Will wiping my Dell laptop return it to 'as new' quality?

Timmne

Morning all,

I'm in the process of looking for a new Laptop but want to save myself the money if poss and try to 'reset' my current one - it's a Dell inspiron and is 3 years old in October.

Is there a way of resetting it back to how it was when we got it and if so, will this improve the speed etc?

I'm sure there are no viruses on it, unless they managed to avoid Norton!

Thanks

Sput2001

Re-installing Windows will do that - I assume you're using XP?

The only possible snag I can see is that Windows XP has had numerous updates in the past three years which will want to install themselves onto your PC when you do the reinstall.

These updates will possibly mean that what three years ago was an adequate amount of RAM may now be a bit light.

Other possible ways to improve speed would be:

1: Install more RAM. It's not that difficult and pretty inexpensive these days.

2: Maybe think about ditching Norton. It's been a while since I used it but it's got a reputation for being a resource hogger. There are plenty of good, free alternatives to pick from.

Reggie_Rebel

Getting a newer, faster HDD and bumping the RAM right up and then re-installing Windows would be a better option.

Timmne

Cool - thanks guys.

I reinstalled windows (XP) a while back and it took hours and hours to update!

Are there any good foolproof guides anywhere as to how to improve the RAM and put a better HDD in?

Sput2001

The best way to find out what kind of RAM you need is to use the Crucial System Scanner.

You don't have to buy from there, but it will tell you what RAM your PC uses and how much extra you can add.

What hard drive do you currently have?

penrhyn

I found this guide the other day whilst considering getting a refurbished Dell laptop from BigPockets. (No Bag-o-Crap at the moment)

Here is the one about sticking more RAM in, the Guy has one about upgrading the HDD as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvCEmKvqxfQ

Timmne

Thanks a lot!

How much is RAM - is that too much of a vague question?!

Timmne

As I'm not near the laptop I don't think I can check, unless it's standard for an Inspiron?

I'm off to have a look at that site anyway

(Will report back on the HDD question from above, later when I get home!)

Timmne

Wow it's not that expensive!

Great stuff. Will report back later.

basmic

My suggestion would be to buy a faster HD, more RAM - then use the installation CD with the new HD, and install SP3 (Windows XP Service Pack 3) before anything else.

SP3 includes many updates, and will likely save you a lot of hours when reinstalling. :cool:

alared

Timmne wrote: »

Morning all,

I'm in the process of looking for a new Laptop but want to save myself the money if poss and try to 'reset' my current one - it's a Dell inspiron and is 3 years old in October.

Is there a way of resetting it back to how it was when we got it and if so, will this improve the speed etc?

I'm sure there are no viruses on it, unless they managed to avoid Norton!

Thanks

Your Dell can be restored to factory settings exactly as the day you received it.
If you decide to do this it`s easy and straight forward.
Don`t forget that back to day one means that.
Everything you`ve added since will be lost unles you save it elsewhere.