How do I Reinstall Windows from a recovery partition?

[psiko74]

I have a Dell XPS laptop. I reinstalled windows a weeks ago using an oem disc. Since then i have notice my sound sometimes stops working. I would like to reinstall to factory. I booted and pressed f8 then clicked repair windows. At the repair menu the dell factory reinstall option is missing. My recovery partition is still on the drive.

 

[Cyberwolf]

Is there no Dell Recovery Tool listed using the method you just described? It appears you are attempting to do everything correctly.

 

[mjf]

I have a Dell XPS laptop. I reinstalled windows a weeks ago using an oem disc. Since then i have notice my sound sometimes stops working. I would like to reinstall to factory. I booted and pressed f8 then clicked repair windows. At the repair menu the dell factory reinstall option is missing. My recovery partition is still on the drive.

Are you saying you did a clean install? If so then you would have probably overwritten any factory partition structure including recovery.

You need to provide more details on the "reinstall".

 

[gregrocker]

First run Windows Update to see if any drivers are cued in optional Updates. After updating all drivers, for any missing in Device Manager go to the Dell Support Downlloads webpage for your tag number and install the Sound driver to see if that helps.

I would not change out any drivers provided by installer or optional Updates unless there are performance problems, however, as unlike XP Win7 is the authority on its own drivers.

If that fails try restoring the hotlink to Recovery Partition to your F8 Repair My Computer menu, as long as you didn't delete the Recovery Partition during clean reinstall. If you did or it won't restore link and then run, try marking the Recovery Partition Active, then reboot to see if it will autostart: Partition - Mark as Active . Note that you may need to use Option Two using Diskpart from the Win7 Installation DVD Repair console Command Line to mark Win7 Active again
.
If not you'll need to order Recovery Disks for your tag from Dell if you didn't make them at computer setup, or post back for any more help on problems with your clean install - which is a superior install anyway: Reinstalling Windows 7

Dell Recovery Partition - restoring F8 link
Dell Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings

 

[seavixen32]

If you reinstalled with an OEM disc and didn't create a set of recovery discs first, you will have lost your recovery partition and with it no way of getting back your computer's factory state unless you buy a set of recovery discs from Dell.

However, you can still go to Dell Support and key in your computer's service tag for a list of up-to-date drivers and applications that apply to your computer.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/DPP/Index.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

You'll need to change to your region via the link at the top of the Dell Support page.

 

[psiko74]

I still have 3 partitions. A small partition with diagnostic tools, a 10-14gb Recovery partition, and the main os partition.

 

[gregrocker]

Then try restoring the F8 Recovery hotlink which was overwritten when you did the superior clean reinstall, using the tutorial I linked.

If that fails mark Recovery partition active and reboot to see if it will start. If not, move Active flag back to Win7 and either order your Recovery Disks or finish the clean install correctly by providing the drivers as I detailed.

 

[mjf]

@psiko74
As I said earlier you need to provide more specific information on the reinstall you carried out to sensibly answer your question otherwise you'll just get stabs in the dark.

Just saw your last response - this looks like a standard Dell partition structure!
Did you use Dell factory restore disks?
Post a disk management screenshot

 

[seavixen32]

I still have 3 partitions. A small partition with diagnostic tools, a 10-14gb Recovery partition, and the main os partition.

Have you checked the documentation that came with your computer? It should tell you how to restore your system.

Have you checked under All Programs to see whether you can restore your system from there?

 

[gregrocker]

I'll try to explain it again since apparently I wasn't clear earlier:

When OP clean reinstalled it overwrote the Recovery Partition's hotlink on the F8 Advanced Boot Options
menu "Repair My Computer" choice to Recover to Factory Condition, removing that menu entry.


With Dells there is a method to restore the hotlink after clean reinstall which I posted earlier: Dell Recovery Partition - restoring F8 link

If this fails, many times one can get a Recovery Partition which has lost its F-key hotlink to run by marking Active then rebooting to see if it will autostart or respond now to the F-key. If not you can mark Win7 or it's boot partition Active again to start it up: Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)

 

[mjf]

I understand what you are talking about and it may solve the Op's issue.

However, as per my post #3 it's not exactly clear exactly to me what they did.
Dell generally use the Recovery partition also as active, system reserved. I was thinking a true clean install may format this original Recovery Partition and make it just one big active system reserved partition.

 

[psiko74]

I followed the guide to repair the F8 link but when I click Repair Computer it just goes to Windows 7.

 

[seavixen32]

Posting a screenshot of your disk management layout will give us a better understanding of what is going on, but it does sound as though you have overwritten the F8 link and/or the recovery partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Have you followed the comprehensive advice that gregrocker gave you? If not, is there any reason why not?


One of my computers is a Dell XPS 8100 and the recovery procedure is as follows:

1. Turn on the computer and press F8 several times. When the Dell logo appears, tap the F8 key to access the Advanced Boot Options window. If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop and try again.
2. Select Repair Your Computer.
3. The System Recovery Options window appears.
4. Select your keyboard layout and click Next.
5. To access the recovery options, log on as a local user. To access the command prompt, type administrator in the User name field and click OK.
6. Click Dell Factory Image Restore when the welcome window will appear. Depending on your configuration, you may need to select Dell Factory Tools then Dell Factory Image Restore.
7. Click Next. The The Confirm Data Deletion screen appears. If you don't want to proceed with the Factory Image Restore, click Cancel.
8. Click the check box to confirm that you want to continue reformatting the hard drive and restoring the system software to the factory condition and click Next. The restore process begins and takes a few minutes to complete. You'll will see a message onscreen when the restore to factory state is complete.
9. Click Finish to restart the computer.

If you can't carry out this procedure, you can either carry out a clean install of Windows then reload your drivers and applications or you can contact Dell for a set of recovery discs.

 

[gregrocker]

Try marking the Recovery Partition Active then rebooting to see if it boots into it. I've posted the instructions to do this three times now, including how to return the Active flag to Win7 using DVD/Repair CD Command Line.

 

[adamak18]

I'm having the same problem
I had to format the partition where the original windows was installed and now, when i try to start the recovery , Dell Factory Tools does not show in the list, i tried installing the dell data save , it detected the image but when i try to reboot and recover my os, Dell Factory Tools ,still doesn't show up

 

[theog]

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create
​

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

 

[adamak18]

yep, but my friend lost them

 

[theog]

You can order OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks from the Dell support website.

 

[gregrocker]

I'm having the same problem
I had to format the partition where the original windows was installed and now, when i try to start the recovery , Dell Factory Tools does not show in the list, i tried installing the dell data save , it detected the image but when i try to reboot and recover my os, Dell Factory Tools ,still doesn't show up

As it says in the Special Note to Dell Owners at the end of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164, Dell Factory Recovery does not boot after a reinstall.

You can try marking the Recovery partition Active to boot Recovery: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

If that fails and you can boot the OS you can try to http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...ent-roma-1001-laptop-oem-slp.html#post1952871

But you're much better off doing the vastly superior http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164