Windows 7 - Dell Factory Image Restore from 7 to Vista

Hey guys,

New to the forum, hope you guys can help. I recently upgraded to Windows 7 from Vista. However, I would like to restore back to the factory settings (Vista) using the Dell Factory Image Restore. Can I still do this after upgrading to Windows 7 or does that function only work if you still have Vista? Thanks for the help.

Tommy

As long as you havent nuked your factory restore partition, or you created a system restore disk, you should be ok..

OK, I am only asking because I'm assuming this is the way to get the cleanest reinstall of windows 7. I have the Windows 7 $30 student upgrade, which came with no disks. I am not sure If i can do a clean install (reformat) from that so that is why I was asking if I can revert back to a clean Vista and then upgrade from there. Do you know if I can clean install from that downloaded file and avoid going back to vista? (I am running 7 now)

The cleanest possible install of Windows 7 is to boot from the DVD and use Custom Advanced drive tools to format the partition before installing.

You can create an ISO to burn to DVD using this: Make bootable iso from student d/l

You needn't reinstall Vista, if fact this time I would delete the recovery partition since it is disabled after Windows 7 install anyway. You can later create a Windows 7 recov partition by saving a Windows 7 backup image to a primary formatted partition, backed up externally.

When you boot from the Windows 7 DVD, it will scan the HD to see any OS before formatting which should allow you to insert Upgrade key. If not, just run a Repair install (Upgrade over itself) from the newly-installed Windows 7 desktop and it will take the key then.

Try this:
Save $80 on your Windows 7 purchase - the Upgrade does full installs, too

You are in luck, Dell is one of the few companies that lets you restore to factory condition by the restore partition as well as DVD. Those DVD's that you received when you bought your computer are the same as the restore partition. The functiion works using the DVD, the restore partion might have been deleted. But all this is not necessary. MS has put us on the honor system. Just do a clean install using the Win DVD. Read our tutorials to find out how.