Solved Cannot Boot From Recovery CD

[SIW2]

Replacing the hd requires virtually no technical knowledge, just the ability to use a screwdriver. Your machine is a bit fiddly as there are lots of screws to undo and a few ribbon cables to unclip.

The purpose of using Dell installation media ( either your factory.wim or the appropraiate Dell recovery media ) is that it will activate automatically, and should contain any Dell specific drivers.

It is up you if you want to replace the hd yourself, or pay someone else to do it.

There are several videos showing how to replace the hd.

Dell Inspiron 15R N5010 M501R M5010 Hard Drive Removal and Installation

 

[Megahertz07]

Diana, I have seen the video and I was wrong. It's the most difficult HDD replacement I've ever seen.
Take it to the computer repair shop.

 

[newenglandmom2]

Yes, I have learned a lot since this started, and I'm really grateful. But I watched that video of HD installation..and I think I'd better go to the computer shop, once new HD drive gets here (still waiting). $40 seems not bad...and a lot cheaper than a new computer. My question now is...how will I know if the HD is installed correctly at the shop, if he's not also doing the OS? And, is there a preference between Dell Recovery Windows disk, vs. factory.wim?

Thanks Megahertz and SIWI2!

 

[SIW2]

If you want the shop to install the OS - you don't need to buy a new license. It is included in your Dell recovery disk - give that to the guy.


Otherwise, you can install the OS yourself :

1) plug your usb into your machine and boot it.

2) use Aomei part assist or disk management to initialize (to MBR) and format ( to NTFS ) the new disk.

3) I suggest you create a partition about half the disk to install onto (about 100-110gb ) .Give it a drive letter e.g. C.

4) Use winntsetup ( it is in the start menu\programs\install folder). Browse to factory.wim, browse to the partition C you just created , then click SETUP.

 

[newenglandmom2]

Could I just use the Dell recovery disk myself to install the new OS? Would that also involve formatting the disk and creating partitions?

 

[SIW2]

You can do that from windows setup

Step 7 & 8 in the tutuorial below. Or you can let win7 setup do it automatically, but you would end up with a hidden 100mb system partition and the rest of the drive just as one partition.

Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[newenglandmom2]

The SSD is due to arrive today...I will keep you posted.

Thanks, as always!
Diana

 

[newenglandmom2]

Just to let you know... the new SSD was installed by the computer shop. Will tackle the OS installation tomorrow.
Best,
Diana

 

[SIW2]

Hi Diana,

It should be straightforward as you have the DELL recovery media dvd.

 

[newenglandmom2]

OK, I installed Windows from my Dell Recovery dis, and it was straightforward, through Step 16 in the tutorial provided by SIWI2. But I never saw step 17, about setting up a network. Screen just went straight to desktop (which looks like Safe Mode, with big icons, etc.). Not quite sure if I should shut down, or what. ?

 

[newenglandmom2]

Also have a Dell Drivers and Utilities disk...maybe I should install that, to make screen look more normal?

 

[SIW2]

You could try the dell drivers disk. There may be more recent versions on DELL site
Support for Inspiron 15 N5010 | Drivers & downloads | Dell US

 

[Megahertz07]

Don't install the Utilities.
- Put the Dell Drivers and Utilities disk on the ODD drive.
- Open device manager and look for missing drivers.
- Right click on the missing driver, update - Browse to the ODD drive and let it search for the driver.

Instead of installing all updates, there is a so called SP2
MS releases SP2 for Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

If your Windows isn't SP1, install it fist.

 

[newenglandmom2]

Kinda lost. Don't know enough to know what kind of drivers I'm looking for. So it's probably OK to install the drivers disk that came with computer?

 

[Megahertz07]

Sometimes when you install from from a disk, it can also install some utilities that are useless.

Open device manager - Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Device Manager
Look for the missing drivers. They have a yellow mark.
- Right click on the missing driver, update - Browse to the ODD drive and let it search for the driver.

 

[newenglandmom2]

Ok--the only drivers with a yellow mark were Network Controller and PCI Simple Communications Controller. Browsing did not find anything for that on the Dell CD. So I'm trying to figure out how to connect to my ISP. Think I will have to call them.

 

[SIW2]

Probably one of these nic drivers


Direct download-Intel Centrino Wireless N 1000 Driver and is supported on Inspiron N5010 that is running the following Windows Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit).


Direct download-Realtek RTL8103T Ethernet Controller Driver and is supported on Inspiron M5010/N5010 that are running the following Windows Operating System: Windows 7.

 

[newenglandmom2]

Still cannot connect to internet. No wireless connections are showing up in the Network Connections under Control Panel. I copied the drivers provided by SIWI2 to a flash drive and tried updating the drivers marked yellow in Device Manager, but that also didn't work (maybe I was supposed to unzip those files?) Seems like I should have a Dell Wireless WLAN card under Network Adapters in Device Manager, but it's not there.

 

[newenglandmom2]

So I downloaded the Dell WLAN driver from Dell, unzipped it to my flashdrive...but in Device Manager, under Network Adapters, I don't see how to get this driver there from the flash drive. And under Other Devices/Network Controller, I browse to the flash drive, but still says can't find anything.

 

[newenglandmom2]

i am tempted just to install the original Dell Drivers disk that came with computer. Called Dell, he had me unzip the Dell WLAN file right to computer, but it went into C:\Dell\Drivers, and nothing changed. For any more assistance, I would have to pay. No surprise there.