Inspiron Mini 9 on Windows XP

JS60

My Dell Mini has become so slow I thought I would do a clean install and remove all the rubbish that obviously accumulates.

I am unable to get it to boot from an external device. I have changed the order for boot but it always boots from the HD.

I have a an external optical drive as it obviously doesn't have one inetrnally.

If I format the HD will the computer see the USB optical drive so I can reload the Windows disk that came with the computer??

Formatting the hard drive isn't going to make the computer see the USB CD drive.

http://www.mydellmini.com

That's what I thought. I cannot get the boot sequence to alter- any ideas?

The computer came with the disks so I am assuming that it will reload all the drivers etc necessary.

Do you think I can boot off a shared network drive? or will we lose the connection once the various stages of installation happen?

Have you tried? Power off system with external CD drive connected and the XP install CD in the drive. Then power-on. when you see the Dell logo then tap the zero key. This should bring up a boot device menu. Select the USB external CD/DVD and press enter. The system should access the CD drive and then you should see a prompt "press any key to boot from CD". So press enter again.

If you don't press "0" at the right time then the system will boot the hard drive. So no menu =  try again.

When I say "0", it might be the Fn key and the "0" key pressed together. So try that if zero on its own does not work.

If the system boots the hard drive then either the CD drive is not recognised or the CD drive is faulty or the CD you put in it is not bootable. You best bet is still to find a known working external drive.

Install from a network share is possible, but way too complicated for a simple re-install. (And in any event you will need to boot from an external source).

The computer came with the OS and an applications disk but I didn't receive a drivers disk. If you did, congrats! If you didn't, like me, good luck. Dell has most of the drivers on their site but there are some you will not be able to get because the morons took them down (battery meter, wireless switch, etc.) These are necessarily drivers but they are required for some of the computer functionality. I spoke to India 3 times on Thursday and never got anywhere other than "you must pay us $59 per instance." MY response was clear "I'm not going to. That is ridiculous!"

All I can say is good luck on the reinstall and finding certain drivers/function applications and whatever you do, don't expect to speak to anyone in the US because they are, apparently, under strict orders to not transfer you.

http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell-mini-9-guides/2707-drivers-dell-inspiron-mini-9-910-a.html

try there for the most up to date ones. they will link to dell's website but you will most definitely be on your own for a couple of them. let me know if you have trouble and maybe i can email the battery meter and wireless switch apps to you...assuming I can find them. 

I used it at the weekend and it behaved itself, so I have given up on the re-instal. Maybe you just put it down to 2 years and then throw it out??

It's a good size and worked fantastically when I first had it- video skype- BBC i player logmein it handled it fine- used to get a bit hot as I was in a hot country- that slowed it down but great really