Issues with using PC restore on xps M1530 vista

[xxmatrix19xx]

I have windows seven currently installed on my laptop. Before I installed win7 I had a vista installed. This was the factory setup right out of the factory. Now that I have installed win7 I tried to access the pc restore feature from the recovery tool and it cannot find the image file to do a restore of vista. Something else I noticed when searching around was I originally had four partitions; 1)OEM install, 2)Recovery, 3)OS, and 4)Media Direct 3.5. After I installed win7, the first partion disappeared but the other partitions were labeled 2,3,4.??? Another thing to note I came across the command prompt commands to execute the pc restore option and it didn't work. I also tried putting the vista disc that came with the laptop in and the trying to do the pc restore from the options available with the disc. Help Please.

 

[zigzag3143]

I have windows seven currently installed on my laptop. Before I installed win7 I had a vista installed. This was the factory setup right out of the factory. Now that I have installed win7 I tried to access the pc restore feature from the recovery tool and it cannot find the image file to do a restore of vista. Something else I noticed when searching around was I originally had four partitions; 1)OEM install, 2)Recovery, 3)OS, and 4)Media Direct 3.5. After I installed win7, the first partion disappeared but the other partitions were labeled 2,3,4.??? Another thing to note I came across the command prompt commands to execute the pc restore option and it didn't work. I also tried putting the vista disc that came with the laptop in and the trying to do the pc restore from the options available with the disc. Help Please.

XX

Hi

FIRST AND FORMOST BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING FURTHER TO THE COMPUTER MAKE SURE YOU HAVE HACKED UP ANYTHING YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT TO ANOTHER DRIVE
1-the pc restore is from vista to vista. not from win 7 to vists. win 7 doesn't know what to do with the vista resore files.
2-Again OEM install contains the files and utilities specific to the factory vista installation

3-pc restore from cmd in win 7 would work if you had a win 7 restore file to restore but you have a vista restore file, right?

What is the size of the partition marked restore> does the folder contain any files/folders

bwfore you start you can run a system file checker ( sfc /scannow) to verify teh windows system files

I think you want to go back to vista (i dpt know why, but hey) You can always do a clean install by booting from the vista dvd and formatting the partition.

Can you give me more information about the computer setup and problems you are having

Ken

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

2.6GB is the size of my recovery drive. I know that I can restore from the DVD, but the last time I did that I had problems with driver installation. I just want to be able to restore the factory image and I can't figure out how to...

 

[zigzag3143]

2.6GB is the size of my recovery drive. I know that I can restore from the DVD, but the last time I did that I had problems with driver installation. I just want to be able to restore the factory image and I can't figure out how to...

the dvd you have is it a vista dvd, or a "oem recovery dvd"?

ken

 

[Antman]

Responding to PM

the dvd you have is it a vista dvd, or a "oem recovery dvd"?

not ken

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

This is the DVD that came with it

 

[Antman]

What is your goal?

2.6 GB partition is probably your original Dell recovery part.

Driver install issues on a Dell system recovery is user error. All drivers readily available at support.dell.com

Please provide Dell service tag.

Ken, the old man retires. May not be around for a while. Selling a PC store.

 

[zigzag3143]

You putting up the gone fishing sign? Or just gone on walkabout?

 

[zigzag3143]

This is the DVD that came with it

Ok that is the DELL recovery disk. It should be bootable. To boot from it repeatedly hit the "d" key, and make sure booting from dvd is enabled in bios

Ken

 

[zigzag3143]

Ah a redirect, eh. say hi to joli, and whatever.

 

[Antman]

This is the DVD that came with it

Ok that is the DELL recovery disk. It should be bootable. To boot from it repeatedly hit the "d" key, and make sure booting from dvd is enabled in bios

Ken

Point Of Order: Isn't the Dell boot selection key F12?

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

When I boot the dvd it loads up to the ( install, what to know before downloading, repair your computer) screen. from there I choose repair computer then it starts to search for windows installations and only finds win7, also tells me the it found a problem and wants to fix it. this is the detailed report that it gives me...

The following startup options will be repaired:
Name: Windows Boot Manager
Identifier: {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}

The following startup options will be added:
Name: Windows (TM) Code Name "Longhorn" Preinstallation Environment (Recovered)
Path: Windows
Windows Device: Partition=d: (10240MB)

 

[DocBrown]

" Longhorn " was the Beta test version of Windows Vista !

 

[zigzag3143]

When I boot the dvd it loads up to the ( install, what to know before downloading, repair your computer) screen. from there I choose repair computer then it starts to search for windows installations and only finds win7, also tells me the it found a problem and wants to fix it. this is the detailed report that it gives me...

The following startup options will be repaired:
Name: Windows Boot Manager
Identifier: {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}

The following startup options will be added:
Name: Windows (TM) Code Name "Longhorn" Preinstallation Environment (Recovered)
Path: Windows
Windows Device: Partition=d: (10240MB)

that error message is both good and bad.

the good news is it is telling you that there is a file there to restore.

the bad news is that it needs to install it into a vista OS. Do any of your friends have a vista dvd?

If there is nothing on the win 7 partition that y ou cant live without, you can always get a third party app to format the win 7 partition and the dvd and restore file would restore onto it.

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

I'm going to check but what if I reinstall vista using the cd then from there I try to run the factory image considering it will be back to a vista OS

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

When I installed win7 it showed four partitions; 1)OEM install vista, 2)Recovery, 3)OS, and 4)Media Direct 3.5, When I booted the dvd of vista reinstall, the first partitions isnt there, it just has 2,3,4 ??? and like i asked if I do a reinstall of vista and then try to run the restore feature will it pick up the vista factory image?

 

[zigzag3143]

I'm going to check but what if I reinstall vista using the cd then from there I try to run the factory image considering it will be back to a vista OS

Might justs work. If you are going to Clean install vista, you dont have to restore the backup unless there is something on it you cant live without

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

and as far as the OEM partition not showing up anymore???

 

[xxmatrix19xx]

I found out that the vista reinstall disc just doesn't show it. When I rebooted the win7 install disc it showed the partition

 

[zigzag3143]

and as far as the OEM partition not showing up anymore???

Im not completely sure. If you want to be positive why not contact support.dell.com?