Solved System Restore will not recognize System Image DVDs

[Eve32]

I have been combing these forums for three days looking for a solution to my problem, with no luck. I finally decided to sign up and post a thread detailing the issue, so here goes:

ASUS Essentio CG8350
Windows 7 Home Premium x64

Basically, my stepmother wanted to install calibre so she could start pirating ebooks for her Kindle. Here's what I did.

1. Downloaded the .exe setup file, double-clicked, and got an error message that I have since forgotten the error # or quote of what it said, but basically it would not install.

2. I looked up said error number and used a fix from these forums....(Hindsight is 20/20 -- had I known this would be such a huge issue I would have told her to just keep buying her damn books at this point.) Here was the fix:

a. Go into services.msc and double-click Windows Installer.
b. Change Startup Type from "Manual" to "Disabled."
c. Restarted computer.
d. Installed stupid goddamn calibre program, which worked this time.
e. Repeated step "a." and changed Startup Type BACK to "Manual."

3. Then noticed that the internet wasn't working. Had windows scan to try and automatically fix the problem. It said there might be a problem with my Wired Network Adapter.

4. Uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers for this, no dice. Still doesn't work.

SOOOO, long story short, before everyone gets on me for posting in the wrong section of the forum.......I'm resorting to System Restore. Regular System Restore (restoring to an earlier date) WILL NOT finish. No matter what date I pick (and there are only two available before this issue happened). It always has an error.

I am now attempting to to a complete System Image Restore using a series of 3 DVDs I burned for this reason when I first got the computer. I KNOW they work because I have used them before on this PC.

Problem #2 is, System Restore WILL NOT recognize my DVDs. It keeps saying that there is no recovery drive to use.

What can I do? I am writing this from a secondary computer. Any help would be greatly appreciated -- whether you can fix the Wired Network Adapter/driver problem, or just with a clean System Restore. I DO have ALL of my files backed up in two different places on external hard drives, so no worries there.

Any help will be so greatly appreciated!! Please let me know if I've omitted any crucial information or need screen shots of my computer and I will provide them.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you can't otherwise resolve this, you can do a clean install from a burned ISO. Get the ISO from mydigitallife.info, burn it to a disc, install, and activate with your existing Product Key.

I'd do that before using the system image DVDs you made anyway. I assume they would only return you to factory state, even if they worked.

 

[SIW2]

I don't know what calibre is.

I hope you are using the term pirating in a jokey way. I don't support not paying for things that should be paid for.

Why would system restore recognise anything on a dvd?

I assume you mean windows system image recovery.

I would normally suggest copying the system image onto another machine. Mount the vhd and make an image of that mounted drive with something else , e.g. macrium free , then restore the macrium image to your mum's pc.

I have never tried it with an image that has been split across several dvd's - maybe somebody else can advise about that.

 

[kado897]

Calibre is an e-book library management tool with no facilities built in to pirate books.

 

[Eve32]

Problem Solved! ignatzatsonic's suggestion worked perfectly, I was able to do a clean install of Windows 7 and I am now typing from the computer that was having the problem.

Thank you everyone SO much for your help and suggestions!

(And no, calibre is not a program that pirates ebooks in and of itself but...well....I'll not go into it, I don't feel like getting flamed for detailing pirating things. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm never touching that issue again. ;p )