Restore dell inspiron to factory settings

The Dell Technician has reinstalled the OS using DELL OEM Reinstallation Disk which self-activates.

You may contact DELL again with all relevant details and request them to send the OEM Reinstall Disk citing the need for it again.

If your DELL Laptop is within warranty, they will send it free, especially in this situation.

Doing a clean install with the OEM Reinstall Disk/Recovery Disks will keep your OEM activation in-tact which is perpetual meaning that you can do any number of installs and at whatever frequency with no restrictions or inconvenience whatsoever and it will always self-activate.

Please do not rush in to make a clean install using any other media that will require that you use the COA-SLP key and phone activation. It should be your last resort only if Dell does not send you the Recovery Disks/Reinstall disk. ( As long as you have a valid OEM SLIC table in your machine, you are entitled to keep the OEM activation in-tact and by virtue of the contract entered by you with the OEM they are duty-bound to enable you to keep it so.)

For your information I reproduce below what is oft-repeated in Microsoft Forums.

Computers, which are built by large manufactures that come with Windows Pre-Installed, come with two (2) Product Keys:

A) OEM SLP: This key comes pre-installed in Windows, when it comes from the Factory. This key is geared to work with the special instructions found only on that Manufacturer's computer hardware. So when Windows was installed using the OEM SLP key (at the factory) Windows 7 looks at the motherboard and sees the special instructions and Self-Activates. (that's why you did not need to Activate your computer after you brought it home)

B) COA SLP: This is the Product key that you see on the sticker on the side (or bottom,[ or inside the battery compartment]) of your computer. It is a valid product key, but should only be used in limited situations (such as if the OEM SLP key stops self-activating for whatever reason). The key must be activated by Phone. (Note: All manufacturers that use the OEM SLP system are required by contract to include a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker, that has a COA SLP key, on the computer)

Thanks gregrocker for your input. (I am already aware of this situation where the the first activation with COA-SLP Key may go through without a phone call and so not surprised. :))

Please do it so once everyday and let us know where it broke and with what consequences - and please do not reveal your identity except that you are an ordinary user.:) ( In fact I have been planning to do that for we really do not have any authentic info on it and we have to rely on user-experiences and experiments.)

But we do know that even with legitimate Retail Key if you are going do activate frequently even on the same machine, you will be scrutinised.

Reason why I feel in the case of change-over from OEM-SLP to COA-SLP key such a scrutiny is going to be much more rigourous and with unknown and unpredictable consequences depending on the whims and fancies of the man at the other end.

As far as Phone activations are concerned one only has to see this recent thread Activation key does not work anymore

One can wish it off as an one-off incident. But I do not. For every one incident reported there may be thousands that go unreported. All users are not members of SevenForums.

Comparatively, I do have a DELL OEM Reinstall Disk and I can do a clean install every day, every week, every month and every year - and why even every hour-for as long as my hardware works.:) (subject to my SLIC not getting corrupted, the only condition under which I will opt for the COA-SLP key. Even that I will do only after reflashing the BIOS to check whether it brings back the valid SLIC - most probably it will not and that is why COA-SLP, thank Microsoft.)

Hi,

PC Restore for Windows XP | Dell

Follow the steps provided in the above web link.