Any way to do Dell Factory Restore when the menu option doesn't show up?

Yes, I did tap F8, and got to the Advanced Boot Menu screen. No "repair your computer" remained as an option. Maybe because I did a manual reinstallation couple weeks ago (but messed on the driver install, so am looking for an easy way out, hence the need to figure out how to do a Factory Restore)

If there *is* no way to do Factory Restore, I'll try manual reinstallation again (no other option). If so, I have the Dell Drivers and utilities CD, and three of the drivers have tickmarks on them and notes on them saying that the matching hardware was detected for these drivers. But for audio, chipset, touchpad, etc, no tickmark was there - does that mean that particular driver does not match my system?

Any one? Is there absolutely no way to do a Factory Restore if it doesn't show up in Advanced Boot Options?

Kirei Blossom,

Yes, that is correct.

After the drivers are installed for the 1397...

start, control panel, device manager, network, 1397 wireless adapter, double click on it, then click on advanced. Look for antenna diversity. Change it from Auto to Aux.

Rick

By wireless adapter, do you mean my "Dell Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card"? This was one of the drivers on the CD which showed a tickmark on it, so it matches.

But those which don't show a tickmark on the CD, do they match? Is it okay to install them?

Kirei Blossom,

There is no Notebook system utility. Start with the chipset drivers first. If they're not installed first, the rest of the drivers will fail to install.

The rest of the order isn't as critical. After installing the wireless adapter, make sure to install Dell Quickset.

If you're not sure which wireless adapter you have, try running Finding System Information REMOVE YOUR PRODUCT ID and post the rest of the information back here.

Rick

Kirei Blossom,

Helps with connecting to a network.

Rick

What does changing auto to aux do?

I started doing a manual OS reinstallation. However, before I began, on the screen where it says to click on "Install Windows", there was also another link at the bottom which said "Repair your computer."

Curious, I clicked on that, and it gave me the following details that there was a problem with my windows startup options and did I want to repair them? This is what it also said:

-------

Repair Your Computer.

The following startup option will be repaired:

Name: Windows Boot Manager

Identifier: { }

The following startup option will be added:

Name: Windows (TM) Code Name "longhorn" preinstallation environment (recovered)

Path: Windows

Windows Device: Partition = D: (15000 MB)

A copy of the current boot configuration data will be saved as:

C:\Boot\BCD.Backup.0001

----------------

What does this option do? Is it related in any way to the Factory Restore?

Does anyone know the answer to the above?

Can anyone please look at my question two posts above this, and let me know what that "Repair your computer" option does? If it isn't relevant, I'll just go ahead with manual reinstallation. But I need to know first.

Finally, I got my laptop back to Factory Settings! I knew there would be a way, though I'm surprised that the majority of the Dell experts here keep saying there isn't a way anymore.

en.community.dell.com/.../19430869.aspx Here are the instructions on how I got it to work.

The VISTA method DOES NOT APPLY to WINDOWS 7 Machines.

1. Boot the computer using your vista dvd.
2. Select Repair. Then select command line.
3. Goto your recovery drive and then to the tools folder by typing following on the command prompt :

d:
cd tools

4. Then type this on the command prompt :

imagex /apply d:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 c:\

5. This will start the recovery process which will complete itself in 10-15 minutes.
6. Type exit on the command prompt.
7. Reboot your computer from your hard disk.

Why? :emotion-9:

Because the Dell DataSafe 2.0 partition is Encrypted and is no longer a basic WIM file.

Dell DataSafe Local Backup 2.0 is a backup application installed on Dell Inspiron, Studio and XPS computers as of April 22, 2009.

This means that the Vista Method has not worked for several Years now.

I'm sorry, I don't understand the above post - I do have VIsta, and it did work out.

This method will not work on dells computers as of April 22, 2009.