No factory image restore option

If you installed or reinstalled using discs the Dell recovery partition is no longer valid, your only option is to use discs.  From your description it appears this is the case.

You are hozed.   Clean install Breaks the encryption key. The recovery is on an encrypted NTFS partition.

This is now broken FOREVER.   If you had done a full dell datasafe 2.0 Backup to 16 GIG or larger usb flash drive then  you would have a bootable copy of the recovery, diag, and factory os that could be restored to a blank hard drive.

You now have nothing.

In the recovery partition, can you see a file called Factory.wim? If so, be sure to save it and rebuild the recovery partition again.

Tom

Yes I saw the Factory.wim..how can i rebuild my recovery partition then??

Hello pollard14

First, be sure you have saved a copy of the Factory.wim. If you loose that, you can't get it back.

Next, make sure you show hidden system files and folders and that the recovery partition has a drive letter assigned.

Now some details, when you do an install with DVD, Win 7 makes a recovery enviroment in the root of the C:\ drive.

Before you can reconnect to the Dell recovery partition, you must get rid of the C:\Recovery directory. You must boot

from that recovery disc on your flash drive and get to a command prompt. Then run notepad and find and delete that directory on what was c:\ drive. When you boot with the flash drive the C:\ and D:\ may be switched watch for that .

After you delete the:    %SystemDrive%:\Recovery       directory, and while booted with the flash drive, look for a file

called:   ReAgent.xml    with about 660 bites.  There may be a copy in the X:\boot\windows\system32\recovery

directory. This needs to be copyed to:     %SystemDrive%:\Windows\system32\recovery\        After you do all of this,

boot into your windows and click on start - computer and see if the recovery partition still has drive letter assigned to it.

Assume drive letter R:\     Open an Admin CMD Prompt  then

type:    Reagentc.exe  /setreimage  /path  R:\Recovery\WindowsRE  /target C:\Windows                                  

Look for successfull then.

type:    Reagentc.exe  /enable                                                                                                                              

Look for successfull again. If it was, your finished and reboot and try the F8 and see if it works.

If this fails, let me know.

Tom

I can't understant, how can I boot through my flash drive??..Is there an easy way??

Is there another way? Please help me, I really need to restore my computer because I need it in my studies.