Factory Restore

[coolcar14]

I have a Dell Inspirion 545 with windows seven and it came with a drivers and windows seven instillation CD but it did not come a a factory restore and i want to perform a factory restore on it but how would i do with without the CD.

 

[WR2]

When you power on the computer and tap on the F8 key - what choices do you do see when the menu loads?

 

[coolcar14]

Well there is the basic recovery options but am not sure if my recovery partitions is going to work I never did anything to it but am not sure if it exists how can I make sure its going to work?

 

[mcnumpty23]

look here

if that doesnt give you the recovery under the repair option then press ctrl+f11 as its booting up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmyC5V3Wdi0

 

[RetiredChief]

Comment, restore from Partition assumes that the HDD is still readable which is not always the case. Exception - if complete restore is on an EProm.

What I do:
If system is runing great and you have removed ALL the Bloatware (most Laptops come with a ton ie the 30 day trials).
.. Need an external USB HDD (Should have one as Backups are a MUST.
.. Go to control Panel
.. Select backup (under system)
.. Select back up on left side.
.. Save the image to your external HDD. This will place a Image file of your System on the HDD.
.. It will, when done writing the Image file, prompt you to create a system restore/repair disk. Any Windows 7 Installation disk can be used to restore the image.

Should you desire to "restore" to this configuration - Insert DVD (either the one you created or any Win 7 disk. Select repair, then restore using an image file. Walaa, 15 minutes later you are able to boot back to the same windows + programs as when the image was made.

NOTE: You can have windows 7 put this image on a set of 3->5 DVDs instead of an external HHD.

If the Image did not back up the Retore partition you should also back that up. Normally this would not be needed if you created the image of windows 7 - It's just a safty precaution.

I've used this method several times to restore my systems and it worked great.

 

[coolcar14]

look here

if that doesnt give you the recovery under the repair option then press ctrl+f11 as its booting up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmyC5V3Wdi0

I would do this but my computer does not have that option here is what it does have
Start up repair
System Restore
System image restore
Windows memory diagnostic
Command prompt

 

[coolcar14]

When i go into disk management there is a Recovery partition that is taking up about 4.36GB but how do i know if that partition works.

 

[mcnumpty23]

you only know if it works once you have tried it


from

Start up repair
System Restore
System image restore
Windows memory diagnostic
Command prompt

try Start up repair then look for the recovery option

 

[coolcar14]

Start up repair did not do anything and when i click on the system image restore all it does is says that the back up image is not available

 

[aford10]

Just try using the system restore. That'll give you the option of restoring it to a specific time, when the PC worked fine.

The recovery partition is a nice option if you want to restore it back to the original factory settings, but you'll lose everything since then. The system restore will allow you to go back to a specific point in time.

 

[mcnumpty23]

what about ctrl + f11

you have to hit it just as the pc starts

 

[RetiredChief]

It might help if you exsplain WHY you want to do a factor Restore.
Is it because you have a problem.
If No problems then use the method I outlined.
If you Have a problem, then that will not work and mostly likely you will need a Boot disk that will access the the restore Partiton, or look for a "Restore program inside the restore partition.

You can not restore the "C drive" when it is the active operating system.

The Manual should state how to do a restore, if you do not have the manual, go to Dell's support website and download, read, then ask questions if unsure.

 

[coolcar14]

Well after reading the manual its says i can perform a image restore with the reinstalion disk they gave me but that disk will only install windows not the programs that dell provided me with.. Some may ask why would i want this since most of the software was a bloatware but am just that type of guy who wants his PC to be in the same condition i bought it.

 

[RetiredChief]

My Samsung came with a program that after windows was installed you ran it and it usted the files that were in the restore partition. The were broken up into two catagories 1) drivers and 2 Software. You could then pick and choose which to install.
May have a different name, but check the Dell support website for your laptop and look at what software is listed for download.

In My case I had removed the HDD and installed a SSD so I'd had copied the what was in the partition to a USB thumdrive. When I ran the program ofcoarse It did not find the Partition so whan It said "Hay Blank blank where did you hide it" I pointed it to the thumbdrive and it was happy.

 

[coolcar14]

I was wondering what if i tried to boot of the recovery partition would it work and if so how can i try it

 

[RetiredChief]

Unless you have a Key press that shows Bootable options and the partition is listed then NO. The key press would be idnetified in the manual, for Example my Gigabity MB is F12 and for the ASRock MB it's F11. You had some suggestions on that and indicated - NO go. So check the manual.