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    Dell came with XP?

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by cconant1833, Jun 17, 2009.

  1. cconant1833

    cconant1833 Notebook Consultant

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    So my friend just got a new laptop from dell, an inspiron. It was ordered with windows vista and has the windows vista basic sticker on the side. Dell messed up, her laptop has the Windows XP Pro OS installed. I looked through her discs and they sent her a Vista Buisness disc and said it was already installed. I was wondering if it is okay to insert the Vista disc and install it? Is there anything I need to know beforehand? Will this delete everything she already has? Will it still have all the programs it came with?

    Thanks!
     
    cconant1833, Jun 17, 2009
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  2. Mastershroom

    Mastershroom wat

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    Most likely what she got was Windows Vista Business with the XP Downgrade option. That means they pre-install XP, but send a Vista disk with the system.

    There should be no problem installing Vista. The license key should be on the bottom of the laptop, perhaps under the battery. You have to format the hard drive to install Vista over XP, meaning she will lose any programs and data that she had installed. When she installs Vista, it will not include any programs or drivers. You can get what you need from support.dell.com, in the Drivers and Downloads section. Either enter her Service Tag or select the notebook model from the list.
     
    Mastershroom, Jun 17, 2009
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  3. cconant1833

    cconant1833 Notebook Consultant

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    She's worried about how many programs she'll need to re-download from dell. Like the webcam and whatnot? To install vista would I just insert the disc? I've never installed an OS before haha.
     
    cconant1833, Jun 17, 2009
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  4. Mastershroom

    Mastershroom wat

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    The Webcam Central software should be included on a separate DVD somewhere in the box. What specific software is she worried about?

    And yes, to install Vista, just put the disk in the drive and reboot. When the Dell splash screen comes up, tap F12 a few times to bring up the boot device menu. Select the CD/DVD drive and it should start. When you get to the partition screen, just delete the existing XP partition, and format it. Install Vista there. From that point, it should take care of itself.
     
    Mastershroom, Jun 17, 2009
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  5. idq000

    idq000 Notebook Deity

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    Here is an article published by Microsoft which details the process of installing Windows Vista:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918884

    As to the drivers, you should have received a Drivers and Utilities Reinstallation Disc that includes all the drivers and utilities required when you reinstall the operating system. If not, you will need to go to the Dell Support site (support.dell.com) and type in your Express Service Code to get the drivers necessary for a Vista installation.

    Good luck!
     
    idq000, Jun 17, 2009
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