How to Reformat a Dell Computer XP Pro

You can reformat a Dell computer using the Windows XP Pro CD.

If you purchased a Dell laptop or desktop computer between 2001 and 2006, it came with a Windows XP Professional installation CD that you can use for reformatting purposes. Reformatting your Dell computer will erase all of the data on your primary hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows XP Pro. You may need to reformat your Dell if it becomes infected with a serious virus or experiences other system errors.

Things You'll Need

• Dell laptop or desktop running Windows XP
• Windows XP Professional installation CD

Instructions

1. Open the CD drive on your Dell computer and put in the Windows XP Professional installation disk.

2. Restart the computer and press any key when the system asks if you want to boot from the CD.

3. Press the "Enter" key when the Windows Setup program finishes loading.

4. Press the "F8" key to accept the Windows license agreement.

5. Highlight the "C:" drive from the list of partitions and press the "D" key and then the "L" key to erase the partition.

6. Select the entry labeled "Unpartitioned Space" and hit "Enter" to advance to the formatting step.

7. Choose the "NTFS (Quick)" option from the list of file systems and hit "Enter" to reformat the drive. After the formatting process finishes, the rest of the Windows XP Pro installation will begin.

References

• University of Iowa: Reformatting Your Computer Using Windows XP