If I want to restore my acer laptop back to its factory settings and I get through all the promps for then my laptop to say th

[Makb]

If I want to restore my acer laptop back to its factory settings and I get through all the promps for then my laptop to say that is hasn't worked, and that I need to change the date that I want to restore from, but I cannot find how to change the date. It did let me create a date but still isn't working with that date.. What do I do ? How do I change to date to make it work

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

It sounds like you used "System Restore" in Windows, this is NOT the same as Factory Recovery which restores your laptop back to it's factory defaults.

See this Acer support page for factory recovery options and instructions:
http://acer--uk.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29925

 

[Makb]

Okay thankyou very much I have just tried that and read up on the site you provided, but when looking for the acer eRecovery management folder I cannot find it on my computer.. I have searched everywhere :/

 

[vancedecker]

Actually Acer provides a utility which it recommends using as soon as you get your computer which is called the "Acer eRecovery Management" and provides the option to: Create a "Factory Default Disk" and a "Drivers and Applications Disk" unfortunately, many Acer users belatedly discover that these are not going to trully restore the system to a "factory default" in the sense that normal people understand the meaning of the terms, especially if anything is wrong with the recovery partitions.

Assuming this is the issue, the user needs to call Acer and ask them to send real recovery disks, which I have done, and these disks are in fact labeled "System Recovery" and should put the drive back into the same state as it was from the factory. Some people claim that Acer charges for these disks, well I would encourage users to demand that Acer send those disks for free in exchange for not suing Acer.

(you can read more on this topic by viewing my previous rant here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/48515-63-acer-factory-recovery-disc-wont-work-acer-aspire-7740#12611044)

In summary, the disks Acer had you create whose name "Factory Default" implies it will restore your computer to factory defaults, in a variety of real world conditions will not in fact do so, and instead, you will need actual Factory Default Restore disks which Acer terms "System Restore Disks" arbitrarily and will need to send you by mail. Depending on your level of effort and willpower, you may or may not be charged for these disks. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Makb]

Thankyou very much for your reply... I have called acer for the disks and they said they don't have them anymore... As the computer is too old or they don't hold them and give them out anymore ? When did you get yours ?

 

[vancedecker]

Thankyou very much for your reply... I have called acer for the disks and they said they don't have them anymore... As the computer is too old or they don't hold them and give them out anymore ? When did you get yours ?

My problem was on my desktop a couple years ago, and they did send me the disk free of charge, but only after having a complete meltdown and lots of angry phone calls. I know that they have been doing this same thing for both laptops and desktops. It most likely has to do with money. If they provided everyone with 'real' recovery disks then they would probably have to pay a royalty to Microsoft. (I'm assuming this is the reason, I really have no idea, it could just be incompetence too...)

So, your options at this point are to obtain a retail version of Windows and use that to do a clean install, then you would have to download any additional software specific to the Acer from the Acer web site, however, if it is too old and they have removed that software as well, again, I can't help but rant here since, the costs of leaving the software in place would have been minimal, but I digress, if the software is no longer available then you will have to make do with what Windows recognizes automatically.

Prior to doing this option, I would ask why you are doing a factory restore.... depending on your answer there might be alternatives. If your recovery partitions are in tact, have you attempted to boot into the windows recovery partition? I think Alt+F10 is the default for Acer as the computer is booting up... Also, perhaps, depending on what your root issue is/was (I'm assuming that you had some sort of problem and that you aren't doing this just for fun) perhaps a linux livecd such as: "Utlimate Boot CD" or "Hiren's Boot CD" could help, especially with issues like corrupted partitions and/or boot loaders...

Why were you attempting to restore the system?