Dell Factory Image Restore

1. When Windows Vista starts from the Windows Vista DVD, other screens may appear during the startup process. If other screens appear, accept the default options, and then continue to the language settings screen.

   
   Figure 3: Language Settings Screen

2. On the language settings screen, click the appropriate language in the Language to install list, click the appropriate time and currency format in the Time and currency format list, click the appropriate keyboard layout to use in the Keyboard or input method list, and then click Next.
   The Install now screen appears.

   
   Figure 4: Install Now Screen

3. On the lower-left corner of the Install now screen, click Repair your computer.
   The System Recovery Options window appears.

   
   Figure 5: System Recovery Options Window

   NOTE: If the Windows Vista Setup program detects any problems on the computer, you may receive the following message:

   Windows found problems with your computer's startup options.
   Do you want to apply repairs and restart your computer?

   If you receive this message, click No.
   

   
   Figure 6: Windows Found Problems Window

4. Under Operating System, click Windows Vista (TM) Version, even if it this entry is already selected, and then click Next.
   The Choose a recovery tool window appears.

   
   Figure 7: Choose a Recovery Tool Window

2. Click Command Prompt from the System Recovery Options window.
   The Administrator window appears (Figure 1).
   
   
   Figure 1 - Administrator Window

3.  This is where you will need to have the drive letter of your Recovery Drive.  I will use D: as the example.  Type the following lines, pressing after each line.

d:

dir [this will just bring up a list of the files on the drive to make certain you are in the correct drive.  There should be a folder called Tools]

CD Tools

PCRestore

1. In the Dell Factory Image Restore window, click Next.
   

2. In the Confirm Data Deletion window, click to select Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition, and then click Next.
   The message Factory image successfully restored! appears when the process is complete (Figure 2).
   
   
   

   Figure 2 - Factory Image Restored Window

3. Click Finish to restart the system.

If that method doesn't work, then the only other way is to reboot to the Dell Installation DVD and instead of hitting the Repair Your Computer, you click on Install Now and you install Vista from the beginning.  You then have to put the Drivers DVD in and individually reinstall the drivers for your computer. The drivers dvd does help you to do this by detecting what devices you have and telling you which ones you have to install.  But each one has to be done manually.

I have taken my computer back to XP and haven't missed Vista one little bit.  I used my own copy of XP but was able to use the Dell Driver dvd to install the XP drivers.

Best of luck with this......

---

Hans.B wrote:

No images for Optiplex systems? Why is that?

---