how do you reinstall windows on a new computer? windows Xp. how do you do it so its like i just bought it?

Question

windows xp. restore or whatever, how do you make it so its like i just got it from the factory>????

Answer 1

You want to return your computer back to its factory condition? What is the brand you use? If it is Dell, logon to the Dell Support site and you will find directions for performing this action.

I recently had major OS crash, and needed to use my Dell Recovery patitian, which set everything back to the condition it was in when I first bought it. With a catch.

Things are not as stable as they were when it was first bought. Two major drives which should have been there were missing, and I had to track them down on the Dell Downloads website for my Dimension 5150. Thank goodness I had accidently failed to fully unhook all of my periphrals of I wouldn't have had any Internet connection after the recovery, because it would have wiped out the network configuration, the modem driver and software.

Actually, I am totally amazed that reverting to factory specs left any connection at all, because all of that was installed recently after a move. I had to delete my old connection, and then install the new modem and hook our router and network back up, from scratch.

What I am trying to say, is that doing to my system what you wish to do, did not take it back to how it was when I first bought my computer. Stuff which was there when I first turned it on is not there now, stuff which is here now, wasn't when I first turned it on. Wall paper which came with it is gone, and other weird things have occured, such as the .Net Framework and its related updates are corrupted, and requring a full reinstall, which it is resisting.

So, I may be performing a clean installatio of an OS I go out and purchase to fix the mess my system is now in from reverting it back to "the condition it was in when I bought it".

I am sharing this with you so you know that there are risks in doing this. I do think that it is possible this is a situation related to Dell, and may of course not have anything to do with your system. If you do have a Dell, though, you should know what occurred with my Dell system.

Now, if you use the Restore Disks instead of a Repair Patitian, you may have better success. It was explained to me by Dell that their system restore partition was basically the exaxt same thing as using the Restore Disks which came with my system, (I insisted, because Dell is natorious about not sending out the disks, instead saying they are not 'neccasary' due to their 'supurb' recovery partition system, what a joke, lol) only it takes a much shorter period to recover the system to factory specs. Yeah, right.

Basically, what you should do is contact your computer manufacturer and get the directions for using your Recovery Disks.

We had an HP with XP Home on it that we gave to my mother-in-law, and we used its Recovery Disks to take it back to factory specs before giving it to her. I had to run the setup, and then download and install the hundred + updates from Microsoft Update, but she got what was for her a brand new computer without any account but the one I created for her, on it, and we also used a program to wipe out all traces of our documents and other files.

So, either phone your manufacturers technical support, or, go to the websites support area, or, if you have the manual see if it has directions in it about how you do this for your particular machine.

Good luck and much success in what you wish to accomplish, please have a nice night.

Answer 2

The PC vendor should have either provided a Restore CD or a Restore Partition from which you can re-install everything that came with the computer originally.

If you have all original CDs that came with the PC, try to find the restore CDs.

If you did not receive any CDs, you might have to call the PC Vendor support line to walk you through restoring from the partition.

Answer 3

Both of the above answers are correct. If you have a named computer Compaq/Dell etc then you should have a restore disc. If it's a generic computer then you should have a Windows disc.

Answer 4

boot from your xp disc, and format the drive and install a 'clean' installation......be just like new....

then make sure you get all the updates and such it's missing.

Good luck!