I really hate Dell for the following reasons;
1. Their customer support is horrible.
2. They manufacture their machine using cheap parts.
3. They break down alot.
4. None of my clients have ever had good experiences with them.
5. They use proprietary parts.
I used to have a Dell awhile back. No, I did not purchase it. It was given to me. I'd never spend my money on those things. Anyway, I spent alot of money on my dell machine getting it just the way I want it, and then it went caplunk on me. I know how you feel. If you did not upgrade any of th parts--this could also cause issues at times--chances are, you'll have to reformat it. I hope we can help you out so it does not resort to that.