Restoring To Factory Settings....


finty

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Ok, my sister is looking her lap-top restored to the way it was when it was bought, i can do this on my desktop computer because it came with a system restore disk, but her laptop did not. all it came with was a windows xp install disc. i dont know too much about computers but i was looking to know how, or if i can restore to factory settings, do i just install xp over the top of the already installed version?

Thanks
 
If XP is anything like earlier versions of Windows (i.e. all up to 2K inclusive certainly) then that wouldn't do the trick - it'd be a new install of XP, but with the user settings/registry of the old one, so not much would change overall. Probably...
 
U could do a complete format so u have to re-install Windows and all the other programmes and files.

U need to make sure u have a Boot Disk (I am not sure about how to make one)

then restart ure computer in DOS, and type C: /s, then when it prompt u push Y, then wait till its finished and restart ure computer with the boot disk (floppy) in the drive, the rest is self explanatory

DONT DO THIS YET THO, WAIT FOR SUM1 ELSE TO SAY THATS WOT U SHUD DO COZ I AINT AS GOOD ON COMPUTERS AS MOST OF THE OTHER GUYS
 
Well, its what I'd do, but I'd make sure I had all the drivers downloaded and available first. But that doesn't restore it to factory settings; it restores it to a blank computer with nothing but Win XP. If the factory had, say, Office or Works installed too, those won't be there. Nor would a lot of codecs, and, say, any external firewall/antivirus/CD-burning software you may have atm...
 
well, it has no floppy drive, so could i make one on cd? also if i do this will it reinstall all the programs that were on the laptop? i mean stuff like the dvd player and all, its just if i do something to mess it up im gonna get a hell of alot of ear ache. man i wish they still made computers they way they did when i got my one, with a damn factory restore disk!
 
Simple
Start > Programs > Accesories > System tools > System Restore
Simply follow the instructions after that, and restore your computer to the most early date.
 
its really that simple?

EDIT: the lap-top came with a "Product Recovery CD-Rom" and it says on it "the software included on this recovery cd-rom was pre-installed on your hard drive at the factory and may only be used for back-up and recovery of your.... computers system".

But when i run the cd it gives me 2 options recover xp or install xp, i dont want to do either, i only want to restore to factory settings, can i use this disk?
 
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