factory restore for dell studio 1558

The recovery is in a Windows image file created by ImageX.  You can prepare a Windows PE boot CD and use ImageX to restore it.

This isn't trivial to do, as you can see:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx

i guess this is real long procedure right??

i think there is just a porblem with my MBR..

Hi Ganesh,

thanks for the valuable reply.. i will certainly work on this procedure.. it seems to be pretty lengthy .. but still i will give it a shot and try as per ur instruction in couple of days.. and will post here....i appreciate your time and help.

thanks once again.

sorry guys please ignore previous reply, it has some errors in typing

@mike1985

It's is very simple procedure,

I had the same problem and I wasted 2 whole day without sleeping.

And I had read 1000’s webpage to solve

finally I found the this forum and followed the procedure given in

[http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx#BKMK_BUILD_ANSWER]

You don’t have follow whole steps. Only you have follow the steps

1.     Download Windows AIK (it is almost 1706 MB) from “http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=696DD665-9F76-4177-A811-39C26D3B3B34&displaylang=en””

2.     Burn it by any iso burner or mount it by any image mounting software

3.     Install it

4.     And follows only the steps ( in http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx#BKMK_BUILD_ANSWER)

“To create Windows PE media”

Because we have the image in C: drive (Recovery partition)

[when you boot system by other method rather than installed OS, C drive is recovery partition and D drive is OS installed drive]

Other steps are to create image and install in multiple system

*creating Windows PE media is a little tricky, but easy*

[I had uploaded the iso image of “Windows PE media”. You can download and write in CD or DVD rather than making one]

[Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JAS0LU1R]

Boot system using the same disk and follow the steps

1.     Check C: drive is recovery partition  by going into C: and type dir

2.     if it is recovery partition(most probably, it will be),go to D: and check it, is OS partition

3.     it is OS partition(most probably, it will be), go to E:(your DVD drive)

4.     format D: drive   and

5.     type

imagex /apply c:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 d:

6.     wait until reaching 100 % (for me it took 6.32 minutes)

7.     type exit

8.     that’s it.

[I’m typing this another computer. before I finishing this message. Recovery finished]

Then i checked twice by using F8 and dell recovery tool. It worked fine.

All the best

Contact me if you have any problems

@mike1985

It's is very simple procedure,

I had the same problem and I wasted 2 whole day without sleeping.

And I had read 1000’s webpage to solve

finally I found the this forum and followed the procedure given in

[http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx#BKMK_BUILD_ANSWER]

You don’t have follow whole steps. Only you have follow the steps

1.     Download Windows AIK (it is almost 1706 MB) from “http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=696DD665-9F76-4177-A811-39C26D3B3B34&displaylang=en””

2.     Burn it by any iso burner or mount it by any image mounting software

3.     Install it

4.     And follows only the steps in

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx#BKMK_BUILD_ANSWER

“To create Windows PE media”

Because we have the image in C: drive (Recovery partition)

[when you boot system by other method rather than installed OS, C drive is recovery partition and D drive is OS installed drive]

Other steps are to create image and install in multiple system

*creating Windows PE media is a little tricky, but easy*

[I had uploaded the iso image of “Windows PE media”. You can download and write in CD or DVD rather than making one]

[Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JAS0LU1R]

Boot system using the same disk and follow the steps

1.     Check C: drive is recovery partition  by doing into C: and type dir

2.     if it is recovery partition(most probably, it will be),go to D: and check it is OS partition

3.     it is recovery partition(most probably, it will be), go to E:(your DVD drive)

4.     format D: drive   and

5.     type

imagex /apply c:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 d:

6.     wait until reaching 100 % (for me it took 6.32 minutes)

7.     type exit

8.     that’s it.

[I’m typing this another computer. before I finishing this message. Recovery finished]

Then i checked twice by using F8 and dell recovery tool. It worked fine.

All the best

Contact me if you have any problems

Ganesh

this now i think u made it really easy for me.. just a small doubt.. instead of burning cd or dvd can i boot from pen drive?? i mean just changing the boot option from cd/dvd i can just boot from pen drive? or its not a good idea???

thank u

Prepare a bootable CD with ImageX  on it -- that will restore the file.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929%28WS.10%29.aspx

@mike

it works for windows 64 bit and also windows 32 bit

my system is DELL Studio 1558 installed with 64 bit OS

i don't recommend using pen drive. because while booting by PE Disk, pen drive is treated as another HDD and drive letter is assigned to it. so it will confuse the system and you have to be careful while typing the command. otherwise you will loose your recovery partition.

I suggest to use DVD/CD

but you can try using pen drive and let me know if it works [it work, but you have change drive letter while using the command imagex]

(I  didn't tried using pendrive. I use a single DVD-RW for this type of work.)

ask any help if needed

Hi guys.

another best way to restore your system in future is

1. just recover system using factory setting

and install all software you need

or

install fresh OS, drivers and install all software you need [ I prepare this method, because I don't need all unnecessary software provide by OEM)

2. create a document, picture, video, music folder in different drive(other than OS drive which is usually C:) and link the folder in start menu (links of document, picture, video, music by right clicking and go to properties and give the link by adding root of newly created folders)

@EJN63

I followed the same procedure given in the link

and uploaded the bootable CD with imagex after I used (which is working)

so u guys can use it by downloading (so you can avoid by downloading windows AIK file which is 1706 MB and preparing the bootable CD). which is time saving and avoid errors during the preparation of bootable CD

Hi mike

yes it is a little lengthy procedure.

but I made it simple

steps you have to do is

1. just download this file (PE boot disk)

[Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JAS0LU1R]

2. burn it in CD/DVD

3. boot from burned CD/DVD

4. after booting, in command prompt just type

imagex /apply c:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 d:

5. wait 7 min

thats it. it takes 10 minutes to fix everything apart from download [file size is 200 MB. download time based on your internet speed]

note 1: I completed everything to get a PE boot disk and I uploaded the file. so you guys can finish everything in 10 min. other wise you have to download Windows AIK file (1706 MB) install and you have manually create PE boot disk along with imagex and burn it. then you have to follow the steps to recover.

just follow the steps i had given above and restore your system

All the best

ask help for any doubts

Ganesh

hi mike
did u tried the method?

Ganesh

@ murthy511

ur CD works, but I think you forgot to mention I should first go to the CD drive (eg. E:) then type this code: " imagex /apply c:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 d: "

because otherwise the command prompt was always pointing at X:\Windows\System32\ and I always got the error "imagex " wasn't recognized.

It's taking about 9 mins on my dell studio 1558 ( Core i5, 4 GB DDR3)

thanks for the help anyway.

even you make custom made image file after installing all the sofwares you need

then create a image file of your own

steps

1.boot by any means (even you can boot to OSnormally)

2. go to imagex folder

3. run

imagex /capture c:\ xx:\XX\data.wim "C Drive image"  (xx is the drive where you want to create image, XX is a folder where u want ot create image file)(here C:\ is OS installed drive, you have to check before taking image. if you boot by different method other than OS, OS intalled drive letter many vary, if you use the CD, OS installed drive letter is D:\, so you have change D:\ instead of c:\

 or what ever your drie letter)

wait until it finished

your new image is created

4. when ever u want ot reinstall

5. boot using other methods i mention in previous reply or use the CD (follow the previous reply link to download)

and

6. go to folder where imagex

and

7. run command

imagex /apply xx\XX\data.wim 1 d: (xx is the drive where you created image, XX is a folder where you created image file)(d:\ is the drive whers OS need to be installed)

NOTE 1

if you don't change the drive to retore OS image, every thing will be perfect finish

OR  if you change the drive to restore image other than you installed first (may be from factory)

you MBR won't redirect the system to boot, so you have use the CD to repair the MBR by clicking

REPAIR STARTUP OPTION

new MBR is created and system will boot

Note 2: you can create new image file in tour recovery drive and create new folder

and in imagex command

change the source folder and destination folder accordingly

here your image is well protected and hidden