Clean Install of winxp

[wolfcriesboy]

I have a Dell notebook, its time to move on. I am fairly new at the technical side of PC's but know enough to be dangerous to myslef. Here is what I am looking for help with. Laptop with winXP home, I've had it for about a year. Im wanting to reinstall xp and wipe my HD clean, basically want it the way it was fresh out the box. I have a plethura of stuff on the HD and I want it clean. Dont know the proper procedures for doing this. Any help woud be much appreciated. Thank you

[Redfallon]

If you have the recovery CD's, you can format the HDD and insert the recovery CD's, that will restore it to "out of the box" condition, with all of the Dell garbage on it too The recovery CD probably will even have a feature to format the HDD. If not, you can download a utility from the manufacturer of the HDD and run that from a floppy. If it has a "low level format" or "zero fill" option that is what you want to use.

[wolfcriesboy]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate all the help

[moonlight burner]

I always felt it's always a good idea to upgrade the hard-disk too. Afterall, the harddisk is mechanical that undergoes 'wear and tear'. Sometimes, after using the CD recovery disk to return the system to it's original state, the HD somehow is not as fast as it was a year or 2 as before.

Also remember to install the service packs after you recover the system to the original state.

Also an antivirus program like norton or Pccilling, because it seems we can't survive without it, especially you system is also a email center.

MY 1 cents of advise

[glc]

No need to upgrade the hard drive - this is a laptop we are talking about.