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New XPS 8930-Trying to Reinstall OS, OS Restore not working
Brand new 8930, the disk got real weird and stopped booting. Boot-looped for most of a day, the Windows factory re-install failed, too. Contacted Dell support and they told me to download the OS Recovery tool.
I downloaded the tool, and had it image my 64gb USB key. After enabling the SupportAssist option and the legacy USB boot menu (and a few other things that aren't at all covered in any of the Dell documentation), it boots from the USB. Yay. Small victories, amirite?
When SupportAssist boots, it gives me 3 options: Diagnosis (no hardware issues), Backup, and Cloud Restore. Choosing the Cloud Restore option runs me through connecting the network, and all kinds of dialogues about losing my data (there was no data on it, since it was fresh), I get to the restore step, choose the gifting/recycling option, and the app goes belly-up saying "We are unable to locate any disks that could be utilized in a cloud restore"-or something close to that.
Exiting this dialogue dumps me out to the main menu with "backup" pre-selected. This stuff is useless.
I spent over an hour on the phone with support. I traded emails with support for over another hour. Support doesn't seem to be able to explain much to me.
Questions:
1- The Recovery page (when browsed with my Linux laptop) gives me some available Windows ISO files, and links to the OS Recovery installer. The same page (when browsed with a windows laptop) gives me just a link to the recovery installer and I can't download the Windows ISOs. This is important because I can't download the ISOs and moving the files between the computers is a real PITA.
2- Why are the Dell docs so inaccurate? Most of the docs I've run across for this process are basically half-written and there are huge voids where there should be steps (OS recovery page says to "download the recovery image", but then presents 4 iso files, speaks in the singular "Download the recovery image. The file could take several hours to download depending on your internet connection speed."), so do I need all 4 ISOs? Just one? Which one?
3- Step 3 on the OS Recovery page is to make the bootable disk, but then it says nothing about the ISOs. Where do they go? The Dell Recovery app formatted my USB key with 2 partitions (made the mistake of saying "partitions" to the engineer on the phone...he had no idea what I was talking about), so it mounts as and E: on my computer. is only 2gb large, and E: is labeled 'media'...but no idea what it is for.
I could keep rambling, but it's more of the same complaints. Doc after doc to reinstall my OS and none of them clear enough or complete enough for a technical person to understand-even with help on the phone. The emails that came in afterwards were a rehashing of the same stuff I heard on the phone: Put in the USB, boot PC, press F12, restore OS.
I'm happy that they are consistent, but it doesn't change the fact that none of their advice is working.
Can anyone help bring some sanity to this?
samroza
51 Posts
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August 25th, 2019 11:00
Just a note:
MCT Works to completion (unconfirmed, but it's almost finished installing which it has never done before), but I had to remove the Optane cache in order for it to happen.
I noticed that the optane disk kept increasing in partitions whenever I failed to successfully install windows. So I removed it and tried one last time. That seems to have (oddly) done it.
Vic384
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3.2K Posts
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August 24th, 2019 04:00
It seems to me that you can't do a cloud restore if you have never backed up anything to the cloud. I suggest you use Microsoft's Media Creation Tool and install a fresh version of Windows.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/15088/windows-10-create-installation-media
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 06:00
samroza
51 Posts
1
August 24th, 2019 06:00
U2CAMEB4ME
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August 24th, 2019 07:00
Welcome to the Dell Community @samroza
After running the OS Recovery tool and putting in your "Service Tag"
What options do you have at that point???
Best regards,
U2
samroza
51 Posts
1
August 24th, 2019 07:00
The OS recovery tool installs on a non-Dell laptop, and when run, it downloads 6 files, 661mb, and then formats and configures the USB disk. The formatted disk will boot my XPS, but it appears to not have a working restore function to it. It says it does, but then immediately errors out with the "could not find cloud disk" error. It doesn't appear to use the network, or even think. it just gives me the error/dialogue box, and then dumps me back to the main screen.
I am assuming that the ISO files are required to set up windows, in spite of the fact that the instructions are so incomplete. So I was able to download them overnight. I'm moving them from my Linux machine to the USB drive via a ridiculously circuitous route due to all kinds of annoyances, but when that's done, we'll see what the app does when I boot up the XPS.
Being unable to download the ISOs to my windows machine is a huge fail, Dell. 2 working computers. Only difference between them is the OS. One without windows is presented 4 ISOs, but the one with windows is presented a dialogue to install OS recovery. This has hamstrung me and led to hours of delays while dealing with slow download speeds from dell.com (probably an FTP service), and then having to use my NAS.
I'm really quite disappointed with my purchase.
U2CAMEB4ME
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August 24th, 2019 08:00
@samroza
Not sure if this will help???
Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery User’s Guide =
Perform cloud system image restore
Good luck,
U2
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 08:00
Thanks!
That confirms the other docs I've seen on the topic. The only issue is that it doesn't work the way the doc says.
I'm waiting for the ISOs to download to the key. Maybe that's the...key to all of this working. :heh:
U2CAMEB4ME
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August 24th, 2019 08:00
Sorry @samroza
I wish I had more to offer.
I will say this it sound like it is a real pain in the you know where.
Best regards,
U2
Vic384
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August 24th, 2019 09:00
I am mistaken about how OS cloud system image restore works. You can continue to try to get the Dell SupportAssist Recovery Toot to work or you could try what I suggested. It is up to you.
Also you stated that you installed the OS recovery tool on a non-Dell laptop and configured the USB disk. The Dell instructions specifically states that to create the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery USB key, one prerequisite is that the Dell OS Recovery Tool must be installed on your computer. I am not sure how this is possible if you computer will not normally boot unless this is something that should be done ahead of time and saved to be used on occasions such as this.
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 09:00
Assuming that my wireless network was not to the app's liking, I scrounged for a long ethernet cable and jiggered it all to work. That was also a failure.
Putting the ISOs on the USB was a failure.
I guess I'll ask them to send a technician, because this is just stupid.
As an Linux Industry guy, this chaps my **bleep** pretty bad...no matter whether on windows or Linux or Mac, I can use a GUI-based program to download CentOS, or Fedora, or Suse, or supply my own ROM and create a bootable key and have a fully-operating Linux machine in under 10 minutes.
Here I am, 24 hours later, dealing with Dell so my kids can get their Windows games and apps that just aren't available on Fedora.
U2CAMEB4ME
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August 24th, 2019 10:00
@samroza
If you had W10 installed on the system before then there would be no problem of installing a fresh copy.
The COA is digitally signed in the BIOS and would activate when you go online after the install.
Then most of your Dell apps can be installed from your support page.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/xps-8930-desktop/drivers
W10 install and updates would take 4-6 hours depending on internet speed???
For a clean Windows 10 install:
You can make a W10 USB flash drive installer with the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
Use a blank 8GB or 16GB flash drive.
If your Laptop/Desktop is not working then use another Windows Laptop/Desktop
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10
Here are the steps to create the W10 USB flash drive installer:
Plug in the blank USB flash drive:
CAUTION: Any content on the flash drive will be deleted.
Select Download tool now, and select Run.
If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.
On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.
Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) for Windows 10.
Select which media you want to use:
USB flash drive.
After creating the USB plug it into the Laptop/Desktop that you want to install it on.
Boot from the USB and follow the directions/instructions.
If asked to enter a product key during the installation process, select "I don't have a product key" option.
After W10 installs, you can install the drivers and available software from your Laptop/Desktop support page.
To activate W10.
WXP and WVista COA's cannot be used to activate W10.
W7 COA'S can still be used to activate W10. "xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"
W10 embedded COA's will activate automatically when you go online.
Best regards,
U2
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 10:00
Vic,
I'm sure that the Windows install media will resolve the issue, but it seems to me that I'll lose all of the support tools and whatnot that come from Dell. Also, without a product key, how will I license Windows?
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 10:00
I think you have misunderstood something.
The OS recovery tool Is just a windows app to write the USB key and make it bootable (and somehow, it was supposed to recover and/or restore/re-install windows, but it does not appear to do that in my case). So the Tool is installed on a known-good computer, and writes to a USB drive/key and makes it bootable. All good.
I have a working, bootable USB key.
It just doesn't do what it purports to do.
Anyhow, I've wasted tons of time trying to get Dell's support tools to work and they don't. I'll take a truck roll and have them replace the hard drive.
Always in the back of my mind, the words "10 minutes". That's the amount of time from ANY OS that I need to create a working OS Install disk for Fedora...
samroza
51 Posts
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August 24th, 2019 11:00
Thanks, U2. Sounds like this might work out fine. I did ask for a truck roll and disk replacement, though, so if it doesn't work out, I'll just have them replace it.
Vic, sorry for not heeding your advice from earlier. I guess I didn't understand how it would work, since this is a Dell and I have no support agreement or physical license with M$.