control f11 restore does not work

 

 

If Ctrl F11 does not bring you the restore function at the blue Dell logo screen, see if this can help.

Here are the directions on how to fix the Dell MBR so you can restore the Control-F11 at boot-up so you can restore your troubled PC to like new condition, as if you just received it new from Dell.

The following is specific to Dell but is not specific to the machine or model.

So it applies to any Dell PC, desktop or laptop.

When you use Control-F11, you are restoring a disk image, you will lose everything on your C drive, so backup your files that you created before you proceed.

You need 2 good blank floppy disks.

One is for a Windows 98 boot disk. If you do not have one, download it for free from here:

http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~huey/Downloads/boot98se.exe

Double click this file so it will create the Windows 98 boot disk on your first floppy disk.

If you already have a boot disk, then you only need one blank floppy disk.

You MUST boot to DOS. If you follow my directions you will fix your problem in just minutes, like I did.

 

Now download "Dsrfix.zip" from here: http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/files/dsrfix.zip

unzip these 4 files and copy them to the second floppy disk.

This file and instructions are provided by Dan Goodell, his very helpful site is here:

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixmbr.htm

and more info is here:

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixes.htm

 

Dan's help was the only one I found to fix my messed up new Dell Dimension's MBR (master boot record) on my disk drive. Because I had tried to repair and also reinstall Windows XP on my troubled PC, I had inadvertently changed the MBR of my PC, which stopped the Control-F11 feature from working again. I called Dell Tech Support to see if they can help me. To make a long story short, Dell could not help me at all.

 

Now lets fix your Control-F11.

Put the Windows 98 boot disk in your floppy drive (Drive A) and restart your PC, and from the Boot Menu select #2 Without CDROM support feature, as you do not need it, and you will boot up faster.

When you are at the A prompt, replace the Windows boot disk with the second floppy disk, the one you copied the four files from the Dsrfix.zip file.

1) Type:

mbrsaver /s

this will backup your existing MBR to "mbrsaver.bin" file to the floppy disk. Just a good idea in case something goes wrong and you can restore this MBR backup, by typing: mbrsaver /r mbrsaver.bin

 

2) Next type:

mbrsaver /r dellmbr.bin

This will restore your MBR sector from the dellmbr.bin copy. You will be given a choice of which of the three parts of the sector you want to restore: the boot code, the Disk ID, and/or the partition table. Do not overwrite your partition table! Normally, you should not need to overwrite your Disk ID, either. So answer 'yes', 'no', 'no' to MBRsaver's three prompts, then confirm your choices by answering 'yes' to the final prompt.

 

To make it easy and clear for you, here is what you will need to type:

boot code                       : Y

disk-id                           : N

partition table                : N

write MBR sector now  : Y

 

You will now see: MBR sector restored successfully

 

that's it my friend, you have done it.

Now remove the floppy disk, reboot your PC, and when you see the blue Dell logo at boot up, just keep the Control key pressed down and once a second tap the F11 key.

The restore page will now open up.

Congratulations, and good luck.

 

From John in Louisville, Colorado

I am a PC Consultant, and happy to help people in trouble.

I dont have a floppy drive. Any other way?