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General discussion

Best way to re-install XP Pro to correct slow processing?

by pdoyle10 Aug 24, 2010 5:01AM PDT

Please any ideas on
1. how best to re-install XP, and
2. will this correct my sluggish pc?

Dell Optiplex GX520 purchased refurb Sept. '09; upgraded with 500 GB Caviar Green internal hard drive, RAM increased to 2 GB; operated fine until a few months ago; problems with sluggish, takes firefox two minues to open, if at all; oftentimes have to use task mgr to cut process firefox.exe before program will open. Also slow to open iTunes, explorer 7, any program at all. ran speed test DSLreports.com flash test...firefox couldn't get through the test, warning script from movie may crash firefox unless stopped; but no movie running. Explorer could do flash test fine, ~ 9 mbs on comcast internet.
I uninstalled all Adobe programs, and firefox...reinstalled them; but continue to get same warning box and crashing.
Have run rkill by grimler; then malwarebytes; then superantispyware; only needed two rounds before nothing detected.

Now it appears i need to reformat hard drive and reinstall XP PRo; trying to determine best way to do while retaining some programs and settings. have backed up with Acronis free trial; also, backup with XP program; also, have backed up with iomega ProTeckt program; but not sure how many, if any, programs and settings to recover once i reformat and reinstall XP. have searched forums and google,m Westerd Digital site, iomega site, just confusing as to best way to reinstall without having to reload all programs, settings, drivers, etc. for hours.
Any suggestions?
thanks so much, pdoyle.

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Not possible, alas.
by Kees Bakker Aug 24, 2010 5:32AM PDT

Use the Dell supplied recovery media or method to go back to factory conditions. This will include the drivers.
Then reinstall all your applications, redo all your settings and restore all your documents from the backup.

Kees

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transfer wizard didn't seem to work
by pdoyle10 Aug 30, 2010 2:29AM PDT

hi kees, seems i made a mistake...confused by so many options. i had bought the Dell as a refurb, and upgraded the hard drive immediately...so the only disks i had were an XP SP3 install disk, plus 2 disks from dEll with backups of settings, drivers, and OEM programs. Since i had updated those drivers, i didn't think i should use the backup disk from Dell.
so i used XP files settings transfer wizard to back up;
did a reformate and reinstall from the XP install disk; then ran the transfer wizard with an eGo portable hard drive connected. I expected all the settings, including monitor resolution, to be the same; but even though transfer wizard ran for hours, it's as if nothing was transfered at all. the resolution is off; none of the files were transfered; and i wonder if even the drivers may need updating. did i do something wrong?
the wizard took so long, like 12 hoursaltogether, it would have been quicker to not even use it; if it had worked, which apparently it didn't. any advice? do i need to select a command to activate the transfered files/settings/ programs? thanks, pdoyle

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update on reinstall XP
by pdoyle10 Sep 4, 2010 5:40AM PDT

hope you can advise, it's gone from bad to worse...
i reformatted the hard drive, reinstalled XP Pro from the CD...
however the Dell install discs were from the original desktop; buying the refurb, i didn't use the Dell install discs as i thought they wouldn't work.
so i did it manually on the dell website and now i'm using driver max.
Real problem came in when i did Windows transfer; and i had multiple backups from multiple programs like Quikprotect, Retrospect Exress HD, and Windows Files and Settings Transfer on the same external hard drive from which i restored the back up files and settings.
Now, i have duplicates of files because i have set up 2 levels of C drive folders; C:/Documents and Settings, and also C:/(pre-reinstall desktop name)/Documents and Settings.
and my user account has two different names
the first level C folders don't look normal...
i've spent days on this so far.
should i try a repair with XP disk? or a new re-install (having already deleted by windows files and settings transfer from external hard drive; so i have no reliable backup.

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