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Alien Respawn DataSafe link failure!
Ok guys please read this completely before posting "Here is how to restore to factory settings using AlienRespawn",
So I have an Alienware M15x which came with a factory settings partition and the program "Dell DataSafe Local Backup" and I don't have the original Factory settings CD (simply never got it..)
A copy of Windows 7 (called NEW for simplicity) overwrote my own (original copy) of Windows 7 (called Alien for simplicity). (I know thats stupid..) When I launched my laptop All my programs were gone including Dell DataSafe. I reinstalled the program to get everything back to a clean install (factory settings). The program told me "Dell DataSafe Local Backup has not been able to detect the recovery partition on this computer. It might be missing or corrupt."
Seen Below:
So I made everything visible and opened "G:\" my recovery partition. Seen below:
I don't know how it looked before but I don't see any reason why it would have been modified by the Windows NEW installer since its on a separate partition. So I assume it is Intact.
Therefor I don't understand why Dell DataSafe Local Backup doesn't detect the partition. I need to go back to factory settings since It had a pre-installed Windows and I don't have the serial key of it to put in this one (and I don't wanna pay 150 Euros or so..) the sticker below the laptop is completely faded out I can't read it..
How can I back it up without using Dell DataSafe local Backup or make Dell DataSafe Local Backup recognize the recovery partition?
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
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August 14th, 2011 16:00
hum... help?
S.Patt
5 Posts
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August 15th, 2011 21:00
If you use a 32 bit operating system you can download, for free, a program called AIDA32 that will retrieve all the information about your computer setup including your Windows system serial key that was used for your setup. If however you have a 64 bit operating system you would have to download AIDA64 and to be able to see all the information about your system, you will have to pay for a license. It gives you all the info you need and then some.
If you used your Dell reinstallation Dvd that came with your system, you can put it in the dvd drive and browse to the sources/$oem$/$$/setup/scripts and open the slp command script in notepad and it will have the product key listed there as well. If the key is all you need then you'll save the cost of a license for AIDA64.
I have AlienRespawn on my computer and I followed the instructions when I first got the setup and made a backup of the system. I don't know how to tell you this, but here goes. When I read about setting AlienRespawn up it told me to make certain to backup my recovery partition on a DVD and put it away because if for some reason I had to do a clean reinstall of Windows it would cause me to lose access to the partition. I hope this answers your concern, but if someone has a better idea and I might be mistaken, please put your answer here soon.
You may just need to do a clean install and put all your drivers and programs back in yourself.
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 14:00
yea, thats exactly my problem. the fresh instal broke the link but I need to re-create it..
S.Patt
5 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 16:00
did you get a copy of windows 7 that came with the computer for win 7 reinstallation? Is this the copy that you installed from? if so, i outlined, above, the method to get the serial key from the disk. I think you should call someone at Dell and ask, but I think you messed up the chance to get back into the recovery partition when you did the clean install. You can at least see the recovery partition from Windows Explorer; I have to go to disk management to see mine and it has no drive letter. I dodn't even get the option to explore mine.
You might look at this: support.dell.com/.../document
I know it's from an older recovery method but since you have access to the drive it might work for you. I would call Tech Support first though and see if there is another way. Sorry I'm not much help other than the advice to help to recover the Serial Number from the disk.
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 16:00
No the fresh install was from a completely separate CD originally for an other computer.... Could I get the Serial from the recovery partition somehow? What I don't understand is if the partition is intact why can't i simply reactivate the link between them?
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 17:00
I also have the "windows.old" files.. if they can be of any use.. The problem is my CD drive is dead and the replacement is coming in 3months...
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 17:00
You wouldnt know somebody using Dell Datasafe Local still with the partition and everything as new? I believe if I switched my Dell DataSafe Program files with how they SHOULD be... that should do the trick. however the command might also be in the windows files but.... Im hopin..
S.Patt
5 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 19:00
BTW, if you still have access to the disk you used and it was a Dell disk you might be able to get the serial key from that disk using the method i first posted; although it might not be legal to use his info. Then again, you can still use AIDA to get the Serial Key from the install that you did when you did the install.....Good Luck!
S.Patt
5 Posts
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August 16th, 2011 19:00
There would likely be a lot of settings that were specific to your computer that would be missing such as config.sys and registry settings that you needed.
As a last ditch effort I would think about trying to initiate the restore function directly from the Recovery folder if I couldn't get the info about how to do it directly from Dell.
FrenchMurderer
22 Posts
0
August 17th, 2011 04:00
Yea Iv been trying to access the files themselves searching for an executable file to launch that would restore.. But I seem to encounter an other problem... the "file folders" are with a little lock as an icon and whenever I try to open them I can only see "Dell this is part of the the recovery partition do not delete or modify these files".. I guess they are locked or encrypted.. any idea on how to access them? If I knew the way to manually launch the recovery all my issues would be solved tho... And I don't a key in this windows version (thats why its kinda urgent I fix this..) I only have a pre-entered one in the recovery partition and probably in the windows.old files (but I don't know how to find it in there..)