cyrnel

You're probably okay. Dell shows the same article of slightly different vintage:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...en&s=dhs#en#us

If you're butt's on the line you should verify her system against their tech support - I'm not that familiar with any Dell peculiarities and would hate to see her go down the wrong path. It's going to depend on what she has on her system and what's on their install disks. Vanilla XP is easy but Dell embellishes their stuff. If nothing else punch her model and service tag into their lookup. Post it here, too. If you're really lucky, someone here works at a Dell shop and can provide specific assistance.

If it's any help, worst case (unless she formats or pulls a real gomer) all her data files are fine but she'll have to reinstall the OS and applications. Shouldn't even have to do that though.

Sorry that took so long. We went to War of the Worlds tonight. Sheez, now I see why it's struggling for viewers.

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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195