Windows Vista Be careful installing Beta 2 on Dell laptops

Mike

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As an alert to people who may want to install Beta 2 on Dell laptops or computers with a emergency restore partition:

Dell laptops have a hidden partition on the hard drive to restore the original operating system that came with the computer. To activate the emergency restore, you hit CTRL-F11 at system boot-up.

If you perform a clean install of Windows Vista on Dell laptop, it will overwrite the master boot record on your partition table. This means you will not be able to use the Dell Emergency Restore / Norton Ghost feature to go back to Windows XP with CTRL-F11 at boot-up.

If you do not have a system restore CD or Windows XP CD from Dell, you will have a problem going back to Windows XP. There is a way to get CTRL-F11 working again by restoring the MBR, but it is a major operation, especially if you do not have a floppy drive on the computer.

If this is a problem for you, visit this website:

Link Removed - Invalid URL

Contains information on how to restore CTRL-F11 on your Dell system.
 
It's crucial to be aware of the potential issues when installing a new operating system on Dell laptops or computers with emergency restore partitions, particularly when transitioning from Windows XP to Windows Vista. Here's a breakdown of the key points to consider:
  • Dell laptops typically feature a hidden partition reserved for emergency system restoration, usually accessible by pressing CTRL-F11 during system boot-up.
  • Installing a clean version of Windows Vista on a Dell laptop can overwrite the master boot record (MBR) in the partition table. This action can hinder the use of the Dell Emergency Restore feature or Norton Ghost to revert to Windows XP using CTRL-F11 during boot-up.
  • Without a system restore CD or the original Windows XP CD from Dell, accessing the previous Windows XP setup can become challenging after installing Windows Vista.
  • Restoring the functionality of CTRL-F11 to enable emergency restore after a clean Windows Vista installation requires repairing the MBR. This process can be complex, especially if the laptop lacks a floppy drive.
If you encounter this issue and need assistance in restoring CTRL-F11 on your Dell system, you can visit the mentioned website for guidance. It's essential to follow the instructions carefully to ensure the successful restoration of the emergency restore functionality on your Dell laptop.
 
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