# How to reformat a Dell Inspiron 1525



## taylorsmommie (Dec 19, 2006)

I have a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop with Vista. I have been delaying reformatting it because I've not had any experience with formatting in Vista. I've reformatted my old desktop with Win 98 several times, but am reluctant to start this one until I ask for help.

Can someone please tell me what steps I need to go through for a successful reformat?

Thanks so much!


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi you may have a recovery partition which you can use to recover to factory condition 
Restoring Your Operating System
Windows Vista: Dell Factory
Image Restore
NOTICE: Using Dell Factory Image Restore
permanently deletes all data on the hard
drive and removes any programs or drivers
installed after you received your computer.
If possible, back up the data before using
these options. Use Dell Factory Image
Restore only if System Restore did not
resolve your operating system problem.
NOTE: Dell Factory Image Restore may
not be available in certain countries or on
certain computers.
Use Dell Factory Image Restore only as the
last method to restore your operating system.
These options restore your hard drive to the
operating state it was in when you purchased
the computer. Any programs or files added
since you received your computer—including
data files—are permanently deleted from
the hard drive. Data files include documents,
spreadsheets, e-mail messages, digital photos,
music files, and so on. If possible, back up all
data before using Factory Image Restore.
Dell Factory Image Restore
1. Turn on the computer. When the Dell logo
appears, press <F8> several times to access
the Vista Advanced Boot Options Window.
2. Select Repair Your Computer.
3. The System Recovery Options window
appears.
4. Select a keyboard layout and click Next.
5. To access the recovery options, log on as a
local user. To access the command prompt,
type administrator in the User name
field, then click OK.

6. Click Dell Factory Image Restore. The Dell
Factory Image Restore welcome screen
appears.
NOTE: Depending upon your configuration,
you may need to select Dell Factory Tools,
then Dell Factory Image Restore.
7. Click Next. The Confirm Data Deletion
screen appears.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with
Factory Image Restore, click Cancel.
8. Click the checkbox to confirm that you want
to continue reformatting the hard drive and
restoring the system software to the factory
condition, then click Next.
The restore process begins and may take
five or more minutes to complete. A message
appears when the operating system and
factory-installed applications have been
restored to factory condition.
9. Click Finish to reboot the system.
Operating System Reinstallation
Before you Begin
If you are considering reinstalling the Windows
operating system to correct a problem with a
newly installed driver, first try using Windows
Device Driver Rollback. If Device Driver Rollback
does not resolve the problem, then use System
Restore to return your operating system to the
operating state it was in before you installed
the new device driver. See “Using Microsoft
Windows System Restore” on page 38.
NOTICE: Before performing the installation,
back up all data files on your primary
hard drive. For conventional hard drive
configurations, the primary hard drive is the
first drive detected by the computer.
To reinstall Windows, you need the following
items:
• Dell Operating System media
• Dell Drivers and Utilities media
Restoring Your Operating System
NOTE: The Dell Drivers and Utilities media
contains drivers that were installed during
the assembly of the computer. Use the
Dell Drivers and Utilities media to load any
required drivers. Depending on the region
from which you ordered your computer, or
whether you requested the media, the Dell
Drivers and Utilities media and Operating
System media may not ship with your
computer.
Reinstalling Windows
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours
to complete. After you reinstall the operating
system, you must also reinstall the device
drivers, virus protection program, and other
software.
1. Save and close any open files and exit any
open programs.
2. Insert the Operating System disc.
3. Click Exit if the Install Windows message
appears.
4. Restart the computer.
5. When the DELL logo appears, press <F12>
immediately.
NOTE: If you wait too long and the
operating system logo appears, continue to
wait until you see the Microsoft® Windows®
desktop; then, shut down your computer
and try again.
NOTE: The next steps change the boot
sequence for one time only. On the next
start-up, the computer boots according to
the devices specified in the system setup
program.
6. When the boot device list appears, highlight
CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive and press <Enter>.
7. Press any key to Boot from CD-ROM.
Follow the instructions on the screen to
complete the installation.
manuals are here http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1525/en/index.htm
and some more info here http://www.ehow.com/how_5039946_reformat-windows-vista-computer.html


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## taylorsmommie (Dec 19, 2006)

Thank you so much!


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

your most welcome


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