Problems with Dell Factory Image Restore - Dell Inspiron 1564

[terry jerry]

Hi,

My laptop (Dell Inspiron 1564 - Windows 7 Home Premium) slowed down a few days ago and I decided to restore the system to Dell Factory Image. The process started but stopped more than halfway and gave the following message, "Failed to apply Image". I restarted the system but it would now not boot up, not even in safe mode! Perhaps, during the restore process few essential Windows files have been erased.

I want to restore the Dell Factory Image and cannot re-install Windows since I have lost the product key of my original Windows 7 installation DVD provided by Dell at the time of laptop purchase. Your help / advice is solicited and would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S. System's Recovery Partition is intact and has factory.wim and other related directories / files intact.

 

[fireberd]

The product key sticker on a Dell laptop is usually in the battery compartment.

Have you tried to run the Dell restore again? It won't boot because the restore started but failed so the "C" drive is corrupted.

If that does not work, suggest posting on the Dell forum where you can get help from those more familiar with Dell's.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/

 

[terry jerry]

Thank you for your response.
I tried restore more than once thereafter with the same result-stopped!
I have posted on Dell Forums as well and have received one reply as fols:-

"If you are using the Dell Windows 7 Home Premium Reinstallation DVD it will automatically apply Dell OEM SLP activation. In short a product key is input from the DVD and activates if and only if the BIOS is validated by Dell to run Windows 7. You therefore do not need the 25 digit key on the COA. If you want to know the code then look under the battery.

See here for more details:

Windows 7 Installation with Notes on UEFI and SecureBoot | Unofficial Windows Guides"

I have not tried the suggestion as yet. Would do so and keep this forum also posted.

 

[cyberSAR]

I'd run a HDD diagnostic. With the machine being slow and the image not being applied you may have a bad drive.

 

[gregrocker]

Everything needed is here to get and keep a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7.

Be sure to read the Special Note for Dell Owners at the end.

Dells have onboard hardware diagnostics triggered via the F12 key so run those first to check over the hardware. If it runs the be sure to leave only the Utility partition but delete all others during the booted reinstall.