Helene, A lot of people like to have an original Windows XP operating system CD. Using that you can in many instances repair an installation rather than just wiping it out and returning the computer to its original state which is what the restore disks Dell gave you will do. I really believe in your case what you have is fine. And I think that doing some of the stuff with the original CD that Clint or some of the rest of us would want to do is not something you want to try.
You have to remember though that the cd's you have will restore the system to its original state but you will lose any data you have on the system. So you need to be aware of that and prepare for it by backing up data that you don't want to lose in the event that you have to restore the system. How is your hard drive partitioned? Do you just have a C drive and then a CD as D: or did they divide your hard drive into two partitions? If you have a C and D and then a CD as E, you can back up your data on your D partition. It you don't have one, use you cd burner to periodically backup things like email address, emails, picture or whatever you want to keep. In either case, having one hard drive, you should periodically back up critical data to a CD. Windows XP is a very stable operating system and with the way you use your computer, you will very rarely, if ever, need to completely restore it. WinXp also has a system restore feature that will many times fix things that with Win9x systems required a complete reinstall. I'm a little unclear about why Dell shipped you a second set of restore cds. Maybe we don't understand what was in the first set of CD's they sent with the machine. Ben ----- Original Message ----- From: "Helene Leavitt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 8:57 AM Subject: Re: PCWorks: New Comuter. and WOES... SIGH UPDATE > Hi Clint.. > The orginial cd's. I got with the computer are the restore discs.. and > various other ones. > Those I have.. and also have Office Small Business.Original CD. > > What they sent me yesterday. is an exact duplicate(picture image).. 4 CD's. > of my computer.. that is "supposidly"?? what they install at the factory.. > and these are the CD's. that will be installed on my computer.. NOT - the > ones I had installed, re-inststalled, etc.. These that they sent me.. are > the ones. that have everything on them. and were burned at Dell.. especially > for THIS computer,(as I've been told) and thats why it took 2 days.. > > What do you mean by an OS CD.. Isnt' that what they've just sent > me.(yesterday). cause from what I'm understanding from Dell.. is that "if. > and when" a system crashes or gets infec** with something. .These are the > CD"s that will install EVERYTHING ,, in a matter of about 30 minutes.. vs.. > going thru all the other CD"s that came with the machine, and having to > uninstall, and then re-install... > > If you think I'm not getting what I'm supposed to have. PLEASE- TELL ME. and > I will call Dell. and demand what you think is necessary.. > > I had thought that these SR's CD"s. where "GOLD". as I"ve been told. as it > does a system restore in a matter of 30 minutes. and its -like I said, an > exact 'picture image" of my computer.. Does this sound right.. > > I'm just so confused. cause I thought that it was a good thing. and now, I'm > second guessing it.(maybe I should DEMAND a new computer??). > > Please.. let me know. > Thanks- > Helene ============= PCWorks Mailing List ================= Don't see your post? Check our posting guidelines & make sure you've followed proper posting procedures, http://pcworkers.com/rules.htm Contact list owner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribing and other changes: http://pcworkers.com =====================================================
