Solved Directions for backup up computer on external full format and restore.

[jonsidneyb]

I want my computer to be fully cleaned but I want to make sure I love none of my data.

I want to make sure the computer is completely clean before I start putting things back.

Is there a step by step set of directions to do this?

 

[Brink]

Hello Jon, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Please update your system specs so we know if you are using a OEM (store bought) computer with a factory recovery partition, or if you built the computer yourself using a retail copy of Windows 7.

It will depend on what you have for what you may be able to do without losing everything.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Thanks Brink,

Updated as much as I know how on the system specs area.

It is OEM software. My fear is losing something I had forgotten about. There are things on the computer I use only once in awhile but need. I do a search to find them.

Dell Latitude E 6410 i5 cpu 2.40hz 4 gig ram Windows 7 32-bit.

I will add a little about what is happening to help better understand why I want to do this.

I am running my laptop in a docking station using two monitors and a wireless keyboard.

I picked up a virus that turned off my security and I think damaged the software.

I can type as long as I use the laptops keyboard. If I touch the wireless keyboard neither keyboard works unless I reboot. I also keep running into if I try and open a web page it will save instead of open. It seems there is a collection of annoying thing going on and I don't trust I will get these things fixed.

I have a forum that is 100% of my living but I am not any form of IT person. I am struggling trying to do anything that I need to be doing on my forum at this time.

I will update my computer information in my profile now.

Please ask if any more info is needed.

I bought a Western Digital my My Book Essentials 2 TB external hard drive to use in fixing this computer.

 

[Brink]

Jon,

I would recommend that you create a bootable USB or DVD with Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper to use to scan your system with at boot to help make sure that your system is clean.

Afterwards, manually backup anything (ex: files) that you do not want to lose to the external HDD.

Since you have a OEM computer, you will only be able to do a factory recovery to have Windows 7 back like it was when the computer was new out of the box. Afterwards, reinstall any programs since then, and copy your backed up files back.

For a Dell computer, the link below from Dell can help show you how to do a factory recovery/restore.

Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings | Dell

Hope this helps.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Thanks,

No problem going back to factory, I have all the application disks and the Dell Windows 7 disk.

I can't remember if there was another disk or not.

Headed out to get a blank DVD

 

[Brink]

Nar, you usually only have two recovery discs. One for applications & drivers, and the other for Windows 7.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Nar, you usually only have two recovery discs. One for applications & drivers, and the other for Windows 7.

Thanks,

I need to go dig around for the applications and drivers disk.

 

[Brink]

No problem going back to factory, I have all the application disks and the Dell Windows 7 disk....

It may not be named that exactly, but it sounds like it may be the applications disks that you mentioned.

 

[jonsidneyb]

I only have one disk at the moment.

It says reinstallation DVD Windows 7 Professional 32-Bit.
This DVD is not for the reinstallation of programs or drivers.

Can I get everything I need here and make my own disk?

Drivers & Downloads

What is a recovery partition. Wonders if I have one.

 

[seavixen32]

Just to confirm you should have two discs with your Dell computer.

1. A green-coloured reinstallation DVD to re-install your operating system.

2. A grey-coloured drivers and utilties DVD to re-install any drivers and other utilities.

Any other drivers you are short of or that need updating can be downloaded from Dell Support.

Just put your Dell Service Tag in the search field and you'll be presented with every driver for your computer.

What is a recovery partition. Wonders if I have one.

The recovery partition will be around 12 Gb in size and contains a factory image from which you can restore your Dell to its out-of-box state when you first bought the computer.

It does exactly the same job as the set of recovery discs you may or may not have created, but a lot quicker.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Just to confirm you should have two discs with your Dell computer.

1. A green-coloured reinstallation DVD to re-install your operating system.

2. A grey-coloured drivers and utilties DVD to re-install any drivers and other utilities.

Any other drivers you are short of or that need updating can be downloaded from Dell Support.

Just put your Dell Service Tag in the search field and you'll be presented with every driver for your computer.

What is a recovery partition. Wonders if I have one.

The recovery partition will be around 12 Gb in size and contains a factory image from which you can restore your Dell to its out-of-box state when you first bought the computer.

It does exactly the same job as the set of recovery discs you may or may not have created, but a lot quicker.

I only have one brown disk. I think I am in trouble. I don't have the utility disk.

I am going to try and see if I have a recovery partition. I am not sure if I do or not. I just read about a recovery partition when reading other stuff.

 

[karlsnooks]

Jon,

No matter which approach you follow:

100% necessary is to perform a full scan on your computer using the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper.


I notice that you say that your drive is encrypted.

Before running the scan and before doing any backup and restore, then decrypt your hard drive, uncompress any compressed file.

After doing the decryption and uncompression,
and then performing the full scan by "sweeper",
attach any log files in
\Windows\Standalone System Sweeper\Support
to your next post.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Jon,

No matter which approach you follow:

100% necessary is to perform a full scan on your computer using the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper.


I notice that you say that your drive is encrypted.

Before running the scan and before doing any backup and restore, then decrypt your hard drive, uncompress any compressed file.

After doing the decryption and uncompression,
and then performing the full scan by "sweeper",
attach any log files in
\Windows\Standalone System Sweeper\Support
to your next post.

Thanks,

I have not confirmed yet with google that this computer has a recovery partition. I am going to run out and get some blank DVD's and start digging again.

 

[seavixen32]

Just to confirm you should have two discs with your Dell computer.

1. A green-coloured reinstallation DVD to re-install your operating system.

2. A grey-coloured drivers and utilties DVD to re-install any drivers and other utilities.

Any other drivers you are short of or that need updating can be downloaded from Dell Support.

Just put your Dell Service Tag in the search field and you'll be presented with every driver for your computer.

What is a recovery partition. Wonders if I have one.

The recovery partition will be around 12 Gb in size and contains a factory image from which you can restore your Dell to its out-of-box state when you first bought the computer.

It does exactly the same job as the set of recovery discs you may or may not have created, but a lot quicker.

I only have one brown disk. I think I am in trouble. I don't have the utility disk.

I am going to try and see if I have a recovery partition. I am not sure if I do or not. I just read about a recovery partition when reading other stuff.

If you only have one disc it is probably the system restore disc, which restores your computer to its factory state.

As far as I'm aware Dell no longer send out separate DVDs.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Just to confirm you should have two discs with your Dell computer.

1. A green-coloured reinstallation DVD to re-install your operating system.

2. A grey-coloured drivers and utilties DVD to re-install any drivers and other utilities.

Any other drivers you are short of or that need updating can be downloaded from Dell Support.

Just put your Dell Service Tag in the search field and you'll be presented with every driver for your computer.



The recovery partition will be around 12 Gb in size and contains a factory image from which you can restore your Dell to its out-of-box state when you first bought the computer.

It does exactly the same job as the set of recovery discs you may or may not have created, but a lot quicker.

I only have one brown disk. I think I am in trouble. I don't have the utility disk.

I am going to try and see if I have a recovery partition. I am not sure if I do or not. I just read about a recovery partition when reading other stuff.

If you only have one disc it is probably the system restore disc, which restores your computer to its factory state.

As far as I'm aware Dell no longer send out separate DVDs.

The disk says not for reinstalation of programs or drivers.

I have disks now. It is time to see if I have a recovery partition.

 

[jonsidneyb]

This worries me.

I am concerned if I move forward I will not be able to recover.

Latitute e6410 - Restore factory image (factory settings) not available, Windows 7 - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

 

[theog]

You can Order Dell recovery disks from here:
Dell - Support

 

[jonsidneyb]

You can Order Dell recovery disks from here:
Dell - Support

I will order them so I can have them but I need to try and get this computer back quick as it is how I make my living.

What do you guys think of this?


Download Dell E6410 Windows 7 Drivers, Dell E6410 Drivers Windows System Recovery Disk 2.2 free Download

 

[Brink]

Jon,

Personally I would recommend for you to save yourself $15 from not buying that disc from a 3rd party, and just download all of the drivers for your specific computer model directly from Dell at the link below for free. You can save the driver installation files to another location like a DVD or USB flash drive. After you are finished doing the factory recovery, you can install the drivers one by one.

Drivers & Downloads

 

[jonsidneyb]

I ran the standalone system sweeper and it came up clean. I was quite surprised.