Dell Dimension 2200 help wanted.

[BarbaRosa]

I was given a Dell Dimension 2200. It's not much of a computer, but it will work just fine for my shop, where if the nasty environment ( sawdust, etc.) does it in after awhile, oh well it's a freebie.

The problem is that it runs at about half the speed of smell ( thank's Ron White). It needs to be wiped clean and restored.

Unfortunately, the guy who gave it to me lost the original Dell WinXP restore disk. He had a collection of driver and what not disks.

What he did have is a Dell Windows Vista restore disk. Whether or not any of the driver disks are for Vista I'm not sure right now.

I found a program (magical jellybean) to find the Product Key numbers in the registry needed for a Windows install.

Does anyone think Vista will install?

Any alternative ways to restore this computer? If not, no big deal, it's a freebie.

Thanks

[pokerfan]

1. Run, don't walk, away from Vista

If you could get it to run, it would almost certainly run even slower than XP as Vista was much more resource intensive. You might want to give Linux a shot. Try downloading a Live CD and try running it from CD (with installing) to see if it will work with your hardware.

http://financefreelancelife.com/2009/04/17/ubuntu-linux-old-laptop

[blogslut]

2. Is there a Windows COA sticker on the machine?

Looks similar to this:



If so, then the product key is on the sticker.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

3. If the OP has a sticker it will be for an "XP" install....

The disc is a "Vista Recovery" disc. Prolly won't work, IMO.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

4. You'd need to upgrade pretty much all the hardware to support Vista

on this ANCIENT box, and as pokerfan said run don't walk away from Vista.: http://www.pcworld.com/article/96224/dell_dimension_2200.html

WHAT'S HOT: A 1.3-GHz Celeron processor and 256MB of PC-133 memory led the Dimension 2200 to a score of 92 on our PC WorldBench 4 tests--about the same as another system we've looked at...

SUMMARY
Dell Dimension 2200

PC WorldBench 4 score of 92, 1.3-GHz Celeron CPU, 256MB of PC-133 SDRAM, Windows XP Home, 20GB hard drive, 24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, integrated Intel 810E graphics using main memory, 17-inch Dell E771P monitor, integrated sound, Harman/Kardon HK206 speakers, network adapter, V.92 modem, minitower case; Microsoft Works Suite 2002.

Edit to add: What OS is running now, XP or Vista? What Service pack? What's your current hardware config? Is it fully patched?
Lot's of questions...

Try this: Publish a Snapshot using Speccy: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic323892.html

DUers a lot smarter than me :evilgrin: will be able to assist you more capably.

[BarbaRosa]

5. Thanks all

So far it appears as I suspected that without the original restore disk this computer is as good as its' gonna get.

--A question about trying linux -a good idea I believe-, with this computer so 'bit-rot' will linux override the windows usage of the cpu and run ok?

[pokerfan]

8. First i recommend just try running from the CD-ROM

to see if it works with your hardware. If you choose to install say Ubuntu to your hard drive, then there are several options ranging from completely replacing your existing XP OS to partitioning your drive and then choosing to run XP or Ubuntu whenever you boot. But yeah, when running whatever flavor of Linux you install, it won't have anything to do with the bit-rotted Windows programs or drivers.

[hobbit709]

6. If you look around online you can find a Dell XP disk for about $15.

It will put XP on any Dell without needing any key. It will only install on a Dell. I use mine all the time to restore people's Dell computers.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

7. Good info, thanx!

[BarbaRosa]

10. Sounds good to me

I found and ordered one and will give it a try. Thanks

[BarbaRosa]

11. It worked, it worked, it worked,

now I have a "freebee" computer for the shop!

Thanks :toast:

[struggle4progress]

9. I put Ubuntu on a Dimension T450 (from 1998 or so) about two years back

I did add a bit of memory: it only had 128MB, and I added to get 640MB. I also added a network card and eventually upgraded to a very slightly faster processor (to something like 850Mhz). I think the memory upgrade was probably important (128MB isn't much at all), and having network access is very useful; I'd guess the processor upgrade wasn't as important

A few cautions:
(1) I stupidly bought the additional memory from Dell, and the sales rep flat out misinformed me, claiming that it was essential to install the memory in matched pairs: that's often true, but it wasn't actually true for my machine, which has 3 memory slots :grr:
(2) The Dell manual was simply incorrect about the processor slot: so the faster processor, that I got, had to be tied in with nylon straps so it wouldn't fall out of the slot :eyes:

Ubuntu runs fine on the machine :bounce:

The only thing I never sorted out -- perhaps because the pain involved wasn't worth the almost nil payoff -- was the dialup modem: of course, it's a crap software modem, and getting WinModems to work in linux can be challenging :shrug:

[MiniMe]

12. Most times Dell has the OS backup on a partition

They don't ship OS disks.

[ohheckyeah]

13. You can pay to have the OS disk

shipped which I always do. It doesn't cost much but I don't remember exactly how much it was. About $15 - $20 I think.