without reinstalling the whole system. Any good puter shop can fix a major crash for about 65.00 by wiping the system and reinstalling the operating system.

Answer 3

You would probably like a way to connect to the internet, such as a WiFi router so the computer can connect anywhere in the house. You could plug in the old eithernet cable, but you are stuck to wherever the cable reaches, assuming you have high speed like DSL or roadrunner cable.
The word processing program probably is a 90 day trial. You would need a new one of those. Schools can usually have a deal to sell you the necessary programs a lot cheaper than the store.
Ditto on Antivirus software.
You did not mention what windows it has. A lot of old stuff like printers and scanners will not work with Vista
A sturdy carry case. You will have to work with him on picking the style.

Answer 4

The easiest thing to do is to take it to someone who can clean it out and set it up to the way you want it. Some places charge a small fee to do this.
This way also they can check to make sure it has all the necessary files and software for good performance.

Answer 5

Yuo'll need the operating system CD without that the is not a deal anything goes wrong with it you need that CD to fix it Dell will charge you 250.00 to replace that CD. If anything goes wrong with the computer its junk without that CD

Answer 6

i think you should note it's model no., go to the dell's website and try to figure out what came with it originally and try to get them all and then give it to your son.

hope this helps you

Answer 7

if it ever goes down you will need a del disk . other than that shouldnt need anything else