Need To Reinstall OS on 1520

Okay, I got the 1520 today and I'm getting a serious problem you can check out here. Somehow the wired connection is weird and I have to reload pages all the time. It really sucks. I think I want to try reinstalling the OS. What should I know before I attempt this?

 

Do you have recovery discs?
I remember reinstalling XP on my dell via recovery disc it solved many problems.
Do you want to format it? if so, disregard above. You'll need a retail copy of Vista.

 

Well...I have the discs that came with the PC....what am I looking for? I want to reinstall vista, get rid of the bloatware and maybe, just maybe my laptop will connect wirelessly...and keep the connection.

 

Oh, maybe I should look at the settings for the router. What do you guys use to get online with vista? The wired computer is XP. Does the router have to be connected to a computer for other computers to connect wirelessly? If so, does it have to be on? Arrrrh, I dunno what to do! New Lappy giving trouble is not cool.

 

You want a clean install then.
Check out http://newegg.com for the retail Vista disks since you can't clean install with recovery disk.
Note: You can not use the OEM or System Biulders pack retail only or you have an illegal system.

Have you though about a BIOS update & driver update before you clean install?
EDIT: Have you tried another router?

 

Well, I am not putting out money to pay for vista again...shouldn't I have a disc with the system that lets me reinstall vista?

I did get an upgrade for the wireless - I linked to it in the other thread, but it didn't seem to do anything, and as for another router...that would be too expensive for me to really try, being outside the US.

 

No, you want to get rid of the bloatware right?
You have to do a clean install for that.
But, you could always use the recovery disc & manuilly uninstall all the bloatware.

 

I believe that Dell includes the discs for a clean Windows installation, rather than some recovery disc with bloatware.

I'm not saying that reinstalling the OS will help any, though.

 

They do?
They didn't for me or anybody I know on here.

 

Hmmm, don't think it will be worth it then. I am HOPING this is all the internet's fault and tomorrow I will be all set. I'm considering reinstalling with XP but I don't know about that quite yet. I don't know if it's something wrong with the PC, I was trying to load Ubuntu on a live CD and it wouldn't work! And it works on the old XP machine I am on now.

 

Thomas, did yours come with a disc? Have you tried using it?

 

Vista tweaks here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166532

 

What wireless card do you have.
What didn't work about the live CD? The internet or the Live CD itself?

I have reinstalled my OS yes & it's only a recovery disc.
Bloatware still there but I only had about 3-5 bloatware applications
That made me happy.

How does that help him?

 

Oh well...


Anyways... in XP, you can go to the Network Connections control panel and you can click on "Network Troubleshooter" and then "Diagnose network configuration and run automated network tests". I assume this is also in Vista, or something similar....

Oh yeah, and if you haven't already, be sure to disable the wireless connection (in the Network control panel) when using a wired connection... I've had it pick the wrong connection sometimes.

 

My wireless card is Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection and with the LiveCD, it got to the point where it asks what you want to do, be it install or run and I chose run, as I did on my old laptop, and from there it should boot into the live demo of Ubuntu, but instead it goes to a black screen offering help commands or something. Really weird.

 

Stupid Question:
Have you called Dell?

 

Wait, so that thing in Xp you were telling me about. Do you suggest I use it on the XP machine that is connected directly to the router, or on the troublesome Vista laptop. For some reason, I am far away from the router now and it is keeping the connection. I want to try taking a large file from the XP machine, which is being shared and drag it onto this computer wirelessly, as I have been trying all day, but I figure if i do it, the connection will drop. Maybe that was the cause of all this? But so far so good, it's connected and been so for a bit of a while.

 

No, I really never get the impression that they could help. I may be told to update my driver for wireless, which I did. I think this is something I can get out on my own, I'll try i tout and give it a week or so. I would get South American support in any case...and I can't understand anything they say because of the accents.

 

Does this look like anything to be concerned about?

 

Have you configured this router?(google it if you don't know)

 

What do you mean exactly by configuring? I set it up where I had to choose encryption, WPA/WEP etc though I can't remember which one exactly it is I chose. I also set up password and guest password. I have no problem googling it, just not sure what specifically you mean, or did I already cover it?

I seem to be on, maybe the internet connection was just bad?

 

Do you have the correct password?

 

Yeah, I have the correct password, otherwise I would not get on.

I realised something, everytime I try getting a file that is shared on the XP machine, it causes this to happen, that is, dropping connection, and reconnecting requires a router reset. So that must be it, I think? I could be wrong.

 

@Thomas installing freshly with the bundled OS Recovery disk will make a clean OEM install of Vista without any bloatware.... I dont know what do you mean by bloatware here but are you talking abt the DELL utilities that load up like Quickset and all ??

 

You are incorrect you can not clean install with the included discs I've tried you can't.