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Reinstalling Drivers and the Operating System

Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX620
User's Guide

  Drivers

  Using Microsoft® Windows® XP System Restore

  Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.

NOTICE: You must use Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 1 or later when you reinstall the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

NOTE: If you installed a unique image on your computer or if you had to reinstall your operating system, run the DSS utility. DSS is available on your optional Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD) and at support.dell.com.

Drivers

What Is a Driver?

A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program.

A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.

Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation or configuration is needed.

NOTICE: The optional Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system.

Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft Windows operating system. You may need to install drivers if you:

• Upgrade your operating system.
  
  
• Reinstall your operating system.
  
  
• Connect or install a new device.
  
  

Identifying Drivers

If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver.

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
   
   
2. Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click System.
   
   
4. In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.
   
   
5. Click Device Manager.
   
   
6. Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.
   
   

If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver.

Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

NOTICE: The Dell Support website at support.dell.com and your Drivers and Utilities CD provide approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD) is optional, and as such, may not ship with certain computers.

Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback

If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously installed version.

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
   
   
2. Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click System.
   
   
4. In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.
   
   
5. Click Device Manager.
   
   
6. Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click Properties.
   
   
7. Click the Drivers tab.
   
   
8. Click Roll Back Driver.
   
   

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see "Enabling System Restore") to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you installed the new driver.

Using the Optional Drivers and Utilities CD

If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the ResourceCD).

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD) is optional, and as such, may not ship with all computers.

NOTE: To access device drivers and user documentation, you must use the Drivers and Utilities CD while your computer is running Windows.

1. Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.
   
   

If this is your first time to use the Drivers and Utilities CD, the Installation window opens to inform you that the CD will begin the installation. Click OK and respond to the installation program prompts to complete the installation.

2. Click Next at the Welcome Dell System Owner screen.
   
   
3. Choose the appropriate selections for System Model, Operating System, Device Type, and Topic.
   
   
4. Click My Drivers in the Topic drop-down menu.
   
   

The Drivers and Utilities CD scans your computer's hardware and operating system and then displays a list of device drivers for your system configuration.

5. Click the appropriate driver and follow the instructions to download the driver for your computer.
   
   

To view a list of all available drivers for your computer, click Drivers in the Topic drop-down menu.

To access the help files on the Drivers and Utilities CD, click the question mark button or the Help link at the top of the screen.

Using Microsoft® Windows® XP System Restore

The Microsoft Windows XP operating system provides System Restore to allow you to return your computer to an earlier operating state (without affecting data files) if changes to the hardware, software, or other system settings have left the computer in an undesirable operating state. See the Windows Help and Support Center for information on using System Restore.

NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not monitor your data files or recover them.

Creating a Restore Point

1. Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
   
   
2. Click System Restore.
   
   
3. Follow the instructions on the screen.
   
   

Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

NOTICE: Before you restore the computer to an earlier operating state, save and close any open files and exit any open programs. Do not alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.

1. Click the Start button, point to All Programs® Accessories® System Tools, and then click System Restore.
   
   
2. Ensure that Restore my computer to an earlier time is selected and click Next.
   
   
3. Click a calendar date to which you want to restore your computer.
   
   

The Select a Restore Point screen provides a calendar that allows you to see and select restore points. All calendar dates with available restore points appear in boldface type.

4. Select a restore point and click Next.
   
   

If a calendar date has only one restore point, then that restore point is automatically selected. If two or more restore points are available, click the restore point that you prefer.

5. Click Next.
   
   

The Restoration Complete screen appears after System Restore finishes collecting data and then the computer restarts.

6. After the computer restarts, click OK.
   
   

To change the restore point, you can either repeat the steps using a different restore point, or you can undo the restoration.

Undoing the Last System Restore

NOTICE: Before you undo the last system restore, save and close all open files and exit any open programs. Do not alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.

1. Click the Start button, point to All Programs® Accessories® System Tools, and then click System Restore.
   
   
2. Click Undo my last restoration and click Next.
   
   
3. Click Next.
   
   

The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.

4. After the computer restarts, click OK.
   
   

Enabling System Restore

If you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is automatically disabled. To see if System Restore is enabled:

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
   
   
2. Click Performance and Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click System.
   
   
4. Click the System Restore tab.
   
   
5. Ensure that Turn off System Restore is unchecked.
   
   

Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP

NOTICE: You must use Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later when you reinstall your operating system.

Before You Begin

If you are considering reinstalling the Windows XP operating system to correct a problem with a newly installed driver, first try using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback. If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver.

NOTICE: 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.

To reinstall Windows XP, you need the following items:

• Dell™ Operating System CD
  
  
• Dell Drivers and Utilities CD
  
  

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer. Use the Drivers and Utilities CD to load any required drivers.

Reinstalling Windows XP

To reinstall Windows XP, perform all the steps in the following sections in the order in which they are listed.

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.

NOTICE: The Operating System CD provides options for reinstalling Windows XP. The options can overwrite files and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless a Dell technical support representative instructs you to do so.

NOTICE: To prevent conflicts with Windows XP, disable any virus protection software installed on your computer before you reinstall Windows XP. See the documentation that came with the software for instructions.

Booting From the Operating System CD

1. Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
   
   
2. Insert the Operating System CD. Click Exit if Install Windows XP message appears.
   
   
3. Restart the computer.
   
   
4. Press <F12> immediately after the DELL™ logo appears.
   
   

If the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Windows desktop, and then shut down the computer and try again.

5. Press the arrow keys to select CD-ROM, and press <Enter>.
   
   
6. When the Press any key to boot from CD message appears, press any key.
   
   

Windows XP Setup

1. When the Windows XP Setup screen appears, press <Enter> to select To set up Windows now.
   
   
2. Read the information on the Microsoft Windows Licensing Agreement screen, and press <F8> to accept the license agreement.
   
   
3. If your computer already has Windows XP installed and you want to recover your current Windows XP data, type r to select the repair option, and remove the CD.
   
   
4. If you want to install a new copy of Windows XP, press <Esc> to select that option.
   
   
5. Press <Enter> to select the highlighted partition (recommended), and follow the instructions on the screen.
   
   

The Windows XP Setup screen appears, and the operating system begins to copy files and install the devices. The computer automatically restarts multiple times.

NOTICE: Do not press any key when the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.

NOTE: The time required to complete the setup depends on the size of the hard drive and the speed of your computer.

6. When the Regional and Language Options screen appears, select the settings for your location and click Next.
   
   
7. Enter your name and organization (optional) in the Personalize Your Software screen, and click Next.
   
   
8. At the Computer Name and Administrator Password window, enter a name for your computer (or accept the one provided) and a password, and click Next.
   
   
9. If the Modem Dialing Information screen appears, enter the requested information and click Next.
   
   
10. Enter the date, time, and time zone in the Date and Time Settings window, and click Next.
    
    
11. If the Networking Settings screen appears, click Typical and click Next.
    
    
12. If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional and you are prompted to provide further information regarding your network configuration, enter your selections. If you are unsure of your settings, accept the default selections.
    
    

Windows XP installs the operating system components and configures the computer. The computer automatically restarts.

NOTICE: Do not press any key when the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.

13. When the Welcome to Microsoft screen appears, click Next.
    
    
14. When the How will this computer connect to the Internet? message appears, click Skip.
    
    
15. When the Ready to register with Microsoft? screen appears, select No, not at this time and click Next.
    
    
16. When the Who will use this computer? screen appears, you can enter up to five users.
    
    
17. Click Next.
    
    
18. Click Finish to complete the setup, and remove the CD.
    
    
19. Reinstall the appropriate drivers with the Drivers and Utilities CD.
    
    
20. Reinstall your virus protection software.
    
    
21. Reinstall your programs.
    
    

NOTE: To reinstall and activate your Microsoft Office or Microsoft Works Suite programs, you need the Product Key number located on the back of the Microsoft Office or Microsoft Works Suite CD sleeve.

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