Is the procedure of formatting a notebook same as desktop?

[iori57]

I always format my desktop from time to time because it slows down after like one month or something, but this is my first time that I have a notebook for myself (study overseas ) so I'm wondering if the procedure is same as a desktop? I'm using a dell notebook which comes preinstalled with many softwares that I rarely ever use so i suspect they are slowing down the performance of my notebook..

What is the correct procedure to format a notebook? Can I just put the winXP cd in and boot it when starting windows? then when installing choose to format harddrive? I did this all the time with my desktop..

I'm also afraid that some of the functions of my notebook will not work after format, for example the volume button on my notebook, I think I need to install some dell quickstart software for the volume button to work... and many other blue colour keys on my keyboard (holding Fn+key)

thanks for reading this

---
My life, my job, my curse is to vanquish evil. -Van Helsing

 

[Luckyboy1]

Not only is all that crap slowing you down, but you may find what I found on my wife's Dell when I reformatted it and that's a hidden partition where it stores everything you do and gives it to Dell on a regular basis!

Yeah, a hard drives a hard drive, so get busy and try to get most of your drivers and chipsets from like Intel and other vendors directly.

 

[skisteven1]

Originally posted by: Luckyboy1
Not only is all that crap slowing you down, but you may find what I found on my wife's Dell when I reformatted it and that's a hidden partition where it stores everything you do and gives it to Dell on a regular basis!

Yeah, a hard drives a hard drive, so get busy and try to get most of your drivers and chipsets from like Intel and other vendors directly.

Only partially correct -- there is a hidden partition (~40mb on mine), but I don't think it does anything actively. Definetly not on mine anyway. I believe it's used for storing settings and drivers and whatnot specific to the computer for use by the dell restore discs.

 

[Luckyboy1]

All I know is some mysterious use of CPU cycles and bandwidth went bye-bye after the reformat job and her PC was much, and I mean much faster afterwards.

 

[deathwalker]

Use care...on many Dell systems that do not come with a restore disk...the system restore install files are on one of those partitions. If this is the case with your laptop make sure you follow the Dell proceedure for making a set of restore disks from this partion first. Even if you are reinstalling from a privately owned copy of Windows it is still wise to make these restore disks before you blow everything away.

 

[Fern]

Yeah, I'd be a bit careful. My worry would be drivers specific to you laptop. I guess do what deathwalker says.

 

[RebateMonger]

Some laptops require significant "non-standard" drivers to make them fully functional. Determining which ones your laptop uses can be a pain, even with a fairly standard product like a Dell laptop.

I'd recommend just uninstalling any Dell-installed programs that you don't need.

I'd:
0) Make sure you have a physical Dell system restoration disk. Use the Dell utility to burn one of Dell didn't provide one. Or insist that Dell give you one.
1) Open the "Add or Remove Software" Control Panel
2) Write down a list of installed programs
3) Determine what each does and uninstall any that you don't desire.
4) Determine if you are happy with the result.

If you still aren't happy, then examine the Device Manager and carefully write down the EXACT devices that are installed on your PC. Particularly, any WiFi networking devices, video devices, sound devices, wired networking devices, touchpad devices, and any other special I/O devices. Download drivers for those from Dell. Then re-intall XP using an XP-only install disk, if you have one.

 

[bruceb]

If you want to reformat it, then you should do the following first:

As stated be sure you have all your original cd's for app's & os as shipped (you may have to get Dell to mail them out)
Use a tool such as Drive Manager Pro to make sure you have All your drivers as installed in one place (put them on a cd)
Make an Image of your system using Ghost or Acronis TruImage .. put it on CD or DVD or another hard drive where you have room

This way, if you ever need to get it back to as Delivered, you easily can .... now go ahead and mod away safely

 

[iori57]

thanks a lot for the important suggestions, gotta format my comp in a day or two.

thanks!