Destructive Restore

I have a Dell and windows xp. i wanna know does the 'Destructive Restore' get rid of everything but the os? and if it does how do i do it?

 

'Destructive Restore' will take you back to the first day you started the computer up. Don't forget to get a firewall and all the windows updates.

 

Not familiar with the term Destructive Restore.
Are you referring to reinstalling the operating system by using the Dell Recovery disks?
If so, it won't exactly take you back to when you got the computer. You will have to manually reinstall all software and drivers from your Drivers and Applications CD.

 

how do i do a Destructive Restore?

i know i press f10, and i get a screen w/ choices. here they are:

which one do i choose and what do i do then?

 

Dell XP Restore

If your PC was made after, August 2004 I think it was, you will not have received a Windows Installation Disk. You should have received a DVD with the PC contents on it.

To do what you want you will need to use the installed part of Dell that is by Smymantec called Dell Restore. Be advised you will loose everything you have put on or in your PC. You also will revert back to the first start up of your Dell. The programs you may have deleted will be back where they were on day l.

There is a should be a pdf file on your desktop that will tell you about this and a lot of information you should read if you have not. If you deleted this, look for it in your program files or in windows itself. I have copied some of the information you need. If you follow these instructions you will get what you are after:

To use PC Restore:
1 Turn on the computer.
2,Restart the PC.
During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.
3 Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>.
If you do not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish restarting, and then
restart the computer again.
3. Answer the final question that will appear. Your PC will reboot and you will have the day one PC back.

 

im gonna wait for my brother to get home cuz he is better at this then i am and i ***** **** up lol. thank u this sounds like really good info and ill post what happens on the forum. if u dont mind please check back on this thread if i need u any farther. so far it sounds like good info and maybe if u wanna message me ur email if i have any trouble i can email u. thank u again ill try this stuff.

 

If you need further help, just post at the end of the series of posts to your first question. It helps to keep everything in some sort of order.

 

i read through that pdf and it saids exactly what to do step by step. im gonna it print copy it and transfer it to my brother's computer and print it out so i have it in front of me. i called my bro and he said we can do it when he gets home which is in about 2 hours and 20 mins. ill telll u what happens as soon as we do it.

 

stricken answer as it's there already. board only loaded the first two when i hit reply

 

lol thats ok it worked. my computer restored to when i first got it i used my ipod and got my pics and text files back on it and i reinstalled bf2 and installed the patch i had saved on my ipod. just gotta wait for my router and cat cords to come and then i can get it on the internet and download ventrilo and firefox, and then im good to go.

thank u for ur help. i am very greatful.

 

Strange, as I set up at least 5 new Dells a month, and have never noticed that option. I don't do that many restores as I do setup, so I'm probably just not looking.
Whenever I do have to do a restore, it is usually due to a dead HD, so that could be another reason also.

I did notice as of about a month ago Dell did stop sending restore CDs. You have to make them yourself now, which is BS, IMHO

 

DumbTerminal

I believe this is something that is put in at Dell when they do the PC up. If you reformat the HD or replace it then all is lost as it is a One Time Restore program put in at the Factory.

 

Yup