Clean re-install on a dell mini

Do you have the cd's? Boot from that and follow the prompts.

But

There is no cd drive on the mini is that an issue?

Can you attach an external one? What OS?

Take a look at this:

http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/tips/2011/01/restore-dell-inspiron-mini-10-to-factory-settings

If this doesn't work:

If you have an external optical drive you should be able to boot from that.

Or else what I've done with Netbook computers to do a restore is create a bootable flash drive with the Windows OS on it and do my reinstall.

You will need a flash drive that is at least 4 gig.

OK I connected an external drive
and the original windows 7 cd in it
what should do to boot from the cd?

(I have the mini 12 I tried f8 ,f12  no option to boot from cd)

No Dell Factory Restore Image on my mini

is the mini still running?  and does the cd show then?
it can be the cd, or cable is bad

The mini is runing
The cd is showing
The problem is I don't see how to boot from cd.
Or should I start the disc, to install windows 7 when the mini is fully started?

I have the earlier mini, but mine gets you into setup by pressing "2".  Once there, make sure the boot sequence has USB and/or CD/DVD before your hard drive.

On yours, are you saying that you can't get into setup?  Setup is where you'll need to make the boot order switch.  Whatever key it says to press for "setup" at the initial boot screen is what you need to press.  Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds to press it.  By the time you read which key to press, the opportunity will have passed.  Make note of it and reboot, pressing the requisite key immediately upon reboot.

if I do F2 it goes in set up
if I do F12 it goes to boot

in boot menu :
*hard Drive
CD\DVD\BD-ROM
Removable Devices
Diagnostic

But none of those start boot from the External dvd

(When the computer is running I see the external dvd in "my computer" with windows 7in it so the cable is working )

do you see the external drive in the set up menu? or in boot priority?

I see only the options see above in boot menu , I tried each of them but it doesn't start the external drive
it only gives me the option to go in safe mode

I got mine to work by putting removable devices first, then I put CD/DVD/BD-ROM, then hard drive after that.  But if you've tried that already, I'm not sure what's going on.  Did you ever see the "press any key to boot ... " message?  It doesn't last very long on this system (about 3-5 seconds is all ... easy to miss).

I didn' see the message

When I choose external device I I have :
Safe mode
Safe mode with networking
Safe mode with command  prompt

Or start normally

When I choose hard drive it gives me the option:
WDC XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-(xx)

The x being letters and numbers

what model is it?

Inspiron mini 1012

Ok I did that , thanks!

C drive had 3 partions
1 OEM reserved
2 empty 14GB
3 218GB

I tried to install on 3 but it didn't work
I installed windows on 2 it did work
but #3 show only 118 GB available out of the 218GB

! see there some files from my old programs but there is no program install

I tried to format that partition but couldn't


So as now I have the new install of windows on C  but only half of my partition (called D now)

How could I format that D part?

ok I finally got it to work but I don`t have wireless anymore
I download all I could from the cd and dell website but still don't have it

how did you get it to work?
>>  I don`t have wireless   <<  is the wireless showing in device mananger - with an error, or under unknown devices?

I finally try another cable (like you suggested above)
Witch is strange since I was using cable # 1 since a while without problems and it still working when I use the external drive to burn data etc..
 Deleted c and retry on D , it worked this time
I still have 177 GB out of the 218GB so it still looks like there is some missing here.

For the wireless part I upload all drivers from Dell, it still wasn't working.
Then I upload all windows updates  ( I think it was l like 269 updates) and now wireless is working fine

Thanks a lot for yourhelp

ok - don(t forget to close this Q then!