compaq help!

quick question for all the smarter people out there, i got my laptop few years back (compaq), worked well for school and entertainment but didnt use it much. lent it to someone for a year and now that i need it for school again the thing seems shot to *plum*. i'll admit i dont know much about computers except turning it on and off. now it just takes forever getting to my startup screen, once it does it automatically restarts within 2-3 minutes, i tried rebooting it and resetting it everyway i could. BoTTOM LINE: IS ther anyway to completely reset the compaq to its original , i dont care if any of my music or files get deleted in the process.
thanks for your help.

You'd better wait until school starts and find a tech-savvy friend to help you with that.

If you had a "restore disk" that came with the laptop (check the box) it might make it easy - but if you have to do a full out reformat, you won't want to do it as a beginner. Reformatting and reinstallign Windows is easy - unfortunately, a lot of stuff Compaq uses isn't detected by Windows automatically. You might not have sound, or modem/network abilities, and you may even not be able to see things on the screen properly.

I'd wait until the nerdiest friend you have is somewhere around to help you out - any guide given to you on the internet is still not enough help for a first-time format. There are any number of problems that can come up during the process.

NuAngel

some time the restore is on the disk. you need to contact compaq and ask them if you model has the restore on the disk..

Might want to read that. It may not be specefic to your notebook, but compaq hasn't changed their was all too much.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fami ... =c00034787

this is the one i was talking about



Using Factory Restore
Factory Restore returns your computer to its original factory-installed software configuration. This option reformats your hard drive and removes all data from your computer.
CAUTION: Factory Restore deletes all of the information and data stored on your computer's hard drive. All added personal files, software, and other data will be lost. Before completing Factory Restore, copy your data to diskettes or save your data to an external device to prevent permanent loss of your data.
To complete a Factory Restore on your computer, perform the following steps:

1.
Insert your Compaq Recovery CD into your CD-ROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM drive.
2.
Turn off the computer.
3.
Turn on your computer by pressing the Power button on the front of your computer. The system reboots and the Compaq Recovery CD Menu is displayed.
NOTE: If menu option number 4 says No Factory Image found, you must use QuickRestore CDs to perform this function.
CAUTION: If you have not copied or backed up your personal files, software, or other data onto diskettes to be recopied onto your hard drive, they will be lost after you press Enter.
4.
You are prompted that continuing this procedure will delete the data on your hard drive. Press Enter if you wish to continue. The Factory Restore process takes several minutes.
5.
The CD tray opens automatically, and you are prompted to remove the Compaq Recovery CD. Remove the CD from the CD-ROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM drive.
6.
Press Enter to continue.
7.
Once the Factory Restore is complete, you may be prompted to provide the startup information again to reinstall Windows.
8.
Follow the prompts to restore your computer to its original factory condition.