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Restoring Your Operating System Using the Operation System Media
Before you Begin
If you are considering reinstalling the Windows operating system to correct a problem with a newly installed driver, first try using Windows Device Driver
Rollback. See Returning to a Previous Device Driver Version. If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use Microsoft Windows System
Restore to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver. See Restoring Microsoft Windows
Operating Systems on Hard Drives.
ToreinstallWindows,youneedtheDell™Operation System media and the Dell Drivers and Utilities media.
Reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After you reinstall the operating system, you must also reinstall the device drivers, virus
protection program, and other software.
1. Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2. Insert the Operating System disc.
3. If the Install Windows message appears, click Exit.
4. Restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
5. When the boot device list appears, highlight CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive and press <Enter>.
Press any key to Boot from CD-ROM, and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
User Accounts and Passwords
Passwords for Windows XP Embedded
If you ordered your computer preloaded with Windows XP Embedded, your computer is configured with user account names and passwords. Refer to
support.dell.com for more information.
Changing Account Names and Passwords in Windows
Windows XP Embedded
1. Click Start ® Control Panel.
2. If the Control Panel window appears in Category View (Pick a category), switch to Classic View (icon view).
CAUTION: Before performing the installation, back up all data files on your primary hard drive. For conventional hard drive configurations, the
primary hard drive is the first drive detected by the computer.
NOTE: .The Dell Drivers and Utilities media contains drivers that were installed during the assembly of the computer. Use the Dell Drivers and Utilities
media to load any required drivers. Depending on the region from which you ordered your computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell
Drivers and Utilities media and Operating System media may not ship with your computer.
NOTE: If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft®Windows®desktop; then, shut down
your computer and try again.
NOTE: The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the computer boots according to the devices specified in the
system setup program...
CAUTION: The user account name and password security feature in Windows XP Embedded, Windows XP, and Windows Vista helps you to
protect your computer against unauthorized access by those who would extract your personal information or damage the system. Dell strongly
advises you to change your operating system user account name and passwords frequently to maintain the effectiveness of this security feature.
NOTE: To add/remove/change the account name or privileges of a user with Administrative or user level privileges, you must be logged into the
operating system as a user with administrative level privileges. If you are logged into the system with user level privileges, you can change only your
password.