I just bought a Dell Dimension E521 with Windows Vista Home Premium. It was
a display model so the store has their different names as administrator. I
know the people that work there and they most likely changed things they
don't even know about. I was wondering if/how I can restore everything as if
I did just get it out of the box. I tried a system restore and that was not
a good idea. I keep getting errors for things like SetPoint and Google
Desktop along with some others. Sometimes I even need to restart the
computer just to get internet explorer to open. Would inserting the
reinstallation disk be something I could try? Please help...

Michelle02392 wrote:

> I just bought a Dell Dimension E521 with Windows Vista Home Premium. It was
> a display model so the store has their different names as administrator. I
> know the people that work there and they most likely changed things they
> don't even know about. I was wondering if/how I can restore everything as if
> I did just get it out of the box. I tried a system restore and that was not
> a good idea. I keep getting errors for things like SetPoint and Google
> Desktop along with some others. Sometimes I even need to restart the
> computer just to get internet explorer to open. Would inserting the
> reinstallation disk be something I could try? Please help...

You should do a clean install of Windows. Boot with the Vista
installation CD or, if you didn't get one, see if there is a hidden
partition on the hard drive. If you can't figure out how to do this, go
back to the shop and find out. Legally there must be a way to return the
machine to factory condition and that's what you want to do.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Thanks Malke. That's what I thought. So to do a clean install I just need
to have the reinstallation cd in the computer and then turn it on? I put in
the cd (out of some frustration) but it's "options" were for people updating
from XP. As far as I read there was nothing for someone who bought the
computer with Vista already on it. Is it still ok?

Go here and download the Owners Manual (PDF, 9.18 MB):

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...1/en/index.htm

Read the instructions regarding "Using Dell PC Restore", on page 57. In
short:

To use PC Restore:

1 Turn on the computer.

During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of
the screen.

2 Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>.

If you do not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish starting,
and then restart the computer again.

NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in the
following step.

3 On the next screen that appears, click Restore.

4 On the next screen, click Confirm.

The restore process takes approximately 6–10 minutes to complete.

5 When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.

NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the
computer completely reboot.

6 When prompted, click Yes.

The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original
operating state, the screens that appear, such as the End User License
Agreement, are the same ones that
appeared the first time the computer was turned on.

7 Click Next.

The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.

8 After the computer restarts, click OK.



"Michelle02392" <Michelle02392@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:000BEF05-133B-4109-B6A4-1BD4AA4E238D@xxxxxx

>I just bought a Dell Dimension E521 with Windows Vista Home Premium. It
>was
> a display model so the store has their different names as administrator.
> I
> know the people that work there and they most likely changed things they
> don't even know about. I was wondering if/how I can restore everything as
> if
> I did just get it out of the box. I tried a system restore and that was
> not
> a good idea. I keep getting errors for things like SetPoint and Google
> Desktop along with some others. Sometimes I even need to restart the
> computer just to get internet explorer to open. Would inserting the
> reinstallation disk be something I could try? Please help...