Windows Help

rawtunes · Oct 29, 2007

ok so my computer crashed, I got a virus and i have to fix windows

Dell is sending me some discs to restore windows

but my computer was completely messed up
so i got a copy of windows from my friend and installed it
but when it asked me to install it
i put it on my largest partition
thinking it would just overwrite my non working windows
but instead i think it just installed it side by side
because when i start up windows
it gives me 2 choices of Windows XP
one being the new working windows (with out any drivers though)
and the other being the old non working windows

i need to get the new windows I installed off of my computer
so i just have the non working windows
so when Dell sends me the discs I can just fix it their way

what id like to have happen is
to get rid of the new windows i just installed
fix the old one that was infected by a virus
partition my harddrive so I can install a gaming version of XP on my computer as well as the fixed version
so i can boot up in one or the other

Thank you in advance

squeek · Oct 30, 2007

I'm new at this but I'm thinking you should wipe everything out and start up clean with all programs and drivers. Back up as much of your document stuff you will loose and any special programs you use.

plodr · Oct 30, 2007

rawtunes, wait until you get the disks from Dell. Your computer is probably set up with a hidden recovery partition (small) and the CD you get will access that before it installs. If you just put in any XP CD, there is no guarantee that your hardware will be set up correctly (Dell might have special drivers that only work with your system and not the generic drivers that any XP CD would use). Also any programs on your Dell, like burning programs to work with the installed optical drive (CD or DVD burner) will be missing. You'll then have to buy another program to get it to work.

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Windows Help

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plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member