Dell backup and recovery - PC won't boot from flash drive

enchant,

You will need to start the computer and TAP the F8 key and choose "Repair Your Computer" to restore your backup. Follow the steps to restore using your Dell Backup and Recovery.

If I hit F8, some text appears on the upper-right of the screen:

F2 for setup

F12 for boot menu

Meanwhile, what appears to be a blue progress meter crosses toward the bottom of the screen.  Once it finishes (just a few seconds), the screen goes black, the cursor is at the upper left of the screen, drops down a couple lines, then I get the "insert boot media and hit return" message.

FWIW, I went through the process of creating a second factory default flash drive.  It made no difference.

"Make sure no media is in the computer."

No media whatsoever?  I can't imagine how that would help.  How does the new hard drive get loaded if it's not connect?  And isn't the information on the flash drive?

As far as hitting F8, see my previous message (#3 in the list).  I get no option to repair the computer.

enchant,

No need to boot off any usb key with your backup. Make sure no media is in the computer. Start the computer and immediately start TAPPING the F8 key and choose Repair Your Computer from the list. Below is a link to help you out.

How to restore the Dell factory image with Dell Backup and Recovery

Hopefully, I'm doing this right. To make the factory default flash drive, I do this:

• Backup and Recovery.
• Click on upper-right blue button "Bootable Backup"
• On left, click "Factory Backup", select "USB Flash Drive" and "Continue"
• I select the empty 16GB flash drive and then "Start"

It takes about 40 minutes to create.

At this point, I'm pretty convinced that while this method of system restore is interesting in concept, it doesn't actually work.  I'm able to hit F8 when my normal working drives are connected and get the full advanced boot menu with Safe Boot, Repair your computer and all.  But that menu will NOT come up unless the system detects a bootable drive.  I've tried clicking the F8 key occasionally during bootup, spamming it and just holding it down.  The results are always the same.

My wife bought the same computer that I did at the same time, and the results are identical on hers, so I don't think there's anything broken on mine.

Postscript, just in case someone else has the same problem...

My final solution was to download the trial version of Macrium Reflect.  It's a 30-day NON-crippled version and it was very easy to use out of the box.  I cloned the original drive to the newly purchased drive, then booted up off the new one, ran Dell BaR, did the factory defaults and everything worked pretty well.  One thing I was a little surprised about is that although I repartitioned the original drive into thirds, the factory default left all of the partitions in place and my data files on my D: and E: partitions.  I was prepared to copy them over, but this made it a little easier.

Dell recently marked this as a Verified answer to the question.  It is not.

If I disconnect all media from the computer (no disk drives, no flash drive), hitting the F8 key will NOT bring up the advanced boot menu.  It will simply bring up a short message complaining that no bootable media could be found.  Even if hard drives are connected, if it doesn't find a bootable device, it'll give that error.

I called Dell tech support.  After a 20 minute wait, the first rep took all of my information - name, phone, email, service tag, purchase date and store, etc., etc., etc. and then told me that he couldn't help and transferred me to a software specialist.  After a 30 minute wait, the software rep took my name, phone, email, service tag, etc., etc., and told me that this was a hardware issue and not a software issue and transferred me to a hardware specialist.  This was actually a fairly short wait - less than five minutes.  The hardware specialist took my name, phone, email, service tag, etc., etc., and told me that I would need to speak with a different kind of specialist.  After an hour and a half holding, the line disconnected.

My wife and I bought the exact same computer a day apart from each other, so as a test, I tried F8 on her machine with the same results.  I could get the advanced boot menu with her original drive connected, but if I replaced it with an empty drive, I'd get the error that no bootable device was found.

You haven't specified anything about your system. Is it running Windows 8.0/8.1 or Windows 7? What model of Dell is it?

Restoring from the Internal Recovery Partition

If its Windows 8.0/8.1, tapping F8 repeatedly does not work. To get the recovery options, right click the start button and go to restart whilst holding down the [shift] key.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqqgk2fOtGU

Naturally trying this on a blank hard drive won't work as theres no recovery partition on a blank hard drive.

Restoring from a USB Hard Drive

If its Windows 8.0/8.1 Dell are recommending using external hard drives to make recovery media opposed to USB flash drives. Newer security technologies (post 2012 systems) such as SecureBoot and UEFI are blocking many USB flash drives from booting. While SecureBoot can be disabled in the BIOS setup, its recommended to just make the bootable external hard drive. On the other hand pre-2010 systems will be unable to boot from external hard drives so both options need to be kept.

Thanks for replying.  My computer is:

Dell Inspiron i3847-5078BK Desktop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Purchased from Amazon.

However, see my post on Feb 13, starting with "Postscript".  The problem I was having was resolved using other means, and I'm all set now.  Macrium Reflect worked so well and solved the problem, so I've purchased a license.

Thanks for your help.

Hi Dell,

I have dell inspiron 11 with service tag number<ADMIN NOTE: Service tag removed per privacy policy>. The recovery software is being corrupted or a file is missing that's why I can't restore to its factory default. However, i have a bootable usb flash with windows 8 trial so that the unit can temporary use while waiting for the recovery disk from your company but it won't detect in bios. Please advise me what to do. thank you and hoping for your quick reply.

i guess the same problem continues till now 2020

i agree that the dell recovery bootable flash drive would not be booted by pc with a new HDD/SSD replacement or simply the original HDD/SSD with certain particular hardware or software corruptions.

the dell recovery setup may require some codes from the installed OS of boot drive, in general the Windows, to carry on the processesa

(1) blank new plain HDD would not have one

(2) a physically corrupted original HDD would have bad sectors without those necessary codes

(3) a original HDD with software level of corrupted OS of boot drive, would cause a no boot device, which could actually be regarded as a new HDD

So, I wonder why so many tutorials or replies have never been sticking to the point years after years

And per above, its obviously what needs to be done before running the Dell Recovery

I did use other brand pc and did go thru system restore or factory reset for many many times, it may take times but very simple and clear. And its not a matter of differences between cd/dvd and flash drives

And I am curious if no one sticking to the point is just becoz those simple and direct reset had long been patented??? dont kid me

even so, the tutorials or guidelines should be much more clear, instead of just nonsense F2, F12, or even the ridiculous F8 under our captioned situations

i should correct it that the dell recovery bootable drive does boot and recover the machine to the corresponding factory state.

I am too having this issue. I have an Inspiron 3455 where the hard drive has failed. I used the Dell OS Recovery put in my service tag and downloaded the image and it put it on my USB 32 gb drive. I follow all directions and I get the error message after choosing USB drive as bootup device:"No Boot Device found..." I know the USB is good, I just used it with as a normal windows boot device. I have tried different USB sticks, I have even created the drive using a different pc and using the recovery tool. Always the same error.

I have it set to legacy and turned off Secure boot. Restarted the failing pc with the USB in and hit F12. Goes fine until I choose USB as the boot drive. I have also tried different USB ports. 

It is almost like all the files didn't download to the drive. I don't see the normal Bootmgr files. There is the autorun.inf and the image folders but that's it.

Any other ideas? 

DELL Backup and Recovery was End of Life in 2016.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln301630/dell-backup-and-recovery-cloud-storage-will-be-retired-on-june-1-2016?lang=en

Dell Backup and Recovery (DBaR) Premium Edition 1.9.2.8 is transitioning to SoftThinks Backup and Recovery (SBaR).

Windows 7 and 8.0 is EOL

So windows 10 is the only game in town now.

You will not be able to download WIN7 or earlier images.

All you need is an OEM System builder DVD or media created to reinstall.

https://www.newegg.com/microsoft-windows-10-pro-64-bit-reinstall-recovery-disc-only-no-license-key-included/p/N82E16832350238

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/osiso/recoverytool/wt64a

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

What you need

• Service Tag of the Dell PC on which you want to install Microsoft Windows or Linux
• Download and install Dell OS Recovery Tool (runs in Microsoft Windows only)
• Blank USB2.0  flash drive with at least 16 GB of free space
• Microsoft .Net Framework 4.5.2 or higher
• Administrator user rights and at least 16 GB  but no more than 32GB of available storage space to download the Dell ISO recovery image