I have restored my computer to the factory settings. It went through all the steps to restore my computer. Once it shut it self down from rebooting the Windows XP screen comes up saying please wait.... Nothing else happens, it just stays on this screen and never restarts. What do I do?

One way to clear an Asus PC of problems or viruses is to restore it to its original factory settings. This will wipe the computer clean and give you a fresh start. The idea of restoring your laptop may be intimidating, but there is no programming involved. In fact, these laptops are designed to be restored in a short period of time.

Step Turn off the Eee PC. Press the power button or select the shut down option from the computer's main desktop screen.
Step Turn the unit on and press the "F9" when the flash (logo) screen appears. A menu will appear with a list of options to choose from.
Step Select the "Restore Factory Settings" option from the bottom of the list in the menu and type "Yes" when prompted to verify the reset.
Step Press "Enter" when prompted by the computer to reboot the system. Wait a few seconds for the system to reboot.
Step Follow the prompts on screen to accept the licensing agreement and configure your settings.

turn on computer go into os in programs look for system tools for restore of your unit, as with most computers it will depend on the os you are using ,with xp where computer comes on and you see the blue bar with ww.dell.com at top of screen press <Ctrl><F11>,if not pressed in time you start all over, click reboot in the following step, screen appears, click Restore, next screen, click Confirm. Restore takes maybe 6-10 minutes, When prompted, click Finish to reboot computer, computer will shut down when prompted, click yes, computer will restart, click next System Restore will appear and the computer restarts, after it restarts, click OK. hope this helps.

Just copy and paste. Good luck
http://www.ehow.com/how_6524421_factory-restore-dell-inspiron-531s.html

Hi,

To restore your Dell computer to it's original factory settings, here's how:

To use PC Restore:

1. Turn on the computer.
   
   

During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.

1. Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press .
   
   

If you do not press in time, let the computer finish starting, and then restart the computer again.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in the following step.

1. On the next screen that appears, click Restore.
   
   
2. On the next screen, click Confirm.
   
   

The restore process takes approximately 6-10 minutes to complete.

1. When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.
   
   

NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.

1. When prompted, click Yes.
   
   

The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original operating state, the screens that appear, such as the End User License Agreement, are the same ones that appeared the first time the computer was turned on.

1. Click Next.
   
   

The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.
After the computer restarts, click OK.

Thanks and have a good one.

Oliver

Hi Welcome to FixYa!
You could try these steps on restoring your laptop into its factory defaults.
1)Turn off your computer if it is on. Wait for the system to shut down completely. Once it is off, press the "Power" button to turn it back on. Press the "F10" button at the top of the keyboard repeatedly as soon as you see the screen turn on. This will let you enter the setup menu.
2)Use the arrow keys to move between the various menu tabs at the top of the screen. Press the "Right" button until the "File" tab is highlighted, then press the "Enter" button to enter this menu. Here you can make changes to the settings of your computer, or in this instance, restore factory default settings.
3)Use the "Up" and "Down" arrow buttons to move to the "Restore Defaults" option, then press enter. You will see a screen asking "Are You Sure You Wish to Restore System Defaults?" Press the "Y" button to continue. The system will begin restoring your default settings. Do not press a button until a screen says "System Defaults Restored."
4)Use the arrow keys to move down to the "Save Changes and Exit" option and press "Enter." The system will save your changes and automatically reboot your computer. You do not need to press "F10" this time as the computer will start Windows normally. You will see the factory settings have been restored once the system loads.
Hope this could help!

Restore your Laptop to Factory Settings is an EASY utility BUILT into Windows -- it CLEANS EVERYTHING...computer and hardware. But, it is HANDY. jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.intro .thumbnail a:first').attr('href','http://i.ehow.com/images/a06/6v/d1/reboot-laptop-back-factory-settings-800X800.jpg'); }); Rebooting your laptop back to its factory settings restores your computer and its hardware to its original settings when it was purchased. This is helpful when troubleshooting major hardware and system performance issues. It can also be used to fix virus related issues. Restoring your computer to its factory settings is similar to performing a clean install of your operating system. Windows uses a utility program called System Restore that allows you to restore your computers settings to a specific date.
jQuery('.intro .thumbnail').each(function(i,e){ jQuery(e).find('img').one('error',function(){ jQuery(e).remove(); }); }); Difficulty: Easy Instructions

1. Step 1 Turn on your computer, and then click on the "Start" menu icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Select "All Programs," and then click on the "Accessories" drop-down menu.
   
2. Step 2 Scroll down to "System Tools," and then select the "System Restore" program and wait for it to open.
   
3. Step 3 Select the "Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time" option, and then click on the "Next" button to continue. A window with a calendar will appear.
   
4. Step 4 Click on the back arrow in the calendar's window. Click on the back-arrow until you have reached the date you either purchased or installed Windows on your Notebook. Select the appropriate date, and then click on the "Next" button to continue. Your computer will automatically restart.
   

how about trying to restore to a point where everything was running real smooth,,,go to start/all programs/ accessories / system tool /system restore..check off restore to earlier date try to go back at least 2-3 month if possible..click ok..system reboot and prompt you on start up is this earlier date you chose okay...click okay

to restore the settings you have to follow the steps

Instructions

Windows XP
1. Step 1 Disconnect all peripheral equipment that is attached to your computer such as printer, scanner, external hard drive and memory sticks.
   
2. Step 2 Restart the computer. After the Dell screen appears on the monitor, hold down the "Ctrl" key and press the "F11" key. If the Windows XP screen appears before you can finish this step, wait for the computer to finish rebooting and restart the computer again.
   
3. Step 3 Highlight "Restore" in the Dell PC Restore window by using the tab button. Hit "Enter."
   
4. Step 4 Highlight "Confirm" in the restore warning box by using the tab button. Hit "Enter." This will start the system restore process. Do not attempt to turn off the computer during this process or vital system files may be damages and you will not be able to restart your computer.
   
5. Step 5 Click "Finish" in the box that notifies you that the restoration has been successful.
   
6. Step 6 Hit "Enter" to restart the computer. The computer has been restored to the original factory settings.
   
Windows Vista
7. Step 1 Disconnect all peripheral equipment that is attached to your computer such as printer, scanner, external hard drive and memory sticks.
   
8. Step 2 Restart the computer. After the Dell screen appears on the monitor, press the "F8" key. If the Windows Vista screen appears before you can finish this step, wait for the computer to finish rebooting and restart the computer again.
   
9. Step 3 Highlight "Repair Your Computer" by using the down arrow key in the Advanced Boot window. Hit the "Enter" key.
   
10. Step 4 Click "Next" after selecting a language. Log into the computer as an administrator. Click "OK." Choose "Dell Factory Restore." Click "Next."
    
11. Step 5 Check "Yes" next to the reformat the hard drive and restore factory settings option. Click "Next" to start the restoration process. Do not attempt to turn off the computer during this process or vital system files may be damages and you will not be able to restart your computer.
    
12. Step 6 Click "Finish" in the box that notifies you that the restoration has been successful. The computer will automatically restart itself to its original factory settings.
    

thanks

Instructions Things You'll Need:

• Factory Settings CD

How To Use the Restore Factory Setting CD
1. Step 1 Make sure to transfer all of the files you want to keep to a USB memory stick or burn to a CD.
   
2. Step 2 Put the "Restore Factory Setting CD" into the CD drive. This CD was packaged with your computer.
   
3. Step 3 Confirm you want to restore the factory settings. The computer will begin restoring all settings. Don't disturb your computer, as this process can take several hours. .
   
4. Step 4 Reboot the computer to complete the process.
   
How to Reboot Using the Computer Start-Up
5. Step 1 Turn on your computer. Right away there will be a black screen. You can restore factory settings without a CD, too. This will reset your BIOS.
   
6. Step 2 Press "F1" when the black screen appears to enter the setup configuration mode. You will be presented with a menu.
   
7. Step 3 Select "Restore Factory Defaults." That's it. Your computer will do all the work for you. Like the CD, this process may take several hours.
   

If you have the restore CD that came with it, then pop that in and it will walk you through the process, If not, then I know that those laptops are a few years old...follow this:

Dell created its own utility program for Windows Vista. Restoring to factory settings will reinstall Windows, Dell proprietary utilities and drivers, other third party drivers and all default settings. jQuery('.intro .thumbnail').each(function(i,e){ jQuery(e).find('img').one('error',function(){ jQuery(e).remove(); }); });

To Restore Windows XP:

Step 1: Back up all of your data. Typical items to consider when backing up are: email, address book, personal documents, pictures, music, favorites and desktop items.
Step 2: Remove all external peripheral devices, including USB-connected devices.
Step 3: Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, reboot it. Step 4: Press and hold the "Ctrl" and "F11" keys simultaneously when the Dell splash screen appears. The Dell PC Restore by Symantec" window will appear. Click "Restore."Step 5: Click "Confirm" at the warning message stating that all data will be lost. A "Progress" window will appear. Once the installation process has finished the message, "The system recovery process was successful" will appear.
Step 6: Click "Finish."



To Restore Windows Vista

Step 1

Back up all of your data. Typical items to consider when backing up are: email, address book, personal documents, pictures, music, favorites and desktop items.
Step 2: Remove all external peripheral devices, including USB-connected devices. Step 3 : Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, reboot it. Step 4: Press the "F8" key when the computer starts. If you see the Windows logo then you were not successful in entering the "Advanced Boot Menu." You will have to try again. If you are successful then you will see the "Advanced Boot Menu." Step 5: Select the "Repair Your Computer" option and press the "Enter" key. Step 6: Select the language you would prefer and click the "Next" button. Step 7: Log in and press "OK." You do have to have administrative access to perform this action. Only administrators are able to restore the computer to factory settings. Step 8: Click "Dell Factory Image Restore." The "Dell Factory Image Restore" window will appear. Click "Next." Step 9: Click the check box that states, "Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system to factory condition." Click the "Next" button. Step 10: Click "Finish," when the restore has finished.