Re-writing a hard drive without the original OEM CDs

AlleyCat

AlleyCat

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My new roommate's computer is so virus-infected and messed up that I'm going to re-write the hard drive for him. He, however, lost all the original CDs that came with his Dell computer. I own a Dell laptop - and we think his computer and my old laptop are roughly the same age - about 4 years old. Is it feasible to think I could use my basic install CD from my Dell laptop to rewrite his Dell computer hard drive? I know there would be drivers missing, etc., like for his monitor, and I can address those later (like download drivers, etc. off my new computer and bring those over to his computer?) Is there a better solution than what I'm thinking of?
 
AlleyCat said:
My new roommate's computer is so virus-infected and messed up that I'm going to re-write the hard drive for him. He, however, lost all the original CDs that came with his Dell computer. I own a Dell laptop - and we think his computer and my old laptop are roughly the same age - about 4 years old. Is it feasible to think I could use my basic install CD from my Dell laptop to rewrite his Dell computer hard drive? I know there would be drivers missing, etc., like for his monitor, and I can address those later (like download drivers, etc. off my new computer and bring those over to his computer?) Is there a better solution than what I'm thinking of?
Click to expand...

all you need is a bootable CD of any OS - WinXP/Ubuntu/Vista/whatever. very simple.
 
AlleyCat said:
My new roommate's computer is so virus-infected and messed up that I'm going to re-write the hard drive for him. He, however, lost all the original CDs that came with his Dell computer. I own a Dell laptop - and we think his computer and my old laptop are roughly the same age - about 4 years old. Is it feasible to think I could use my basic install CD from my Dell laptop to rewrite his Dell computer hard drive? I know there would be drivers missing, etc., like for his monitor, and I can address those later (like download drivers, etc. off my new computer and bring those over to his computer?) Is there a better solution than what I'm thinking of?
Click to expand...

You can call Dell and ask for Restoration CD for his Dell laptop. It doesn't cost much. More likely less than $20 to $30 bucks. All you need to provide model and Service Tag number so that Dell can provide correct CD that have driver works for your friend's computer.

I did that to my friend's HP laptop. I ordered a replacment Restoration CD and cost him $19 (Windows XP with correct driver for his laptop). I restore his XP in no time.

Which you prefer, dance around trying to write his hdd or just order replacement Restoration CD and install it. Can be re-use when his computer got hit with virus again. less the headache??

Lastly, Once OS is restored along with correct driver, Try Acronis Trueimage or Norton Ghost so he can have his system up and running in no time (between 15 to 30 min) if the virus hit again..

Lastly, Did you reformat entire hdd or not?? If you have not. Try reboot the computer and watch the BIOS splashscreen and see if you catch "Restoration- hit F10" (It'll come by in 2-3 seconds) If you don't see any, On Dell system, usually CTL-F12 to enter Restoration. Not all Dell have it. Sometime if you boot up and BIOS splashscreen show then next a blue line on top of monitor screen with "Dell" inside the middle show for few seconds before XP splashscreen show up. If you see Blue line show, it's time to hit CTL-F12 quickly before it disappears. If not work, try CTL-F11 or CTL-F10. Just play around until you got in. IF not then hdd did not have "hidden" partition that store XP Restoration. It's basically a Dell re-named Norton Ghost..

Give me his Computer model and Service Tag. I can look it up and see if it have Restore function.

Catty
 
AlleyCat said:
My new roommate's computer is so virus-infected and messed up that I'm going to re-write the hard drive for him. He, however, lost all the original CDs that came with his Dell computer. I own a Dell laptop - and we think his computer and my old laptop are roughly the same age - about 4 years old. Is it feasible to think I could use my basic install CD from my Dell laptop to rewrite his Dell computer hard drive? I know there would be drivers missing, etc., like for his monitor, and I can address those later (like download drivers, etc. off my new computer and bring those over to his computer?) Is there a better solution than what I'm thinking of?
Click to expand...

This is going to be easy, if you have ANY OS installation files in the CD - doesn't matter what kind. Use the F12 or whatever to enter the system boot...once the installation has been re-installed and the HDD will be automatically re-formatted. SInce you said that the computers are from DELL.

Well, good news -- every DELL computer have a service tag registered to the PC's (Which I found on my parent's 3 and half years old Dell PC when I restored the PC) the registered service tag number can be manually found in the back of the PC tower or you can let the DELL website automatically find the tag for you, it will find it and take you to the SPECIFIC model that the computer have, ALL drivers that has been lost after the re-installation is already in the DELL website system ready for you to be restored. :D

And, yes it is free, but you won't be able to get internet connectivity when you restore the computer so you will need to copy the necessary files for the network port or wireless drivers into a USB flash drive and then install it in the computer then you will be able to connect the internet, where you would be able to download all necessary drivers form the dell website.
 
purplecatty said:
You can call Dell and ask for Restoration CD for his Dell laptop. It doesn't cost much. More likely less than $20 to $30 bucks. All you need to provide model and Service Tag number so that Dell can provide correct CD that have driver works for your friend's computer.

I did that to my friend's HP laptop. I ordered a replacment Restoration CD and cost him $19 (Windows XP with correct driver for his laptop). I restore his XP in no time.

Which you prefer, dance around trying to write his hdd or just order replacement Restoration CD and install it. Can be re-use when his computer got hit with virus again. less the headache??

Lastly, Once OS is restored along with correct driver, Try Acronis Trueimage or Norton Ghost so he can have his system up and running in no time (between 15 to 30 min) if the virus hit again..

Lastly, Did you reformat entire hdd or not?? If you have not. Try reboot the computer and watch the BIOS splashscreen and see if you catch "Restoration- hit F10" (It'll come by in 2-3 seconds) If you don't see any, On Dell system, usually CTL-F12 to enter Restoration. Not all Dell have it. Sometime if you boot up and BIOS splashscreen show then next a blue line on top of monitor screen with "Dell" inside the middle show for few seconds before XP splashscreen show up. If you see Blue line show, it's time to hit CTL-F12 quickly before it disappears. If not work, try CTL-F11 or CTL-F10. Just play around until you got in. IF not then hdd did not have "hidden" partition that store XP Restoration. It's basically a Dell re-named Norton Ghost..

Give me his Computer model and Service Tag. I can look it up and see if it have Restore function.

Catty
Click to expand...

DELL have all of the drivers from 2003 til now. :)
 
JClarke said:
DELL have all of the drivers from 2003 til now. :)
Click to expand...

Yup, Dell have separate CDroms, one for Restoration, another CD for Drivers. Then finally, last year or two, Dell included it into Restoration CD (actually they included Restoration XP in hdd partition). Dell's Driver CD are really crappy so I had to download all Drivers from Dell and burn it to CD to make it quicker and easier for anyone to install correct drivers for their computer.

Most other brands of computer only use one Restoration CD to restore XP along with drivers which make job lot easier.

Catty
 
purplecatty said:
Yup, Dell have separate CDroms, one for Restoration, another CD for Drivers. Then finally, last year or two, Dell included it into Restoration CD (actually they included Restoration XP in hdd partition). Dell's Driver CD are really crappy so I had to download all Drivers from Dell and burn it to CD to make it quicker and easier for anyone to install correct drivers for their computer.

Most other brands of computer only use one Restoration CD to restore XP along with drivers which make job lot easier.

Catty
Click to expand...

Downloading the drivers from the internet is better. But need to get a specific driver before connecting the interent since the network drive will be demolished
 
JClarke said:
Downloading the drivers from the internet is better. But need to get a specific driver before connecting the interent since the network drive will be demolished
Click to expand...

Yup easier and it's good idea once you download all drivers needed for laptop, burn it to CD or copy it to USB flashdrive so make things lot easier and quicker next time.

That's what I did for my friends.


Catty
 
Guys, sorry it took me so long to answer. I was in the middle of midterms.

First, this computer I'm working on for my roommate (not my own) is seriously messed up. I don't have a basic Windows XP CD to reinstall, as Jiro suggested.

Secondly, I went to Dell's website. I cannot get anything for the Dell Dimension 4700c. Remember, this is my roommate's computer. if you do a search on Dell's site for that, it doesn't give you any support options. Will calling them and asking them for a new restore CD work?

I have tried both F2 and F12 boot and setup options, I cannot get anything to work. This computer is dead and slow as f*ck, seriously. It's enough to piss me off :0

So where do I go from here? I would SOOOO truly appreciate step-by-step instructions since I'm good at that, and everything I've read so far from Dell and etc. has not been in the least bit helpful.

By the way, the Service Tag # is 893M571 and Service Code 24494873293, if that helps anybody any.

Thanks! :)
 
AlleyCat said:
Guys, sorry it took me so long to answer. I was in the middle of midterms.

First, this computer I'm working on for my roommate (not my own) is seriously messed up. I don't have a basic Windows XP CD to reinstall, as Jiro suggested.

Secondly, I went to Dell's website. I cannot get anything for the Dell Dimension 4700c. Remember, this is my roommate's computer. if you do a search on Dell's site for that, it doesn't give you any support options. Will calling them and asking them for a new restore CD work?

I have tried both F2 and F12 boot and setup options, I cannot get anything to work. This computer is dead and slow as f*ck, seriously. It's enough to piss me off :0

So where do I go from here? I would SOOOO truly appreciate step-by-step instructions since I'm good at that, and everything I've read so far from Dell and etc. has not been in the least bit helpful.

By the way, the Service Tag # is 893M571 and Service Code 24494873293, if that helps anybody any.

Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

Reboot the computer
Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>.
That's it. I hope you still have restore from the partition.

Drivers & Downloads
This is driver from Dell
 
You guys are great! :D

I did the Ctrl F11, worked beautifully.

And I downloaded all the drivers. I have yet to set up his internet connection but I assume that will all go fine.

Thanks much, guys !!! :)
 
One last question before I go to bed ... it is all up and running beautifully. And I have all the drivers updated, as far as I can see (I'm not seeing any "?" or red "x"'s in the Systems .. Yet I installed the wireless adapter and entered the passkey -- it shows a green icon that it's connected, yet I can't get connected to the internet for him. What am I missing here?
 
AlleyCat said:
One last question before I go to bed ... it is all up and running beautifully. And I have all the drivers updated, as far as I can see (I'm not seeing any "?" or red "x"'s in the Systems .. Yet I installed the wireless adapter and entered the passkey -- it shows a green icon that it's connected, yet I can't get connected to the internet for him. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

Is your network driver installed? There might be a internet connectivity issue there perhaps. But look it up in the morning. Sleep is important.
 
As best as I can tell, it is. I clicked on the Network Adapaters icon in the Systems panel and went to Hardware and then to Driver and clicked on "update driver" and it did update it from the files I downloaded (and burned to CD). I am still a novice at this stuff so if I did something wrong or missed something, please let me know. Thank you! :)
 
Went to work, back home now and spent an hour searching online to see if there was a more updated driver out there, and it seems that what I already have loaded is the best one. I don't think there's any question that the network driver is installed. So any clues why still no wireless connectivity? Is age a factor? The computer I've been fixing is 4-5 years old.
 
AlleyCat said:
One last question before I go to bed ... it is all up and running beautifully. And I have all the drivers updated, as far as I can see (I'm not seeing any "?" or red "x"'s in the Systems .. Yet I installed the wireless adapter and entered the passkey -- it shows a green icon that it's connected, yet I can't get connected to the internet for him. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

Nothing to wrong with your driver. It's Windows bugs.


Go to Computer Management->Services->Wireless Zero Configuration->click start.

Is Windows XP SP3 already?

Let me know if work or not.
 
It doesn't even have SP1. How can I get that on there without a wireless connection to download updates?
 
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