XP Professional Reset to Factory Default

[jrg67]

Hi All,

I am running XP Professional on a Dell Precision M6300, (supplied without CD's). I need to restore to default settings. Cntrl/F11 does not work as suggested on the Dell website - anyone out there got any bright ideas how to reset to default settings.

Thanks

[Old Rich]

and welcome to the Forum


If you have the Dell System restore ( not all Dells do ) you can use that and you will not need a install CD

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...g=&toggle=&dl=

If not, You can get a reinstallation guide specific to your Dell here
http://support.dell.com/support/topi...n&s=dhs&~ck=mn

This is a great guide for reinstalling on a Dell: http://www.djdenham.com/Install%20Procedures.htm

You can request a replacement instalation cd here:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...doclang=en&cs=

[Rob 1]

I assume you're talking about using the recovery partition, and starting over with a clean original install?

Are you sure your F-lock button is on at bootup on your keyboard?
I've got a microsoft keyboard that I have to enable manually at every single boot.

Secondly, I haven't seen a machine that you have to press ctrl during bootup, just the F11.

[TheOutcaste]

To translate simpswr's coded message: noy sll Frlld fo means not all Dells do
Slight shift of the left hand there

The User's Guide for this model says it should be there.
Are you getting the blue bar showing www.dell.com when you power on? You need to press CTRL+F11 while that is displayed, you only have a 2 second window. Hold down CTRL and tap F11 several times to make sure it sees it.

If you don't see the blue bar, then the proprietary Dell MBR (Called PBR) has been overwritten. If you've ever used the FIXMBR command from the Recovery Console that would do it.
You might be able to repair it. Read through this website:
Inside the Dell PC Restore Partition
Dan has some tools that may be able to restore the Dell MBR.

[Johnny Tremaine]

Originally Posted by TheOutcaste

To translate simpswr's coded message: noy sll Frlld fo means not all Dells do
Slight shift of the left hand there

genius. I re-read it 3 times, knew what happened, but could not figure out what he meant.

To the topic, I think there are tools to fix the MBR when the Dell (and other laptops) special "F" function keys fail to divert the boot process to the restore partition.

In fact, I'm pretty certain. I once used a standard XP disk to re-write the MBR on a Dell laptop, and the function key divert keystroke stopped working. It's probably why yours is broken now.

If you note the Product Key and the data from your setupp.ini file, you can make your own XP install disk. Check out Lunarsoft.net.

http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Product_IDs

[Old Rich]

Originally Posted by TheOutcaste

To translate simpswr's coded message: noy sll Frlld fo means not all Dells do
Slight shift of the left hand there

.

O man . . I don't know how that happened either!!! Thanks for correcting!!

[TheOutcaste]

I have a friend who is constantly shifting one hand or the other one key to the left or right from the home position, so I've gotten pretty good at deciphering that kind of typo

[Old Rich]

I could try to blame it on this new laptop, but I do have a bad habit of not proofreading my posts!