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How can you find out if you have a bad Windows 8 image?
I'm being asked to reinstall Windows 8, Windows 8,1, and all my applications for the third time on an XPS 8700 I got in November. The reason I am told my image is bad is because the system will not install the version of Dell Backup and Recovery Dell created to work with Windows 8.1. The evidence is that the patch worked on another system. I'm sure it did, but that's not the same as knowing exactly what's wrong with my system. Is there a way to see if an image is good without having to throw hours and hours and hours of time at it (only to possibly find out that wasn't the problem after all).
I use Windows 8.1, so there's no refreshing of the OS. I have a bootable backup I can use, but doing that is still going to cost me a lot of time to get the system up to date, and supposededly it won't work because it was made from a bad image.
Philip_Yip
7 Technologist
7 Technologist
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16K Posts
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February 5th, 2014 00:00
If you are running an install on factory settings or from Dell Backup and Recovery media it is likely a bad image. I have not seen good factory settings for any Dell Windows 8 systems and hence recommend clean install with a Windows 8.1 .iso forgetting Dell Backup and Recovery entirely.
If you can get the .iso follow Windows Reinstallation Guide/A Clean Install of Windows 8.1:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/
And use these workarounds:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/a-clean-install-of-windows-8-1/microsoft-product-activation/
If you cannot get a Windows 8.1 .iso and you or a friend have a retail license for Windows 8.0/8.1 of the same version then follow the workaround here:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-microsoft-windows-and-office/download-microsoft-windows/download-windows-8-1-iso/
Otherwise you need to look for it from unofficial sources.
If you would rather not look for it in unofficial sources then you may request a Windows 8 Reinstallation DVD from Dell by filling out this form here if you are in the US or CA:
http://www.dell.com/recoverymedia
If you are in other regions call Dell Technical Support as they haven't expanded the courtesy of the media request form to other regions.
Note Dell will only send you Windows 8 media and not Windows 8.1 media because of the roadblocks Microsoft have enforced to make the Windows 8.1 Upgrade difficult. The Windows Reinstallation Guide hence also explains how to clean install Windows 8.0 and upgrade to Windows 8.1 as cleanly as possible but direct clean install is preferable.
Mary G
4 Operator
4 Operator
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20.1K Posts
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February 4th, 2014 12:00
You should make a Windows Recovery System Image in addition to Dell Backup. Then make a recovery drive on a flash drive that is 16gb or larger to use as a boot drive. Don't depend on Dell Backup alone. Go to Control Panel, search for File History* to make a system image on an external hard drive.Then choose Recovery on the File History page to make a bootable flash drive to boot to and access the system image.
*This feature is too well hidden in Windows IMO.
seldredg
10 Posts
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February 8th, 2014 10:00
First, reinstall Windows 8. If the problem is solved, then you must have had a bad image. If that doesn't work, reinstall it again. Don't forget to install and set up the 1GB of Windows updates, then Dell Backup and Recovery, and update Dell B&R and re-setup the PE environment. Should take about 6 hours with a decent Internet connection. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling Windows. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling Windows.
If that doesn't work, repeat the process with a new copy of Windows on a USB sent from Support. If that works, but the new copy won't activate, try it again. And oh, before (not after) installing your new software, check to see if what you were sent is the same as what you had (i.e., Windows 8 Pro, not basic). When the new USB drive comes with Windows 8 Pro, try installing it. If that doesn't work, try installing it again. You have a few days to kill anyway until the new parts come.
If that works, and lo and behold the second time was a charm, you'll get Windows 8 and it will activate, and then quickly install the 97 updates to Windows 8, then a quick hour or so to upgrade to Windows 8.1, and then install Dell Backup & Recovery, and then upgrade it (barely another hour), and finally, if you had previously upgraded to B&R Premium, just buy it again, because the new motherboard will not be recognized as the computer you used to have. Sure, this shouldn't be required, but if you get paid by the hour, yo8u can make more than enough money to pay for it again compared to making nothing while waiting on the several phone calls you'll need to make for B&R support from the various companies involved.
While you're waiting on hold, you can also try Support chat (whoops, not open right now), or you can post a question in the Dell Support forum, and check back from time to time over a week or so to see if anyone has answered. Eventually someone will...
seldredg
10 Posts
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February 8th, 2014 12:00
And I would like to think the people who responded and provided all the good information. SE