Ok, my first reformat will happen this weekend.

[Tripper11]

10 years of playing around with computers and this will be my first reformat! :wow: I have always been paranoid as hell about doing it, not being able to get back online..lose everything etc.
The plan, in short...I'm buying an external 80Gig hard drive and will transfer all my music, pictures, vids and other important info over there.
Once that is done I will begin my first attempt.
I do have a question though, which is : I am running Windows XP Home, it's a Dell machine(I know, I know). The XP disc that came with it says that it is a "Reinstallation CD" and also says that, "Only use this CD to reinstall the operating system on a Dell computer. This CD is not for reinstallation of prgrams and drivers"
My assumption(I try to never make assumptions with MS and Dell) here is this is Windows XP Home Edition OS and I will have all I want from this.
I do have all the discs for all the drivers that came with the system. So I will obviously install them separately after getting the system back up and running.
Also, another question, am I able to download and install SP1? Or do I have to get SP2 because SP1 is no longer available?
I have yet to install SP2 and have read many horror stories form this upgrade/patch.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[hobbit709]

1. Dell computers are sold

with a version of windoze that will only work with a Dell. It looks for a code in the BIOS. Go to this site and download sp1.
http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/winxpsp1.html

[Tripper11]

3. Right....itt is a full version....

it's only be Dellized right?

[FormerDittoHead]

4. THANKS for this link! also: reformatting.

FIRST OFF: thanks for the Windows update link! KICK!

First reformat. HA!

My first PC was a $2,300 NEC with a BLAZING 8 mhz (or was it just hz?) and a 20 MEGAbyte hard drive and EGA monitor.

Early on, not knowing ANYTHING, I remember screwing up so many times I must have reformatted / reinstalled DOS like 3 times a WEEK! I thought I was going to break my hard drive!

Ahh, those were the days! After I got going I ran out of hard drive space (even on that hard drive which could store HUNDREDS of books worth of data!)

I had to create a batch file to temporarily copy programs to the hard drive from 5 1/4" floppy, run the program, copy changed files back to the floppy and delete the program off the hard drive to make room for another program!

You people are SPOILED!

[hobbit709]

5. Yes, I remember those days

I had a 386SX with a 40Meg drive. Everytime I reformatted, the drive name was changed. I went through FCKGATES1-25

[RC]

2. They have most of the bugs out of XP2 now.

It is safer than some of the patches for the patches.

[sam sarrha]

9. are you talking about SP2 or a whole new XP that actually works..??

my just disentegrates constantly.

I need to get a program that fixes it.. i have missing files, and regestry program.. you name it, constant Active X problems

[RC]

11. I have XP Pro on two computers

Both work. I use Netscape 7.2 on both. I only use IE when I absolutely have to.
I'm also behind a router, a firewalls and Virus protection on both. I run Registry Mechanic, Spybot and Ad-Aware regularly.
I've never had a problem. I also defrag every couple of months or so.
XP is like a cheap machine, you need work hard to maintain it.

Active X is an enemy program. A very good reason not to use IE or Outlook.

[Nite Owl]

6. I had a hard drive crash

this summer so had to reinstall everything. (Dell too). As I recall Windows installed as SP1 and then I updated and now have SP2. I tried the SP2 last Nov and it was hell, had to do a system restore to get it off. I had Norton then though and AVG now so maybe that was the problem. It's working fine except for some hungapps every once in a while. I don't think I needed to download any drivers, it was all automatic with the disks that came with the computer. The only one that I didn't have was the sound card and Dell helped me that.

[Tripper11]

7. Thanks folks!

I just went out and bought an 80GB external hard drive and am currently transferring all my music, pics, vids and programs over. Once I am sure that is done, I will begin my new adventure.

[sam sarrha]

8. dont forget your favorates.. I DID!!!..what a loss

[idiosyncratic]

10. Partitioning the formatted hard drive before reinstalling everything

is a good idea. One partition for the OS alone, another for your programs, others for data, music, photos, etc.

Also, don't forget any special fonts you may have installed . . .