Reinstalling Microsoft ® Windows ® Xp; Before You Begin; Reinstalling Windows Xp - Dell Dimension 8300 Series User Manual

Click Hardware Troubleshooter in the Search Results list.
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In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my
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computer, and click Next.
Reinstalling Microsoft

Before You Begin

If you are considering reinstalling the Windows XP operating system to correct a problem with
a newly installed driver, first try using Windows XP (see page 62). If Device Driver Rollback
does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 64) to return your
operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver.
NOTICE: Before performing the installation, back up all data files on your primary hard drive.
For conventional hard drive configurations, the primary hard drive is the first drive detected by
the computer.
To reinstall Windows XP , you need the following items:
• Dell™ Operating System CD
• Dell ResourceCD
NOTE: The ResourceCD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer.
Use the ResourceCD to load any required drivers.

Reinstalling Windows XP

To reinstall Windows XP , perform all the steps in the following sections in the order in
which they are listed.
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After you reinstall the
operating system, you must also reinstall the device drivers, virus protection program, and
other software.
NOTICE: The Operating System CD provides options for reinstalling Windows XP . The options
can overwrite files and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not
reinstall Windows XP unless a Dell technical support representative instructs you to do so.
NOTICE: To prevent conflicts with Windows XP , disable any virus protection software installed
on your computer before you reinstall Windows XP . See the documentation that came with the
software for instructions.
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Advanced Tr oubleshooting
® ®
Windows XP