[robhic]

I did do a search but most of the info I found was more problems with re-installed XP for specific brands of computers or simple malfunctions. This, I could not find:

I am asking this for a friend whose system was pretty well "hosed" by a virus. After removing the virus, his XP SP2 system wouldn't do much of anything. I went over to look at it and, unfortunately, seem to have made things worse.

I tried to use what he had to repair and also tried a "non-destructive re-install" using instructions I had printed out and used on my own XP system in the past. No luck. Now, the system was worse off (don't know why) so he decided we should re-install XP from scratch and hopefully recover his personal stuff from the external hard drive I had convinced him to get a while back. (At least I got SOMETHING right!).

So I booted from the re-install disc (yes, I changed the boot-sequence in the BIOS) supplied with the computer and ended up getting XP back on. But now it won't really DO anything. No internet connection, no sound, etc. There are a couple of other discs with the ones supplied from Dell originally so I am concluding they have to be installed somehow, also. I guess this is my question:

With a new re-installation of the basic XP already on the computer, how should we go about getting the drivers, installed programs, etc. discs installed? Over what is already installed? Some separate way to get them on? Other? A hammer?

Please keep it simple because his experience is low and mine has suffered a severe blow from thinking I could help but seemingly leaving his machine worse off than before!

It is about a 3 year old Dell XPS (I think...) computer that came with Windows XP SP2 Home. What can I do (or re-do) to try to help this poor guy and restore some of my confidence that I am not TOTALLY an idiot!!!!

Thanks in advance for all advice and help!

[valis]

chances are those extra disks (especially if they are green) have the drivers for reinstallation on them. Pop them in the optical drive and follow the prompts that pop up....Dell makes it pretty simple.

You will need to get that machine updated to SP3 asap.......chances are high that had something to do with their getting infected, as you are missing literally hundreds of updates.

but first need to get the drivers reinstalled. You can check which ones are missing by start > run > sysdm.cpl > hardware tab > device drivers.

[rosiesdad]

If you do not have the driver disks, go here http://support.dell.com/support/inde...=us&l=en&s=dhs
and surf to the model and get the drivers right from Dell. Do the chipset first, then any of the rest. You will need to download or get drivers off a cd so that computer gets online.

After you get the computer online, you have a half day of MS updates including SP3, so that could be more than a half day (depending on his internet speed)

Its fun and a learning experience.

Dont forget to get a anti-virus before you get very adventurous about going online, MS is safe to go to though.

[robhic]

Thanks for the info so far. I am planning on getting him on the phone later and will read him the advice. He has the discs, I DO remember that. If we can start by installing those bad boys, I think (hope) we'll be in better shape. Then maybe we'll get the backed up info from the external drive and he won't hate me!

Thanks again!

[valis]

that's good that you had the data backed up.......rule of thumb (or computing 101) is that data you don't want is data that isn't backed up........

[lightglobe]

Hey Robhic,

I just went through an experience of a lifetime recovering my Acer T300 from the three recovery disks, and the hardest thing I couldn't come to grips with was trying to find how to get into the BIOS FEATURES. Well, I can say that DEL + CTRL works, and the next step is to ensure that the FIRST BOOT is in the CD ROM mode, and after that ensure that F10 is hit to save the setting. Then from then on it was slightly rough sailing, but I got there.

I also found that after I did the recovery I only had SP-1 on the disks, and had to download SP-2 before SP-3. I found that after I downloaded SP-2, I then hit the WINDOWS UPDATE, and about 100 updates later, I then downloaded SP-3, and then after another 70 updates, I then hit the WINDOWS UPDATE again, and got a number of further updates.

I am still using WORD 2000 and I had another learning experience when downloading the updates for this old version of WORD.

Regards

Regards

[robhic]

Originally Posted by valis

that's good that you had the data backed up.......rule of thumb (or computing 101) is that data you don't want is data that isn't backed up........

I got an external drive of my own after an experience a few years ago. My first advice to my friend was to do it, also. He has 1000's of MP3 files and I convinced him (easily!) that it might save his precious music collection. So thanks for the advice -- who can resist advice from someone who reads "Red Meat"?

[robhic]

Originally Posted by lightglobe

I also found that after I did the recovery I only had SP-1 on the disks, and had to download SP-2 before SP-3. I found that after I downloaded SP-2, I then hit the WINDOWS UPDATE, and about 100 updates later, I then downloaded SP-3, and then after another 70 updates, I then hit the WINDOWS UPDATE again, and got a number of further updates.

Thanks for brightening my day with that! This is the part where I am glad it is not my computer and all of that grunt-work will be his to perform!!!

[valis]

Originally Posted by robhic

I got an external drive of my own after an experience a few years ago. My first advice to my friend was to do it, also. He has 1000's of MP3 files and I convinced him (easily!) that it might save his precious music collection. So thanks for the advice -- who can resist advice from someone who reads "Red Meat"?

and that makes four people in the past 8 years........

(but mum's the word)

[lightglobe]

Originally Posted by robhic

Thanks for brightening my day with that! This is the part where I am glad it is not my computer and all of that grunt-work will be his to perform!!!

No problems, you are no doubt a good friend to you friend until things get tough!

[robhic]

Just heard back from the owner of the distraught computer. Tried putting the accessories disc in and it's telling him something about need to be upgraded. Huh? These are the additional discs provided with the XP re-installation disc package. Why would the extra discs supplied ask for an upgrade for the same system they were packaged with?

Would another (better?) wipe and then re-re-installing the XP disc, again, and start over be better? And any suggestions for a cleaner / better wipe / reformat of the HDD? Thanks for the hand-holding.

[valis]

What is the exact error message about what has to be upgraded?

[robhic]

Originally Posted by valis

What is the exact error message about what has to be upgraded?

I don't know as I was on the phone with him. I had mentioned that I thought we'd have to install the rest of the discs that came with the computer before it would be good to go, but wanted to check here first. So he tried it himself before I could get back to him and during the phone call he said it wouldn't let him go further than a certain point without error messages popping up.

What, specifically, I don't really know. He said something about the accessories disc coming up with an upgrade message but the exact wording I can't say. He did get his Word 2000 program to install so his kid could use it for some school work. But there's an Nvidea disc, a Roxio disc and possibly another for accessory programs plus the actual Dell XP accessories and drivers disc.

If I could get into Dell's 'hidden' repair or re-install partition would that be helpful? And if so does <CTRL + F11> do that? I thought I read it somewhere. I really think something got screwed during the initial re-install of XP that I did. I remember something about installing it into the original partition or another one.

He decided that if we tried installing into another partition it might not wipe out all his music and pictures (they're still on the external drive but wanted to try anyway) but it looks like it did, anyway, plus might've messed up creating a fresh install somewhere where we shouldn't have tried.

At this point, if the <CTRL - F11> doesn't work, I'm thinking wiping it again and trying to re-install in the original partition and hoping that works. Thoughts? And what is a good way to wipe the HDD instead of just trying to re-install over it?

I really appreciate the help as at this point, getting a tech out is $$$ he doesn't have and I'd like to try to fix it up so he can save some cash. Thanks again.

[valis]

we're going to have to get the exact, verbatim message as to what needs to be upgraded. It could just be a bios thing, or lord knows what.......but we need that message.

Does he live close to you? what are the chances of his bringing his rig to your house so we can have quasi-live time going on?

[robhic]

Originally Posted by valis

we're going to have to get the exact, verbatim message as to what needs to be upgraded. It could just be a bios thing, or lord knows what.......but we need that message.

Does he live close to you? what are the chances of his bringing his rig to your house so we can have quasi-live time going on?

Between his work schedule and distance that prolly isn't a plan that would work. I am going to call after he gets home and write down the error message(s) if possible. I'll post them. I'll see if I can get him to get a screen shot of the errors and send them to me, too.