In plain English - how do you wipe these Dell partitions and restore points!?

"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP CDs: One
will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other installs on any
PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any other
OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and have
special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to "the same
as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of XP CD,
which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It is BIOS locked
and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if used as a OEM CD for
another brand.

Dell does not have ANY Restore CDs that include the applications.

Tom

Don't talk rubbish. DELL CDs are complete versions of MS products
without any of their own stuff. When did you last buy a dell product?
You really need to think before making any more false statements. You
are worst than MVPs on this NGs!



DatabaseBen wrote:

Yes, you have to understand that if you don't want nothin of the Dell O.S.
installed, then you need to get / buy a Window CD from the store. If you
use the Dell OEM Windows CD's, you will get all that stuff you are trying to
avoid. But any unwanted software can be unistalled later. Some PC's have a
hidden partition that has a dos restore program. This hidden program then
instructs you to provide the cd's in numerical order so that the system
partition can be rebuilt.

To access the hidden partition, you need to press somekind of f key during
the booting. The instructions should be found at the Dell site. If you
simply cannot get beyond the cmos/bios screen, then you need to obtain
emergency boot up disks from another computer. Then use them to repair or
setup your harddrive. If by chance the hidden drive was wiped away, you may
want to download the restore program from dell via another pc that can help
restore the hd with the cd's. But I think it is unlikely that the hidden
drive was wiped away, as an "extra and specialized effort has to be made to
do this.

As a temporary fix, you could use another windows cd to setup the computer.
Because you should not activate it, you will have a limited number of times
that it is usuable before it stops functioning. This can provide you with
the ability to get the harddrive back into its original state with the OEM
you have..... (If you use this method, be sure not to be connected to the
internet when installing someones elses cd to repair your oem version)

Hopes this provides additional fyi with everyone elses......

wrote in message
...
I don't know if I was clear in a previous post, but I want a clean reformat
and reinstall on a Dell Dimension 3000. I haven't bought a Dell in years
and this is a friend's unit. I'm just getting into their method of
loading
an XP OS, and as I stated before, I can't boot from the system created OS
backup CD-rom (no matter how often I change the BIOS settings).

I"m not even sure the MS site download for creating a set of floppy boot
disks will work with Dell's series of tools and utilites.

All I want is a nice simple install with a set of programs of my choosing
and none of Dell's utilities (and spyware).

(Please excuse the crosspost. After reading the Dell forums and seeing
how
many experienced users have problems with this Dell interface, boot up OS
disks and OS setup), I thought it might be useful to have as many
responses
as possible for future net searches).

Whatever happened to the days when you would load your own OS and they
provided the disks. Can you request it? Don't they charge extra for the
bloated utility and restore partition load they send out now? Please
don't
tell me that McAfee's memory intensive, resource heavy software suite is
pre-loaded, too?

Rebecca wrote:

Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.


Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP CDs: One
will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any other
OEM XP CD has.

Well, I've got a stack of CDs that don't require activation on any Dell
machine but install just fine other OEM machines and activate fine with
an OEM CD Key.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and have
special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to "the same as
any retail CD".

Where are you? How many Dells have you owned, worked on?

Bob

For dell support, you can post and get free advice from he

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums

On MS Newsgroup, there are some who dislikes everything about DELL and
there are some who sleep beside a DELL system. The arguments will
invariably lead to insults and contradictions. Best thing is to go to
DELL'w own forum which is moderated and insults are not tolerated.

Just make sure you create your own account (FREE) and use a web based
email such as AIM (http://info.aol.co.uk/email/index.adp) which can be
read using Outlook or Outlook Express.

hth


wrote:

"Rebecca" wrote in
:


Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and have
special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to "the
same as any retail CD".

are these the same as the OS restore disk that the Dell utility creates as
a "one time" option?

If so, do you know whether you can boot directly from the cdrom drive using
this atrocious invention of a disk?!

Tom Scales wrote:
"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if
used as a OEM CD for another brand.

****ing incredible! Where do you get your information? Don't get it there,
it's wrong.

Tom,

Rebecca is another person who does not seem to have used a DELL system!

hth

Tom Scales wrote:

"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP CDs: One
will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other installs on any
PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any other
OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and have
special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to "the same
as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of XP CD,
which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It is BIOS locked
and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if used as a OEM CD for
another brand.

Dell does not have ANY Restore CDs that include the applications.

Tom

Tom Scales wrote:
"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if
used as a OEM CD for another brand.

Do some research. What Rebecca wrote is correct.

Damian wrote:

Tom Scales wrote:

"Rebecca" wrote in message
...

Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if
used as a OEM CD for another brand.


Do some research. What Rebecca wrote is correct.

I don't need any research. I've lived it and what she wrote is total crap.

Bob

ANONYMOUS wrote:
Tom,

Rebecca is another person who does not seem to have used a DELL
system!

What Dell ships with each PC may be different than what she wrote, but it
doesn't change that what she wrote is correct.



hth

Tom Scales wrote:

"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will
if used as a OEM CD for another brand.

Dell does not have ANY Restore CDs that include the applications.

Tom

Bob Levine wrote:
Damian wrote:

Tom Scales wrote:

"Rebecca" wrote in message
...

Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will
if used as a OEM CD for another brand.


Do some research. What Rebecca wrote is correct.

I don't need any research. I've lived it and what she wrote is total
crap.

Dell doesn't supply everything they make with each PC. Dell does make what
she wrote!

Mr. Bob Levine,
The manner in which you responded is unprofessional. Please keep your
attention on helping the person who posted a request for assistance. If you
have a better method please provide it/them to resolve the issue, instead,
of inciting an argument which was counter productive. I look forward to
reading you precise methodology.......


wrote in message
...
I don't know if I was clear in a previous post, but I want a clean reformat
and reinstall on a Dell Dimension 3000. I haven't bought a Dell in years
and this is a friend's unit. I'm just getting into their method of
loading
an XP OS, and as I stated before, I can't boot from the system created OS
backup CD-rom (no matter how often I change the BIOS settings).

I"m not even sure the MS site download for creating a set of floppy boot
disks will work with Dell's series of tools and utilites.

All I want is a nice simple install with a set of programs of my choosing
and none of Dell's utilities (and spyware).

(Please excuse the crosspost. After reading the Dell forums and seeing
how
many experienced users have problems with this Dell interface, boot up OS
disks and OS setup), I thought it might be useful to have as many
responses
as possible for future net searches).

Whatever happened to the days when you would load your own OS and they
provided the disks. Can you request it? Don't they charge extra for the
bloated utility and restore partition load they send out now? Please
don't
tell me that McAfee's memory intensive, resource heavy software suite is
pre-loaded, too?

Damian wrote:


Dell doesn't supply everything they make with each PC. Dell does make what
she wrote!


Dell supplies everything it makes at a price! The CDs are optional
extras. For example look at this site:

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...rsdimen_3100_2

Try to configure a system and you will get an option to buy the backup
CDs for OS and Drivers. system Restore CDs are free and includes
symantecs utility to restore the system.

hth

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 12:04:44 -0500, "DatabaseBen"
wrote:

Yes, you have to understand that if you don't want nothin of the Dell O.S.
installed, then you need to get / buy a Window CD from the store. If you
use the Dell OEM Windows CD's, you will get all that stuff you are trying to
avoid.

No, NO, NOOOO! If you install Windows from a Dell CD labelled Windows XP Home
or Professional, you do NOT install all the stuff you were trying to avoid. It
is a Windows installation CD, plain and simple, differing in only the tiniest
details from any other OEM or even retail Windows install CD. Then you install
the drivers from the drivers CD, starting with the motheboard chipset drivers.
Well, here is where you get the tiniest amount of Dell-specific software, a few
MB of menus and other stuff that make it easier to get support or download the
latest drivers from Dell.

Where do you people get these ideas???? ... Ben Myers

You can't be serious! I service Dell boxes a lot. I install new ones for the
technically challenged buyers. I reload the OS when the hard disk is toast and
needs to be replaced. I have NEVER seen a Dell restore CD. I have used and
will continue to use the CDs supplied by Dell (now for a price) containing a
copy of Windows XP (Home or Pro) and the driver CD.

Get your facts 100% right or even just 99.9% when cross-posting to a Dell
newsgroup! ... Ben Myers

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 14:47:09 -0700, "Damian" wrote:

Tom Scales wrote:
"Rebecca" wrote in message
...
Bob Levine wrote:

The Dell OEM CDs are effectively the same as any
retail CD with possibly some Dell drivers and installation info so
that it doesn't need to be activated.

Well, not quite. Dell has two types of Dell-branded 'generic' XP
CDs: One will not install on anything except a Dell PC, the other
installs on any PC.
Both need to be activated, neither has any special drivers that any
other OEM XP CD has.

Dell also makes Recovery XP CDs that don't require activation and
have special Dell stuff on them, but those CDs aren't even close to
"the same as
any retail CD".




Rebecca,

Sorry, but absolutely none of this is correct. Dell has ONE kind of
XP CD, which is a standard XP CD with Dell drivers slipstreamed. It
is BIOS locked and does NOT require activation on a Dell, but will if
used as a OEM CD for another brand.

Do some research. What Rebecca wrote is correct.

ANONYMOUS wrote:


Damian wrote:


Dell doesn't supply everything they make with each PC. Dell does make what
she wrote!



Dell supplies everything it makes at a price! The CDs are optional
extras. For example look at this site:

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...rsdimen_3100_2

Try to configure a system and you will get an option to buy the backup
CDs for OS and Drivers. system Restore CDs are free and includes
symantecs utility to restore the system.

The restore utility at least not in the US is not on a CD. It's a hidden
partition on the harddrive that will restore the system exactly the way
it was out of the box.

Bob