Backup drive disk D

if your referring to your factory restore partition, then you cannot. Once it is gone it's gone. So you now have some extra disk space.

How was it deleted?  Deleting a whole partition, is hardly something which can be done accidentally?

Anyway... as advised above, it's gone forever.  You'll have to do a 'clean' install from now on []:(

You dont need a new drive unless your current one is failing. just losing the recovery files will not necessitate a new drive.

When a drive is formated by Dell there are three partitions made on the drive. each partion is treated like a seperated drive. The first partiton is a hidden partion that only the operating senses, This small part of the driver houses the dell diagnostic program. The second partition is your main or "C:" drive this is where windows is installed. the third partition or the "D" driver is where Dell places a image of the "C:" drive after it is loaded at the factory. The purpose of the Factory restore is to return your system to the exact same as it was when you powered it up for the very first time.

Not sure what exactly you did during the cleanup and defrag as this will normally not cause the D to not work.

What exaclty do you mean by "my disk drive "D" doesn't work." ?

i'm having similar problems to the previous user.  i did a disk clean up and a defrag and since then, my disk drive "D" doesn't work.  i'm not techy, so is there anything i can do before just buying a new drive?

Hi martins421, You dont need that 'D' Restore if you have the disc supplied with that system. If you dont have the discs, see HERE.

Hi therealfireblade, What I was saying, that if the 'D' Restore has gone. He can use the disc's. You should try reading the top post.:emotion-55:

You dont need that 'D' Restore if you have the disc supplied with that system. If you dont have the discs, see HERE.

You do actually need the 'Restore' partition (D:\) Robin, if you ever want to restore the system to its factory settings :emotion-55:

And that's because the disc you get with the system, is not a 'Restore' disc.  It's simply an OS disc.

Without the 'Restore' partition, all you can use the disc for, is a 'clean' OS installation.

Hi therealfireblade, What I was saying, that if the 'D' Restore has gone. He can use the disc's. You should try reading the top post.:emotion-55:

I did read the top post Robin?   Perhaps it's you who needs to read what's being said more carefully, such that you understand what's been said?

Whilst the OP can of course "use the discs" supplied with the system... they won't restore the system to its factory settings - which is what the OP was hoping to be able to do :emotion-55:

The OS disc can only be used to do a 'clean' install. 

The OP then has to install all the drivers etc themself, because they're not pre-installed - as they would've been had they been able to use the restore partition :emotion-5:

I hope that clarifies matters?