asked on

xps420 reinstall vista

Clients XPS420 runs very slow...HD's running about 90%...
Has 2 - 500Gb SATA drives mirrored on Motherboard...no PCI RAID card...

Pulled each HD out, slaved to another machine, did full virus and spyware scand, MBAM, etc...found nothing...

Considering rebuild, I have the Dell Vista reinstall DVD...

Questions...

1. When I try reinstall Vista, it does not do a full install like XP, where you can reformat...
How can I force this???
2. If I can't do #1, can I wipe the mirrored drives with GWscan or similiar...
3. Because the mirrored drives are connected to SATA ports on the Dell MB...and NOT a PCI
RAID card...do I have to install drivers first???

I am NOT very experienced with Vista...

thoughts???

Steve

PUNKY

If the array is still configured, you can install Vista on it and it should not have any issue. Boots in bios and use Intel Raid Option ROM, make sure raid array online, then when you install, you will able to pick the drive and continue install. You wont need install drivers with Dell Reinstall Vista DVD.

Steve Mutchler

ASKER

Thanx Punky...

Not certain I understand completely...

1. Understand Dell Reinstall VISTA DVD contains all necessary mb drivers...this is not
the issue...
2. I want to wipe the HD's because I cannot figgure out how to get the Dell reinstall
DVD to format the HD's...
3. If I wipe the HD's...does that kill the RAID drivers...OR...are those RAID drivers
embedded in the MB BIOS...???

Thanx for your help...
Steve

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

PUNKY

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Steve Mutchler

ASKER

Ok...I got it working...

Found out how to get into a Dell utility that will format the HD's...

Then it auto matically re-installes Vista...

So far so good...

thanx for your help...

Steve