Bought new Dell...want to do clean install...

I just bought a new Dell computer with MS Media Center. I want to wipe out
the computer and do a clean install. I noticed that the computer is already
split in to two partitions. Is that required for reinstalling, or can I just
reinstall it on to one partition? If someone can point me to the exact steps
on doing the complete reinstall, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

You would need another copy of Media Center 2005, and any proprietary drivers for the Dell machine. The second "partition" on the hard drive is your recovery partition. You can use this to restore the applications that came pre-installed, or put the machine back to its "out of box" state. There is no way to install just the operating system with this type of restoration. See your owner's manual or Dell's included help for information on how to access the recovery partition.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"nikeair" <> wrote in message news:B384212D-B243-4813-998A-...
>I just bought a new Dell computer with MS Media Center. I want to wipe out
> the computer and do a clean install. I noticed that the computer is already
> split in to two partitions. Is that required for reinstalling, or can I just
> reinstall it on to one partition? If someone can point me to the exact steps
> on doing the complete reinstall, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

But, he's going to get the same thing that's on the recovery partition, along with all the pre-installed junk. When the OP said "clean install", that's what I took him to mean, no added junk.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"Tom Scales" <> wrote in message news:RAErg.57394$. ..
> He shouldn't need another copy. When he ordered the machine, he would have
> had an option to purchase the MCE DVD for $10. Hopefully he did.
>
> Tom
> "Doug Knox MS-MVP" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> You would need another copy of Media Center 2005, and any proprietary
> drivers for the Dell machine. The second "partition" on the hard drive is
> your recovery partition. You can use this to restore the applications that
> came pre-installed, or put the machine back to its "out of box" state.
> There is no way to install just the operating system with this type of
> restoration. See your owner's manual or Dell's included help for
> information on how to access the recovery partition.
>
> --
> Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
> Display\Security
> Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
> http://www.dougknox.com
> --------------------------------
> Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
> --------------------------------
> Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
> Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>
> "nikeair" <> wrote in message
> news:B384212D-B243-4813-998A-...
>>I just bought a new Dell computer with MS Media Center. I want to wipe out
>> the computer and do a clean install. I noticed that the computer is
>> already
>> split in to two partitions. Is that required for reinstalling, or can I
>> just
>> reinstall it on to one partition? If someone can point me to the exact
>> steps
>> on doing the complete reinstall, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
>
>

Ok, thanks. I know they used to, but thought that even they had stopped (unless you ordered or demanded it), but that you still got the recovery CD/DVD.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"Tom Scales" <> wrote in message news:aXLrg.57414$ ...
> No, he's not. Dells don't ship with Recover CD/DVD. They ship with a real
> XP CD/DVD
>
> Tom
> "Doug Knox MS-MVP" <> wrote in message
> news:eOjQX$...
> But, he's going to get the same thing that's on the recovery partition,
> along with all the pre-installed junk. When the OP said "clean install",
> that's what I took him to mean, no added junk.
>
> --
> Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
> Display\Security
> Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
> http://www.dougknox.com
> --------------------------------
> Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
> --------------------------------
> Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
> Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>
> "Tom Scales" <> wrote in message
> news:RAErg.57394$. ..
>> He shouldn't need another copy. When he ordered the machine, he would
>> have
>> had an option to purchase the MCE DVD for $10. Hopefully he did.
>>
>> Tom
>> "Doug Knox MS-MVP" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>> You would need another copy of Media Center 2005, and any proprietary
>> drivers for the Dell machine. The second "partition" on the hard drive is
>> your recovery partition. You can use this to restore the applications
>> that
>> came pre-installed, or put the machine back to its "out of box" state.
>> There is no way to install just the operating system with this type of
>> restoration. See your owner's manual or Dell's included help for
>> information on how to access the recovery partition.
>>
>> --
>> Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
>> Display\Security
>> Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>> http://www.dougknox.com
>> --------------------------------
>> Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
>> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
>> --------------------------------
>> Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>> Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>>
>> "nikeair" <> wrote in message
>> news:B384212D-B243-4813-998A-...
>>>I just bought a new Dell computer with MS Media Center. I want to wipe
>>>out
>>> the computer and do a clean install. I noticed that the computer is
>>> already
>>> split in to two partitions. Is that required for reinstalling, or can I
>>> just
>>> reinstall it on to one partition? If someone can point me to the exact
>>> steps
>>> on doing the complete reinstall, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
>>
>>
>
>