Check the disc in another system - if it won't boot there either, the disc is bad.  In that case you'll need another disc.

Sometimes, another system will read the disc though - well enough to make a copy of the disc.  Try that.

Hi,

If you do not have the Restore option, then you will need to Manually reinstall windows using the disc. Yes the cd should work in windows as well. If it does not then the problem is with the Windows CD. Hence the cd is showing blank on another computer, and will not let you boot of the OS disc.

Royan

I am trying the instructions here support.dell.com/.../document

When I get to step 6 Dell Factory Image Restore I do not have that option to choose.

I requested a new disk but can someone tell me should I be able to read the disk in windows?

Hi,

Welcome to the Community. Check how to do a Factory restore using the below link. If this does not work, then only option is to reinstall windows using the windows disc. If you are in the US, you can use the below link to request for one.

PC Restore : support.dell.com/.../document

Request for OS disc: support.dell.com/.../backupcd_form

Thank you

Royan

It shows up as blank in another computer. Should I be able to read this disk under windows?

Is there some other way to do this? If I look in disk manager I see a recovery partition but I don't know what to do with it. I tried following the instructions to recover by hitting F8 but I do not have the options they are referring to. 

Yes...turn your INSPIRON 1545 on and at the same time repeatedly hit the F8 key, this will open the " restore your DELL computer to it's factory settings " page...decide whether you want to perform a full factory settings restore or choose one of the other restore options which you are offered...simply click and voila...you have a " good as new laptop "...DO NOT FORGET to burn any photographs, files and/or programs  which you have installed since purchasing your machine to a disc before selecting to restore to the factory settings otherwise you will lose them { you can re-install them once the factory settings have been re-installed }

                                                                                   Love Today

                                                                                     Alfiesgirl

Here are photos of the screens I get.

picasaweb.google.com/.../UAyYBlW-HInWaFd1cstXLtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

picasaweb.google.com/.../PyABmV-SqFJHjRcTJ-tMvdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

picasaweb.google.com/.../Q43YkO0pOOiqWqIZeOLaH9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

picasaweb.google.com/.../KChTLx18XeYNZfCM7ofwFdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

I received the new disk today and I can boot off this one and was able to reinstall the os.

Thanks for shipping it overnight I didn't think I would get it for a week.