Recovery tip for Dell

For Vista or Win 7

If your operating system is VISTA / Win 7, tap F8 key when you see the Dell logo. It will take you to advanced boot menu options which include `Repair your Computer'. Select that option and enter your password if asked, then you will see a list of options like `system restore', `command prompt', etc. The last option says Dell PC restore or something similar to that. Select that option and follow the screen.
If in both cases, the Factory default doesn't work, then your laptop's factory image defaults partition have vanished (i.e., Corrupted / Deleted). So you have to reinstall the operating system with the Operating System CD / DVD shipped along with the laptop. Follow the link below to install windows XP Pro on your own.

• Start the computer.
• As the computer starts, press the F8 key until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears on the screen.
• Press the (Down Arrow) to select Repair Your Computer on the Advanced Boot Options menu, and then press Enter.
• Specify the language settings that you want, and then click Next.
• Log in as a user who has administrative credentials, and then click OK.
• Click Dell Factory Image Restore.
• In the Dell Factory Image Restore window, click Next.
• Click to select the check box for Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition.
• Click Next. The computer is restored to the default factory configuration.
• When the restore operation is completed, click Finish to restart the computer.

TIPS

 Have a Laptop? Care Tips for Laptop Screens

The recent PC "refresh" cycle included 176 laptops to add to the 75 or so purchased in the
last year or two. Using a laptop is almost the same as using a desktop - almost.

The screen on a laptop is an LCD (liquid crystal display) composed of individual transistors
at every pixel (the tiny dots that make up the images on the screen). The screens of the
laptops we just purchased have 1,470,000 pixels. Each pixel is a separate transistor/liquid
crystal combination. If any one is damaged you will have a permanent black spot on your
screen. To be sure, the loss of a single pixel will not make your screen unusable, but if you
physically damage the screen you will probably lose more than a single pixel. The screen is
the single most expensive part of your laptop. Most damage to it is non-repairable. Replacing
it can cost $700 to $1,000, a substantial portion of the $1,483 cost of the most recently
purchased machines.

To keep your screen in good shape, stay away from it - i.e. do NOT poke it with your
finger - or even worse- with a pen or pencil. If you want to show something on the screen to
someone else, point "from a distance" or use your mouse and cursor to point to the item of
interest (incidentally, you can make your cursor much larger and/or change its shape if you
find it hard to see on the screen. Go to My Computer > Control Panel > Mouse). If you do
get fingerprints or dirt on your screen, you can clean it - with care and the proper cleaning
solution. Remember, your laptop screen surface is thin, flexible plastic, not glass. Do NOT
(repeat, do NOT) use glass cleaner. The ammonia that is a primary component of most glass
cleaners will eventually yellow the screen and make it brittle.

Your first attempt to clean a screen should be with a soft cloth (NOT paper towels)
dampened with water. If a gentle wipe with this does not work, then use isopropyl alcohol
(rubbing alcohol) at 50% or less (most isopropyl is 90-95% strength; just dilute it with an
equal amount of water). You can buy commercial cleaning solutions and cleaning pads for
computer screens - but make sure they specifically say "for laptop or LCD screens" -
otherwise they most likely contain ammonia and/or ethanol, both of which will damage your
screen.

And, of course, always pour the cleaning solution onto the cleaning cloth - never pour or
spray it directly onto the screen (where it may run off and damage electronic components).

The same care tips hold true for any LCD screen that you may have - for a desktop
computer or TV as well as for laptops.

If you are a new "owner" of a laptop, were unable to attend any of our recent Personal
Technology Consulting days, and have questions about your new machine, please contact
the Helpdesk for assistance.