Dell PC Restore by Symantec

Hi jpkettley, Sorry, but you cannot download it. If your Symantec Restore has been removed, you will have to use the Dell reinstallation disc's to install your operating system and your drivers . If you dont have the disc's, and live in the US, click HERE for the online order form, if you live outside the US, then you will have to give your local dell support an ring.

If you have the original as shipped image, you can install it by an F12 at the Dell Boot screen. Disk D: is the Restore Partition contains the image. Another hidden partition contains the Dell Diagnostics, and there is a fourth partition that contains Dell media Direct if it was supplied with your laptop. Check Disk Management to see what you have.

jpkettley

Maybe I’ve misunderstood, but if original preinstalled OS was Vista

It's the F8 key to initiate factory image restore (ImageX format) using the built in Vista Recovery Environment??

Completely different for restoring preinstalled WXP OS image using Dell PC Restore by Symantec (DSR) utility??

I.e. Dell does not use the DSR utility for preinstalled Vista OS

Jpkettley,

Perhaps I missed something here.  Am I correct that your system came with Vista and you wish to reinstall the Vista Factory Image?  Vista never had a PC Restore by Symantec partition.   Did Mr. Idi Ot repartition the hard drive, or did he just install XP Pro on the C: drive?  If all he did was install XP Pro on the C: drive, then the factory image partition should still exist on the hard drive.  It can be reinstalled manually.  Do you have your Dell Reinstallation DVD for Vista?

Tony 

Sorry for the brain glitch!

F12 if you need to change the boot order to repair from the OS install disk, F8 for the Repair functions.

Jpkettley,

When the employee installed XP on the C:\ drive it destroyed Dell's Proprietary Master Boot Record (PMBR).  That is what enables access to the Factory Image restore partition.

You can request a Vista DVD for your Dell computer here:  http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&dl=false&l=en&s=gen&docid=3A1C590C9132AB20E040A68F5B28350B&doclang=en&cs=

Here's how to reinstall your Factory Image manually as long as the Factory Image partition is intact.

First, go here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=94bb6e34-d890-4932-81a5-5b50c657de08&DisplayLang=en

Download the Windows Automated Installation Kit.  Burn the WAIK ISO image to a DVD using Roxio, Nero or whatever DVD burning software you have that can burn ISO images.

Now, insert the DVD in a computer running Vista or Windows XP SP2 system with KB926044.  Install the WAIK.

Navigate to the Program Files folder where the WAIK was installed.  Find the Tools subdirectory.  Under it you will see four folders: AMD64, IA64, SERVICING, and X86.  Copy these folders to a USB drive.  They total less than 100Mb, so you can use a 128Mb USB flash drive if need be.

If you have installed Vista on the C:\ drive, then you can simply boot up your system.  Locate the file name factory.wim on the Factory Image partition. Make a note of the drive letter and path to that file.  On an Inspiron 1720 it is located in D:\Dell\Image\Factory.wim

Now go to the command prompt by typing CMD in the Run box.  If Vista is not installed on the C:\ drive you can boot the system with your Vista DVD or a "live" CD such as Bart's PE or UBCD for Windows and go to the command prompt.  Navigate to the Tools\x86\ folder on your USB flash drive.

Type the following command: imagex /apply d:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 c:\

Your system should be restored to its original "as-shipped" configuration in about 30-45 minutes.

Note that this restores Dell's Proprietary Master Boot Record so that in the future you will be able to access the Factory Image by pressing F8 while booting up. 

Let us know if you run into any problems.  Usually, the main problem will be that Vista sees a startup error.  That can be easily fixed by running Vista's Startup Repair.  You will be able to use the F8 to do this since the Factory Image will restore F8 functionality.

Tony

I hit the F8 key and nothing happens.

The laptop came shipped with Vista installed.  My employee formatted drive c:\ and installed XP Pro on dirve c:\.  Drive d:\ and the hidden partition are still intact and have not been messed with.  Disk Management confirmed the hidden partition was still there.  Employee did NOT repartition any of the HDD's

I've hit F12 / F12 / F8 / F8 /   blah, blah, blah....   Nothing seems to be working.  Which key or combination of keys should I hit at the DELL splash BOOT screen on REBOOT???? 

4 disks came with the Laptop.  (1) A DELL APPLICATION disk to reinstall Cyberlink PowerDVD 7.0  (2) Works 8.5  (3) Roxio Creator (4) A DELL Drivers and Utilities disk for reinstalling DELL Portable Computer Software.

I need Vista reinstalled.

i have a simlar problem.

I installed Windows 7, now the option to return to " Fractory Setting" is missing. the D: is there, i can navigate to the directory and see PCrestore. however when i try to start it, windows gets an error, and the program stops. could it be possible that if i boot from A vista home premium boot disc, i may have access to the program again?

I have no real wish to move back, windosw 7 is a vast improvement over Vista home premium, but it would be nice to "step back" again.

pc restore in not f12 ,, ix xp it crtl+f11

in vista its f8 >repair my computer> factory imge restore.

yes , but nostly this will be installed in the factrory . u have some sw lik ghost , which is realted to it

Hydraprime,

When you installed Windows 7, it destroyed the Dell Proprietary Master Boot Record that controls access to the Factory Image partition.  With Windows 7, you should be able to use the manual restoration procedure which I described. 

Tony

oops, 7 says there is no backup. but it is there i can see it!

Hydraprime,

Yes.  Windows 7 will not see a backup because a Windows 7 backup; i.e., a backup made with Windows 7, does not exist.  If you can see the D:\ recovery partition then you should be able to use the imagex restoration procedure I described earlier.  At the Windows 7 Desktop, click on Start|Search.  Type in CMD.  When CMD appears in the Programs list, right click on it and Run as Administrator.  You should be able to log onto the D:\ recovery partition and find the factory.wim file.  I assume that you are familiar with command prompt commands.  If not, let us know.

Tony