Changing the PC to factory settings / Restoring Windows XP

Marcel

You can use cCleaner to do a more effecttive job of removing redundant files but I am becoming convinced that getting to 25% free disk based on your latest message is not achievable by the methods I have suggested to date. The core of the problem is 44.4 gb audio-video files. You either remove a large part of this collection to removable media like a flash drive or you replace the hard drive with someting like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Serial-ATA-Notebook-Laptop-Inspiron-11z-1110/dp/B003UIXCBS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=pd_lpo_ix_dp_am_us_uk_en_gl_electronics?keywords=dell%20inspiron%201501%20laptop%20upgrade%20hard%20drive&tag=lpo%5Fixdpamusukengl%5Felectronics-21&index=blended

The price differential between the US and the UK is a bit startling.

 A cheaper and simpler alternative would be to a buy a 32 gb memory stick like this example:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-DataTraveler-101-32GB-Drive/dp/B003MWR3QW/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1311408998&sr=1-4

You can get 64 gb memory but they are nearly twice the price. The memory stick solution is a much simpler one to implement and it can be retained if you later choose to replace the computer.

Before buying a replacement drive you need to check you have the means to reinstall your system on a new hard drive. Do you still have the Dell Operating System CD and the Dell Drivers and Utilitities CD  that came with the computer -see page 85 of the Manual:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=pd_lpo_ix_dp_am_us_uk_en_gl_electronics?keywords=dell%20inspiron%201501%20laptop%20upgrade%20hard%20drive&tag=lpo%5Fixdpamusukengl%5Felectronics-21&index=blended

You should backup your data files and favourites to external media before replacing the harddrive.

To improve your system performance I would replace Trend with freeware alternatives.

Recommended replacement security products follow:

http://free.avg.com/gb-en/get-basic-protection

http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes\_free as a support scanner

This is a no cost solution for a home computer user.

1. Yes those 3 products are what I recommend you use to replace Trend.

2 .Before you mentioned ATF -Cleaner I had not heard of it.,Perhaps I should say I had not  noticed it's existence. It took a Google search to find out what it is!

ATF seems to have it's fans, although I fancy they are far fewer than those using cCleaner. It does not seem to have a paid version. It is said to have a small footprint. It does not seem to offer the range of options which cCleaner provides. I doubt that is updated with the regularity that cCleaner is thereby ensuring that the software handles correctly the challenges posed by new products regularly being installed on computers.

cCleaner is what I recommend you use. Much more is widely known about cCleaner so more help is freely available if you should by chance ever need help regarding it's use.

3.  The whole point of unchecking automatic restart is to prevent the computer restarting so that you can read a Blue Screen of Death report. The setting is therefore working as intended. Has there been a recent BSOD error because if there has been one, you should post the details.

4. I remain unconvinced that reverting to factory settings is the right thing to do. My reasons are that it is not at all clear which of two alternative restore options is on your computer. It could be the original method which was on your computer when it was purchased. If it is this then it does not work. It could be the new method more recently introduced by Dell or a combination of old and new. We have no way of knowing what the Dell technician did and whether or not the job was done properly. It is safer not to try to discover what might happen if you try using the advice Daave has uncovered until it is certain that other methods to resolve your problem are not goimg to work. 

When you have replaced Trend I would expect your system to be more responsive. After all the system has not been properly cleaned and defragmented for a long time. You will be able to do this with Trend removed and some audio files temporarily placed elsewhere so that the computer has more free disk space to allow Disk Defragmenter or another defragmenter to work.

The situation regarding using System Restore could easily be totally different after removing Trend. Removing Norton and McAfee, which are heavy weight security programmes like Trend, usually makes life a lot easier for the user of the computer. Notably in the case in the case of Norton, System Resore starts to work as intended.

If normal mode is working it is easier to access any of the safe mode options from normal mode than using any of the function keys or a combination of keys whilst the computer is booting. Can we please deal with your difficulties in these areas later when we have got your computer's system performance to a more acceptable level of performance?

It may be easier to solve a slow start than trying to restore to factory settings if you are willing to try?

What is the CPU and how much RAM does your computer have? Right click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select Properties to get this information.

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report. Open Disk Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder. Open the file, and place the cursor anywhere in the file, select Edit, Select All to highlight all text and copy and paste into the body of your message. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more informative.

Are any devices malfunctioning? Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information. Open Components under System Summary and click on Problem Devices. Is anything listed there?

Are there any yellow question marks in Device Manager? Right click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select Properties, Hardware, and Device Manager. If yes what is the Device Error code?

To see Hidden Devices (Non Plug and Play Drivers) you need to select View, Show Hidden Devices. It is necessary to do this every time you open Device Manager if you need to see them.

A further complication can be Ghosted Devices –installed but not connected!

http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2005/04/29/display-hidden-devices-in-device-manager-xp/

Event Viewer Reports

1. Normally when an error occurs on your computer looking in Event Viewer should be your starting point for finding a solution. Most system related errors are logged and getting an exact copy of the relevant report is important. Unfortunately understanding the reports is not easy and most computer users need help with their interpretation. I have more to say later on interpretation.
2. Event Viewer comprises three main Windows logs. These are Application, Security and System. For troubleshooting purposes System is by far the most important.
3. To access the System log select Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer, from the list in the left side of the window select Windows Logs and System.
4. A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double click on the error you want to copy. You will see a button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event Viewer. This places a copy of the report into your Clipboard. Paste into the body your message. Make sure that this is the first paste after exiting from Event Viewer.
5. There are three types of Report, being Information, Warning and Error reports. In most situations it is Error Reports that offer the best information but occasionally Warning Reports provide useful clues.
6. All reports have date and time stamps and when troubleshooting it is important to concentrate on more recent reports. Study reports since the point when the computer was last booted and then check whether a similar report appeared in the previous session. If errors do not repeat investigation as to why they occurred is wasted effort.
7. Within individual reports the more important information is Event ID and Source as these help when looking for help on the internet. The description is equally important and copying the exact text for use as the search criteria greatly helps getting better results when using Google. Do not paraphrase descriptions when asking others for help.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/SYSTEMS/ins1501/en/om_en/html/trouble.htm#wp1064105