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11008
February 1st, 2015 13:00
Wanting to reimage my Alienware Aurora R3
Hello,
I bought this machine in summer of 2011, and it is time to wipe and reset. However, this is not a traditional system due to all the extra Alienware software, wireless drivers etc.
I am wondering how I should proceed because I'd like to have the new system be as similar to the current system as possible.
Thanks.
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Tesla1856
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February 1st, 2015 14:00
If you still have Recovery Partition, you can use it and then do the long procedure to update everything.
However, I have found the best way is to clean install Windows7-64 (with latest proper drivers and software).
http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19376654
And if doing one last upgrade to machine, now would be a good time to install SSD as boot drive (and clean install to that).
http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19568143
After you are sure you have all data from spinning HDD, you can reformat it and make it a Storage Drive (data files, media files, whole-machine drive-partition backups). Could also be used to install large games to ... to leave plenty of "breathing room" on boot SSD (which are sometimes on the small-side).
breezett93
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February 1st, 2015 15:00
You mention that "permanetly delete and disable that functionality." Will I be able to manually get it back? Or have you found it to be unnecessary anyway?
Thanks
Tesla1856
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February 1st, 2015 17:00
I have found it unnecessary. How can you beat a clean install??? It's Microsoft's suggest way. Sometimes a Nuke-and-Pave requires it (ie system got a root-kit ). In case of HDD crash or swap, it's really the only way.
If upgrading to SSD, the HDD isn't touched anyway.
You might be able to Partition Image or clone-to-file ... the whole drive to save it, but I wouldn't count on it. There is a magical connection between that Recovery Partition and that HDD (to avoid piracy). Long ago, mine lost this magical connection after a "suggested Dell update" to the DellDataSafeLocal recovery utility in question.