Unable to restore Vista to Inspiron 1720

The usual approach to repairing Vista is to start the computer and use F8 before Windows loads to reach the Advanced Startup menu.  Once there you must chose to Repair My Computer.

Follow the second link on this page: 

Hi JackShack,

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately there is no advanced startup menu available when I use F8, hence the restore via CD. Any other ideas or suggestions as to how I can simply provide the drivers for the installer would be a great help. Even if Dell were able to provide a downloadable iso of the original restore CD it would mean I can at least recreate it.

thanks

Use of F8 to reach the advanced startup, or some say advanced boot menu, is a matter of timing.  You have only about two seconds to tap the key before Windows begins to load, and I've never encountered a Windows installation that did not have this menu.  You need to tap the key a few times just after the Dell logo disappears from the screen.

Hi, Sorry, what I meant was that once F8 has been pressed and the options are displayed (safe mode etc..) there is no restore option or further advanced menu available in order to access a restore option.

thanks

Hi,

As per my original post, what's on the Dell site are a bunch of exe's which are not recognised by the vista installer!

thanks

I'm afraid I'm not following you; the Dell driver files are self-extracting zip files.  All you need do is double-click the file name and it opens, asks you if you want to extract, offers to set up a folder to extract to, and brings up an installer when you close the autoextractor window.  Since you are using Vista you need to execute the file using Administrator privilege.

The problem is that I am trying to reinstall vista and so am unable to run the exe files I need the driver files themselves, not an installer and an embedded driver.

After re-reading your original post, it appears I missed the part in which you stated that Vista Setup was complaining about the lack of a driver for the DVD/CD drive.  This is a bit unusual as these drivers are supposed to be contained on the Vista installation DVD.

I have read that Vista occasionally  mis-identifies the controller used in a given computer.  There is one thing you can try to see if that is indeed the problem.  The Drivers page for the 1720 lists this file for the SATA controller:  Intel Matrix Storage Manager - Notebooks.  The file is an autoextracting zip file as I noted previously.  To get to the basic files, double click the file name and allow the auto-extractor to decompress the files.  By default, driver files are sent to C:\Dell\Drivers\Rxxxxx, where the Rxxxxx is the file name used for the file by Dell, but this can usually be changed.  When the auto-extractor window pops up you should notice a button having one or two periods in it.  Clicking that block allows you to select an alternate folder as the destination for the files.  Set up a folder in advance and direct the auto-extractor to place the files there.  After you close the auto-extractor window you may see an installer window; if you do, click the cancel button to close the installer.  There should be no danger as your alternate machine most likely does not have the hardware to support the 1720 SATA driver.

Once you have the extracted files, copy the folder that contains them to the root directory of a USB memory stick.  Insert the memory stick into a USB port on the computer you are restoring and boot the Vista DVD.  When you see the F6 prompt, press F6, indicate you wish to load a third party mass storage driver, and direct the loader to the folder on the USB memory stick that contains the extracted files.

Please note that this driver is only the pre-installation driver for the SATA controller.  You still need to install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Application after you have Vista up and running.