? 4 the PC PROS

[MADe]

I have an aunt that has some 3rd party build machines. Dell or Compaq. Windows 7 and XP.

Someone put together the system for her. Can I just go into the machine and erase the OS in order to get it to work better for her?

I have always built my own machines. She seems to have a lot of crap installed with her machines. The OS's seem to appear different than mine, I have no crap. Mine are installed directly from a MS disc, I purchased.

I just want to understand the pitfalls associated with 3rd party machines. I know I can use my discs with her MS registration numbers. What else should I be aware of.

I would like to run diagnostics on her hardware, double check the bios setup and do a clean install. Her XP machine needs to get all the XP updates in before support is discontinued. My limited experience with 3rd party builds has shown me that getting into 3rd party machines is a little different than my own DIY builds.
ty

[gyrene81]

if they are retail systems with the factory os install, there may or may not be a hidden partition with a factory restore image on whether or not they are cobbled together systems with old retail box parts, the factory images. the factory image can be restored and the junkware immediately uninstalled.

you may have a problem with a dell license key working with your windows disc. depends on the system and when it was originally built. if you have an oem windows disc it should work...should.

[GScholz]

Just do a system restore and uninstall all the vendor specific "crap".

[eagl]

Good luck with the XP re-install.  I just did an XP install from service pack 1, and it was painful.  The first step is to manually download and install msie 9, otherwise you can't get any of the other updates.

[Bizman]

Good luck with the XP re-install.  I just did an XP install from service pack 1, and it was painful.  The first step is to manually download and install msie 9, otherwise you can't get any of the other updates.

How on earth could you install IE9 on XP???

Other than that, just did the same for a laptop and had to struggle a bit before the 131 updates started rolling.

[morfiend]

 IIRC Xp doesn't recognize SATA drives so be sure to have the SATA drivers downloaded to a device to allow you to install XP on a SATA drive.



   

[MADe]

Ty gents,
This is the type of info I was hoping for.
I recently re-did 1 of my XP machines, I have a disc, SP2. It did take awhile to get thru all the updates, SP3. But it was my original build so it went very well. My ma is a virus magnet, clean install was the only way to go.

my 2nd XP machine is on an SSD. This is SATA and it took fine. I used my W7 disc to prepare the SSD, then installed XP Pro with SP2. This is my bench machine to service my SSD's, it works great in IDE mode.

Any other thoughts appreciated.
ty

[Brooke]

I've done that a lot in the past.

These days, I just uninstall crapware; but I used to do the reformat/reinstall OS route.

If you want a fresh install, repartition the disk and do a format/install.  Make sure to have the files for installation of drivers handy before you do that (as it's easier to have them handy).  I'd get the Intel installer for the chipset (if it is Dell -- they use Intel motherboards/chipset), the one for your graphics card, and one for your Ethernet card (if it's not built into motherboard).  You can deal with sound or anything else later.  Install your OS, make sure your firewall is enabled before you plug into any network, do the chipset drivers, do the graphics driver, do the Ethernet card driver, then connect up and before you do anything else at all, get the OS all patched up to whatever is current.

[MADe]

tanx,

So if I am doing a clean install, I can just approach it like 1 of my own XP builds, yes?
The machine has a boot issue I'm told. Sometimes it boots, sometimes it does not. To me it sounds like a hard drive failing. I want to run diagnostics on all the hardware. If all is good, then I would reformat and go.
I just do not know how much different these 3rd party bought machines are. I am quite use to doing clean installs, having every driver ready and at hand. Just was worried about how proprietary these companies can be.

I understand that these companies use multi keyed discs as they crank out product. I just have purchased MS discs. When I re-did mom's machine, I managed to break the disc taking it out of its MS storage folder. It was an XP SP1 disk. I used my XP SP 2 disk to install and just used the SP1 disc key that is regged with MS. Walla, new machine without virus issues.
I was wondering about the key from a 3rd party machine. I of course would get the machines key code and the puter user name before erasure. Keeping them for re-install purposes.
Just like to get my ducks in a row 1st.
ty

[Brooke]

I haven't had any problem doing reinstalls of the OS on Dell machines.  They are not that proprietary in their hardware.  I don't know about other brands, though.

[gyrene81]

I haven't had any problem doing reinstalls of the OS on Dell machines.  They are not that proprietary in their hardware.  I don't know about other brands, though.

  i haven't dealt with any dells made in the last 3 years but, ya, they are just as proprietary as every other retail brand.

[Brooke]

  i haven't dealt with any dells made in the last 3 years but, ya, they are just as proprietary as every other retail brand.

The Dells I work with (desktop minitower models like the old Dimensions and newer Inspirons and Vostros) don't seem very proprietary to me.  They have Intel motherboards with standard Intel chipsets (and thus use chipset drivers you can get from Intel), can use standard PSU's, standard cards, standard HD's, etc.

However, if you want to switch CPU's, they might not be a good choice for that.  I don't know about that, as I never do that.  I just buy a new $600 machine every 3-4 years.  For me, that is the cheapest, easiest way to stay current.

[gyrene81]

proprietary doesn't mean incompatible. look in the bios, it's probably a modified (by dell) award bios. at least that was their standard from 1994 through 2010. you do realize using standard intel and amd chipsets is the way they maintain industry compatibility don't you? dell, like the other companies tried using modified chipsets which ended up causing them incompatibility problems. once in a while they do something stupid like change the power supply plug on the mobo, or use a low tier nic or sound chip.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Ty gents,
This is the type of info I was hoping for.
I recently re-did 1 of my XP machines, I have a disc, SP2. It did take awhile to get thru all the updates, SP3. But it was my original build so it went very well. My ma is a virus magnet, clean install was the only way to go.

my 2nd XP machine is on an SSD. This is SATA and it took fine. I used my W7 disc to prepare the SSD, then installed XP Pro with SP2. This is my bench machine to service my SSD's, it works great in IDE mode.

Any other thoughts appreciated.
ty

SP2 is the first service pack with built in sata drivers so you got lucky. If your mom is a virus magnet wth do you keep her on XP? Of course she's going to get infected using it.

I migrated my parents to linux years ago when I got tired to fixing their infections constantly.

[gyrene81]

have to agree with Ripley. with the right linux distro and some choice extras there isn't much the technically challenged malware magnets cannot do.