The time has come to do a fresh install of everything on my Dell XPS 420 – start over with a clean install of Windows Vista from scratch and then add in clean installs of every application.
As I tend to try out lots of things on this desktop PC, I like to do this every six months or so, brush away all the cobwebs – literally: dive into the innards carefully with compressed air and a vacuum cleaner; it’s always amazing how much dust you find – get the system refreshed and back to a sparkling state that will last for a further six months.
Dell makes it pretty easy for you when you want to do something like this. I have the original operating system DVD that shipped with the computer, along with a drivers and utilities DVD. The manual is well written if I need to refer to anything there.
Plus there’s a nice simple guide on the website to tell me the correct order in which to install the Dell-specific apps.
This is all great. What I really need, though, is something that tells me exactly which of the many Dell drivers and utilities shown on Dell’s support website are relevant to my specific system build, which versions of the drivers, etc, are currently installed, and so which updated versions I need to get.
Maybe something like this:
This looks like a neat feature – a way that the Drivers & Downloads section on the Dell website shows me two tabs: one that lists every single file for the model of my computer, the other that lists just the files applicable to my specific system when it shipped.
The screenshot above comes from a post by Dell’s Eoghan O’Sullivan in July where he explains this new feature working on the Dell US website. Chief Dell blogger Lionel Menchaca had an update in early October with a bit more news on the roll-out of this feature.
A pity it’s not yet working for XPS models nor hit the Dell UK website if my experience is any indicator:
Look at the screenshot showing the drivers and other downloads for my system, identified by the machine’s service tag number – all you’ll see is one tab that says “Results for all XPS/Dimension 420.”
It’s a real headache. Take this example, looking at all 16 apps listed under CD/DVD:
Which one of these is applicable to my particular system and configuration? How do I figure it out? What a pain!
What I’d like is for the Dell site to recommend which app I need. Maybe that’s coming at some time.
I do hope so. Meanwhile, hunt and peck and hope the dice roll well.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve just been looking through your blog and this post caught my eye!
I’ve been trying out all sorts of little bits of software and have a pretty unstable I.E. and Outlook. I’ve been wondering if a proper reinstall is in order.
I’ll go check and see if Toshiba has anything similar available so I can figure out what I’ve actually got and how to re-install without losing anything important.
Fresh and clean and stable sounds lovely…Thanks for the idea