[walkertwotone]

Please can someone tell me if there is a way i can do a complete system restore back to factory settings on my HP desktop computer, i am not worried about losing any data as there aint anything on it.
thanks,

[RootbeaR]

If you have a recovery partition, boot to it.

Otherwise, ensure BIOS is set to boot from CD/DVD drive and insert Operating System(OS) disc, restart PC and follow instructions.

[walkertwotone]

how do i know if i have a recovery partition and if i find it how do i boot to it , i have not got the os disc

[flavallee]

wtt:

What's the model name and model number of your HP?

Does it have Windows XP or Windows Vista?

Is it still working and loads to the desktop?

Can you advise why you want to revert it back to its original factory condition?

---------------------------------------------------------------

[walkertwotone]

dear flavellee, (i am writing this from my current working pc)

you are going to wish you never answered this post (joke).

the computer is HP Compaq D330 with windows XP Pro and yes it still works and loads to the desk top but i just cant connect it to the internet.

i originally posted on the networking forum because i wanted to know how to connect it to my current wireless netgear modem - one of your colleagues JohnWill helped me sort this, (the post is titled "need help on a few questions") as this may help you.

the pc was one of my old work ones that was no longer needed and had not been used in 6 months.

Once i got connected to the internet i then installed avast av and outpost firewall 2009 and then i decided to make sure it had all the windows updates. one of the updates was from service pack 1 to SP2, i noticed before the updates there was no security centre in the control panel but after the SP2 update it was there. i also installed IE8.

Once Oupost Firewall 2009 was installed i had various messages come up about certain rules for windows prgrammes and i believe i somehow created a rule that i should not have and this is when i could no longer connect to the internet so i tried to uninstall outpost using revo and it got so far and then come up with an error message, i have since managed to remove outpost in safe mode because in normal mode it was saying that i had to close it but i had already disabled it.

i thought, i know i will do a a system restore back to yesterday morning when it was working fine (before all the windows updates) but the earliest time i could choose was after the updates had taken place.

when i click on the IE symbol all i get is a box that says i have to dial up which says about connecting to BT broadband which is what the pc was connected to when i used to use it at work, (my ISP supplier for my pc that i am typing this on is tiscali).

just to recap, i was connecting to the internet ok untill :

1. windows updates installed SP2
2. i think i done something to the outpost firewall that i shouldnt have
3. i installed IE8

I dont believe i have got a virus i just think i have ticked something that i shouldnt have that is stopping me connecting to the internet

Sorry about the chapter and verse but this is why i want to restore to the original settings and then i can try and start again.

by the way i dont know a great deal about computers but i spend a lot of time reading peoples posts on this forum.

Thanks for taking the time to try and solve my problem.

wtt

[flavallee]

Right-click MY COMPUTER, then click Properties - Hardware - Device Manager, then click the + in

Display Adapters

Network Adapters

Sound Video And Games Controllers

What's listed under those headings?

If there are additional headings with the name

Other Devices

Unknown Devices

What's listed under those headings?

--------------------------------------------------------------

Just bear with me. I have a reason for asking you this information about your HP Compaq d330 desktop.

I've done some searching and can't find a recovery kit for that desktop.

Do you have a full version Windows XP Pro CD?

--------------------------------------------------------------

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by walkertwotone

i have not got the os disc

[walkertwotone]

ok, done that, here is the info.

inside display adapters is the following info:
inter (r) 82865g graphics controller.

inside network adaptors is the following info:
belkin 54g wirelss usb network adapter.
broadcom netxtreme gigabite ethernet for hp.
macbridge miniport.

inside sound video and games controllers is the following info:
audio codecs.
legacy audio drivers.
legacy video capture devices.
media control devices.
soundmax integrated digital audio.
video codecs.

there are no additional headings with the name other devices and unknown devices.

hope this helps.

sorry forgot to say i dont have a windows xp pro cd

[flavallee]

Here are the XP drivers for those devices:

Intel 82865G graphics controller

Broadcom NetXtreme gigabyte ethernet

Belkin 54g USB wireless adapter

SoundMAX integrated digital audio

Download and save them and burn them off to a CD-R.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I'm aware that you don't have a XP CD so you can format the hard drive and do a fresh install of the operating system.

Once you do get one(hopefully), you'll be all set. The XP CD will do all the work.

Whatever device drivers that don't get installed during the install of XP, you can install them from the CD-R.

--------------------------------------------------------------

[walkertwotone]

thanks, i have chickened out of doing this, my wife's IT guy at the school that she works at has now got the pc and is going to sort it for me just for the price of a good bottle of wine, but i now have another problem:

when i woke up this morning my netgear wireless modem seems to have stopped working !! the power light and the internet light are both green but just keep going on and off, they are not staying on , this is stopping my internet connection, i will post this in the network forum and hopefully JohnWill can help me again, unless you can shed any light on it.

[walkertwotone]

everything is fine now. so i will call this thread solved, thanks for your time and help