Are "System Repair Discs" = "System Recovery Discs" ?

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pstein

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win7pro 64bit
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win7pro 64bit
Yes, they are the same thing. They give you the option to launch repair from the dvd/cd. They CANNOT be used to reinstall windows.

Just FYI, till some time ago OEM computers came with a vendor-supplied "Restore" disk (also called recovery disk sometimes). These are completely different from the ones you have listed. These let you reinstall the os and in some cases the mobo drivers.
 

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Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
The Recovery Disks previously supplied by manufacturers for factory installs are now generated by the Recovery partition for users to make themselves. These recover the computer to factory condition with all of the bloatware which maker's now enforce as it provides most of their profit margin.

More valuable for a reinstall is a Win7 installation DVD, which can be used to clean reinstall the version of Win7 which was factory-installed, using the Product Key on the COA sticker. Since this is usually a batch key, it often requires a robocall to MS during reactivation to sort the exact number.
 
I bought a computer with the PC manufacturers/OEM OS installed. In addition to the hidden factory restore partition you can burn the factory restore/"recovery" DVDs for a factory restore. (Only burns 2 DVDs!!??).
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1Intel i7 2600kG.Skill Ripjaws (DDR3-1600) 2x4GBNvidia GeForce GTS 450; Intel HD Graphics 300...
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Own build
OS
Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
CPU
Intel i7 2600k
Motherboard
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe
Memory
G.Skill Ripjaws (DDR3-1600) 2x4GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia GeForce GTS 450; Intel HD Graphics 3000(GT2+)
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell Ultrasharp IPS panel U2311H, Samsung SyncMaster P2350
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Samsung 850 Pro SSD 256GB, Samsung SSD 840 120GB, Seagates 1TB Barracuda ST31000528AS x2
PSU
Seasonic M12II 520W
Case
Lian Li Lancool PC-K60
Cooling
Case: 1x120mm, 3x140mm CPU: Hyper 212+
Keyboard
Logitech MK520 (wireless)
Mouse
Logitech MK520
Internet Speed
6-7 Mbps
Antivirus
Norton Security Premium, Malwarebytes on 2 (MSE on 3rd PC)
Browser
FireFox
Other Info
Audio: Logitech Z523 2.1
I would make the disks as a backup and especially if you want to recoup the Recov partition disk space.

A more useful backup however is to save a Win7 backup image once you have it set up and running as you like.
 
Slightly OT

gregrocker said:
especially if you want to recoup the Recov partition disk space.
Click to expand...

Working on a brand new Gateway laptop this past week - the manufacturer's recovery partition is (in Disk Management) to the left of the 100MB system partition which is to the left of the C: partition. This would make recouping that 14GB difficult, no?

In my limited experience with playing with these recovery partitions it seems that Windows Disk Management is incapable of extending partitions to the left. And the free (trial) versions of the popular disk management progs don't go left either - but their paid versions do.

So (maybe) you need to pay to recoup (on a Gateway anyway).
Or is there another way?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1i7-3820GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GBEVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home Built - Jan 2013
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1
CPU
i7-3820
Motherboard
Asus P9X79-PRO - Bios 4608
Memory
GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Sound Card
On board Realtek ALC898
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S271HL
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
#1- Samsung 840 Pro Series
#2- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
#3- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
PSU
Corsair CMPSU-850TX-V2 - 850 watt (by Seasonic)
Case
Corsair Obsidian 550D
Cooling
Standard 3 120mm case fans, Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Keyboard
MS KC-0405
Mouse
Intellimouse 5-button
Internet Speed
56 Mbits/Sec (on a good day)
Antivirus
Avast & Malwarebytes
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
Asus DVD - DRW-24B1ST 24X
Hey Greg
I tried the free version of Partition Wizard about a month or so ago and it would not combine the partitions. I tried 2 others, can't recall their names. I recall a message in the help files that said very specifically that you needed to Pro version to do that procedure. And I could have sworn the Pro version was not free. It's been too long for my old brain. Let me check it out again and see if I missed something very obvious.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1i7-3820GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GBEVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home Built - Jan 2013
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1
CPU
i7-3820
Motherboard
Asus P9X79-PRO - Bios 4608
Memory
GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Sound Card
On board Realtek ALC898
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S271HL
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
#1- Samsung 840 Pro Series
#2- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
#3- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
PSU
Corsair CMPSU-850TX-V2 - 850 watt (by Seasonic)
Case
Corsair Obsidian 550D
Cooling
Standard 3 120mm case fans, Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Keyboard
MS KC-0405
Mouse
Intellimouse 5-button
Internet Speed
56 Mbits/Sec (on a good day)
Antivirus
Avast & Malwarebytes
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
Asus DVD - DRW-24B1ST 24X
Backup a Win7 image externally.

Boot PW CD, select 1 for Screen Res, rightclick partitions you wish to delete, OK.

Now rightclick Win7 partition>Resize>slide left grey border all the way to left over deleted partitions, OK.

Finally rightlick Win7 partition>Modify>Set to Active, OK, Apply all steps.

Now boot into Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html
 
Ah! Partition Wizard CD.
I was using a download run from within Windows.
Do they have a down-loadable ISO that I can burn?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1i7-3820GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GBEVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home Built - Jan 2013
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1
CPU
i7-3820
Motherboard
Asus P9X79-PRO - Bios 4608
Memory
GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Sound Card
On board Realtek ALC898
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S271HL
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
#1- Samsung 840 Pro Series
#2- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
#3- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
PSU
Corsair CMPSU-850TX-V2 - 850 watt (by Seasonic)
Case
Corsair Obsidian 550D
Cooling
Standard 3 120mm case fans, Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Keyboard
MS KC-0405
Mouse
Intellimouse 5-button
Internet Speed
56 Mbits/Sec (on a good day)
Antivirus
Avast & Malwarebytes
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
Asus DVD - DRW-24B1ST 24X
Thanks man!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1i7-3820GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GBEVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home Built - Jan 2013
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1
CPU
i7-3820
Motherboard
Asus P9X79-PRO - Bios 4608
Memory
GSkill F3-14900CL9Q - 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce GTX660 - Driver 352.86
Sound Card
On board Realtek ALC898
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S271HL
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
#1- Samsung 840 Pro Series
#2- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
#3- Western Digital WD1002FAEX Sata3 Black
PSU
Corsair CMPSU-850TX-V2 - 850 watt (by Seasonic)
Case
Corsair Obsidian 550D
Cooling
Standard 3 120mm case fans, Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Keyboard
MS KC-0405
Mouse
Intellimouse 5-button
Internet Speed
56 Mbits/Sec (on a good day)
Antivirus
Avast & Malwarebytes
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
Asus DVD - DRW-24B1ST 24X
As long as I use the OEM OS I've decided to keep the front recovery partition (17.5GB out of 1TB). I keep Windows & Macrium images. Although Windows imaging has served me quite well, Macrium does allow me to image the recovery partition which I can put back, if I decide to, on a new HDD if/when my current HDD dies.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1Intel i7 2600kG.Skill Ripjaws (DDR3-1600) 2x4GBNvidia GeForce GTS 450; Intel HD Graphics 300...
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Own build
OS
Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
CPU
Intel i7 2600k
Motherboard
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe
Memory
G.Skill Ripjaws (DDR3-1600) 2x4GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia GeForce GTS 450; Intel HD Graphics 3000(GT2+)
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell Ultrasharp IPS panel U2311H, Samsung SyncMaster P2350
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Samsung 850 Pro SSD 256GB, Samsung SSD 840 120GB, Seagates 1TB Barracuda ST31000528AS x2
PSU
Seasonic M12II 520W
Case
Lian Li Lancool PC-K60
Cooling
Case: 1x120mm, 3x140mm CPU: Hyper 212+
Keyboard
Logitech MK520 (wireless)
Mouse
Logitech MK520
Internet Speed
6-7 Mbps
Antivirus
Norton Security Premium, Malwarebytes on 2 (MSE on 3rd PC)
Browser
FireFox
Other Info
Audio: Logitech Z523 2.1
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