Backup disc VS restore VS installation disc.

I have a Dell Inspiron 580 I may have to uninstall and reinstall windows 7 x64 on my computer. A windows 7 disc did not come with the computer, it came with promises that there was another way. I have a repair disc I made near the time I got my computer. I have a vague memory of something going wrong with the process of making said disc but it was so long ago I'm no longer sure if that's true or if it is what the problem was. Am I right that a back up disc or a restore disc or a repair disc does not reinstall windows 7? If I made a backup disc through the control panel thing will I end up backing up the thing that's causing me a problem? Is there a way I can get a Windows 7 x64 installation disc without going out and buying it? please and thank you

See this tutorial...
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
...it has a link to download W7 DVD in step 1.

needassistance said:

... Am I right that a back up disc or a restore disc or a repair disc does not reinstall windows 7?

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The Repair Disk definitely would not do a restore, as it is only used to repair OS problems.

A single DVD is too small to contain a full Win7 system backup, so you would have to store such a backup on several disks.

If you have a Restore disk that came with the PC, it most likely will boot you into WinPE and then go looking for a saved restore image on the hard drive -- one stored there by the OEM. IF it can't find such an image, or if the image got damaged, you won't be able to do a restore.

If I made a backup disc through the control panel thing will I end up backing up the thing that's causing me a problem?

Click to expand...

Any system image backup you make will be a clone of the current state -- and contain all the problems that already exist.