XP Pro Install

I baught a Dell with XP Home that should be coming in soon, I just ordered this version of XP Pro http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...67628-4594513?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846 so when I get my comp I can upgrade it, didn't know i needed XP pro untill recently.

Will this have a manuel, if not how do I go about installing it.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1106077#post1106077

I have a step by step instructions...or at least partially set of instructions on that thread. If you have done installs before, then it is the exact same procedure. Just a few different things so you can get your drivers. Dell has 2 partitions on your harddrive. The smaller one is a recovery partition which most people don't find very useful, so they reformat it and make it all one partition.

 

I have never done an OS install before, and I dont quite get the whole driver thing while doing an install. I have no idea what a partition is, I'm not very smart at this computer stuff at all. Am I going to want any of the Dell stuff on my comp or should I just have a clean computer and just use whats ever on the Windows XP Pro (is there even anything on that? like programs wise) I also dont want all of these programs that Dell puts on your comp i keep hearing about like AOL.

"Just a few different things so you can get your drivers. Dell has 2 partitions on your harddrive. The smaller one is a recovery partition which most people don't find very useful, so they reformat it and make it all one partition."

I had no idea what that meant lol

 

The partition is basically a division of your hdd. Dell divides your hdd up into 2 sections called partitions. There is a smaller one that is the recovery partition which will restore your computer back to factory condition if something should happen and you can't get into windows. The larger partition contains your operating system, and is the partition that you will need to select when you install XP Pro.

Here is a step by step guide.
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
If you scroll down to half way, you'll see a section called "Step by Step: Clean Installing of XP". If you have a second computer, have that site up and just follow it. It is a very useful guide.

A driver is a program for the hardware. Most pieces of hardware like mouse, lcd, cd/dvd drive, etc... has a driver. An example would be your wireless network driver. With out it, you won't be able to access the internet. If you get them from Dell, they are very easy to install. Goto Dell's Support Site and select your system, it will give you several categories which each contain drivers for your laptop. Some will apply to your hardware, some won't. All you'll need to do is download the file and run it. Majority of them are self installs, so all you have to do is run the program and it will take care of the rest.

In my opinion, it is alot easier to skip the website and just burn a copy of the Dell folder on your XP Home system (located on the c: drive). That folder will have all of the drivers you need for your computer to run properly.

Hope this explains it a little bit better.
SG

 

Wow thank you very much, the help is much appreciated, now when all my stuff comes in i'm ready to go. Thanks again.

 

Kinda relates to this whole thing, but are their any other programs that come with the Dell OS (XP Home) I should burn? I dont have a clue what programs will come on my computer with a XP Pro clean install.

 

Depending on which Dell notebook you got, you may want to reinstall Powerdvd unless you want to use Windows Media Player, but i don't recommend it.

 

You can call/email/chat with Dell and request the extra cds. There is an application cd that will have all of the junk software and dell software on it. The other two cds are Sonic MyRecord (burning software) and CyberLink PowerDVD (dvd decoder/player). Between those three cds, you should have everything that you had previously on your system, but you will be able to choose what you want to have installed and what not to install.

The clean system will have the programs only standard to XP Pro, which is actually for the most part the same that you would get with XP Home. If you paid for any extra software when you were ordering from Dell, you should have a CD with that software. If you don't, call dell and request them.

They should send you all of these cds for free and with 2-day shipping.

SG

 

I know even less about these fantastic machines but this thread is close to what I'd like help with. Will be ordering a new Dell Inspiron 6000 next week and know it will be loaded with junk I don't need. I looked in "Programs" in my now very old Sony Vaio and was afraid to delete many since I didn't know what they were and which ones I really NEEDED. What's the best way to clean out a new laptop when it arrives??

 

if you are familiar with doing windows install, that would probably easier. If you aren't, then you can use the add/remove software in the control panel. With the 6000, you can call dell and request the software CDs. The cds will contain all of the software that Dell installs before they send it to you. If by chance you uninstall something that you need, there is a restore partition on the Dell that will restore your computer back to the factory condition, but this will include all of the junk software.

SG

 

I have a quesiton about formatting the partitions. I deleted all the partitons and then created two partitions but it only formats the one partition that you install the OS too, is that the way its supposed to work?

 

yes, that is the way it works. the spare partition should already be cleaned, and if you need to you can format it when you are in windows. (right click on that partition and select format). When I did mine, I didn't have to format them. I was able to save documents immediately to it.

 

Ok thanks successfull install, Now I just got to do the drivers. However I burned the dell folder and driver folder to a CD, I checked to make sure it was there, Now when I insert it into the CD tray it doesn't show it as being there. Its not connected to the net just yet. I guess I have to download them and burn them from this comp.

 

what you can do is go to Dell's support site (I have a sticky in the Dell forum with the link) and you can just get either your wireless driver (not sure what wireless card you have) or ethernet driver (broadcom 10/100). Download one of them and save it. Then use either a usb jumpdrive or burn to a cd if you want, then you can transfer it over to your laptop and install it. Once you get the driver installed, you should have internet and can download the rest.

 

Allright I'm downloading my wireless driver. Now what other drivers do I need? lol Also my screen max res is 1900x1200, its only letting me get 1680x1050 as the max right now, is that because of a driver?

 

yes that is...the only ones that you won't download a driver from is printer and display. Some notes about the rest:

applications--don't need unless you want any of that. I think the sonic stuff is either a upgrade or patch. I don't think it is full version, but I haven't check it lately.

IDE & EIDE depends on your hdd. if you have any of the drives that are listed there, you'll need to download the specific one

System/Configuration---you need notebook system software. It will run one time, and it fixes any conflict problems on your laptop.

SG

 

If I download a driver I dont need by accident, what will happen, because I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing lol Also what will fix the screen problem with it not going to max resoultion. Thanks.

 

you need to download your video driver. If you download something that you don't need, I wouldn't worry about. It will just say can't find hardware please try again or cancel.

 

I think I got all the drivers I need, anyway to make sure? Got my screen sized fixed, now I think I'm onto my network problems that I just messed up trying to install a new router. Thanks for the help with all of this.

 

right click on my computer-->properties-->hardware tab-->device manager ...anything with a yellow questionmark means that it needs a driver.

 

It has one yellow question mark which is under other devices, then ethernet controller. I've allready downloaded my wireless card, I dont know what this device is... I'm able to go online.

P.S. I remeber you explaining this to someone else earlier, but when i boot up my comp it gives me the option of xp home or xp pro even though home isn't on here anymore. I know its something with a boot file, how do i delete this and where is it.

 

ethernet card is the broadcom 10/100 under network drivers on Dell's site

you need to delete the multi line in your boot.ini file
right click my computer-->properities-->advance-->startup & recovery settings-->click edit-->delete the multi line-->save & close

that should fix it

 

Thank you very much.