It says "Please insert blank media: 5 DVD(s)" But you've got both options checked - System Recovery Media + Application Discs.
When I made my Recovery DVD I only checked "System Recovery Media." I guess that's why mine all fit onto 1 DVD...and why the other poster fit his onto 1 as well. Sound right?
Last edited by rcanino; 30 Sep 2011 at 22:37. Reason: add image
Good chance. Go ahead and try the Recovery Disk you made to see if it works, providing you want the preinstalled factory bloatware to be restored along with the OS.
If not or it doesn't seem as snappy as you'd like do the clean reinstall using the retail disk.
Thanks G - I think that's exactly how I'll proceed.
Avoiding the bloat - that's really why I hoped I could use the retail disk. Or the Digital River .iso - anything but the factory default (though the bloat factor wasn't too bad this time).
because there's a funny story about bloat and this laptop purchase -
Apparently BBuy had done a "special, custom setup" to it and the buyer had backed out so the laptop was back on the shelf. There was no hint of anything special or "custom" about it. The price was marked $349.
There were 2 BBuy guys nearby so I figured I'd ask them what they knew about the machine. What they knew was that the price was $80 more - over and above the marked price - because they'd done this special setup to it (which I guess included deleting most of the bloatware).
I laughed and said I'd pass, "thanks anyway" - at which point the boys in yellow had a quick discussion, then decided it was probably okay after all to sell it to me for the advertised price.
They sure were disappointed I wouldn't spring for the extra $80...
I myself would not send it to Toshiba. I have seen too many stories about PCs returned after "repair" that were worse off than before. And you never know what they will do with your old HDD and the data on it. I would ask them for a replacement HDD and an installation disk. And I never worry too much about the bloatware - I just uninstall it.
And if Toshiba does not pay for the shipping, it will probably cost you more than a new HDD.
Thanks for your input W -
They're sending me a prepaid shipping box so the repair will be free. They wouldn't agree to sending me a replacement HDD.
The more I think about what's on that drive - financial records, passwords - the less I want to send it to them. But I have to believe once they power it up and hear the "Click of Death" they'll scrap the HDD and pop in a new (refurb probably) one. I just wish I could be sure.
Same thing happened at Best Buy when I went with my roommate to shop for an HP laptop. We ran the new minimized Factory Recovery which leaves out most of the bloatware and manually uninstalled the HP wireless mangler.
Did you boot the maker's HD diagnostics/repair CD to run the extended scan. The reason for doing this is not that it might repair your HD (tho "it could happen") so much as to see if it's data is even accessible which I doubt. But if it is you can wipe zeros to it to protect your privacy before shipping.
I would probably go for the free HD, in spite of the limited risks. But it's your call here.
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