Customized Recovery Partition Image

gregrocker · 21 Dec 2009

You cannot use Factory restore if you clean reinstall Win7. The recovery partition will be disabled by the new installation. Make the recovery disks to keep in case you ever want to factory restore for resale, or as is sometimes required for hardware replacement under warranty.

Instead save a Win7 backup image to a primary partition which can be used to reimage the HD by booting from the Win7 DVD or a repair CD you can make in the backup center.

If you want to have this available using a F-key, then wipe the HD before installing Win7 and it will assign a 100mb boot/repair partition which will make the Recovery tools available at F8 during bootup. Select "Recover using an Image" to trigger reinstall of the Backup image you have stored in a primary formatted partition, or in the root of an external drive.

Tepid · 21 Dec 2009

Once customized image is created i want to use this with BIOS F11 so it behaves like OEM

.

F11 is a special function and really can't be modified in the way you want. It is very complicated and technical, I had researched it once upon a time, but have lost interest in it.
However,, you can start here and also here if you wish to learn more about it.
This is old info,, and may not apply exactly the same as 7 booting differently.
This should set you in a direction that may help you find info for doing it using 7.
Or that info may still apply, but I do not know.

You would have to wipe out that existing recovery partition and recreate it using something like Acronis Secure Zone. However,,, you can try creating a secure zone and see if the Recovery Partition is still available, but most likely it will not be.

madmansam · 24 Dec 2009

I used Paragon to create a recovery capsul saved right at the end of my HDD and when I back up my system I just save it to the capsul and if disaster happen ..start power on pc and you get choice to start from capsul by pressing F1.. It worked with me twice so far .. hope that made sense .

gregrocker · 24 Dec 2009

I see that Bootable Capsule on Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2009.

Think I'll try it on my laptop I take on trips.

So if the HD fails, can I reimage a replacement from an external backup using Paragon disk?

Tepid · 26 Dec 2009

gregrocker said:

I see that on Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2009.

Think I'll try it on my laptop I take on trips.

So if the HD fails, can I reimage a replacement from an external backup using Paragon disk?

Yes.

But, I have not used Paragon, I am assuming it has similar functions to Acronis, otherwise what good is it.

SIW2 · 26 Dec 2009

Yes, exactly, Greg.

The onboard bootable capsule is handy and will do the job for most scenarios.

Obviously, if the HD fails, you need to have an external image to restore to another drive.

gregrocker said:

I see that on Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2009.

Think I'll try it on my laptop I take on trips.

So if the HD fails, can I reimage a replacement from an external backup using Paragon disk?

whs · 26 Dec 2009

If you were not insisting on wanting to push F11, the deal would be dead simple. Take an image (preferably to an external disk) but a partition on an internal drive would do too. Then you can pull that in any time you like. You can use Acronis, Paragon, Norton Ghost - but I recommend Macrium because it is the easiest and does not cost a penny ( https://www.sevenforums.com/software/...e-macrium.html )