Here's what I wanted to work on but haven't found the time yet.  I need to study the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) more.  I know sysprep has to be run on the target before imaging and haven't tried it yet.  Maybe your post will resurect the idea and see if anyone has done this with success.

  

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=vista&message.id=62435#M62435

 

Okay, you have your Vista system all set up, updates and service pack done, drivers updated, must-have software installed and tweaked, your favorite songs and videos added.  You got your Anti-Virus registered and updated, you got your SlingBox working and your Roxio registered.  You've uninstalled the bloatware you want to uninstall.

About a solid day's worth of setting up is behind you....you've probably rebooted a dozen times.

 

You haven't even gone on the internet except for driver updates and sites you know (think) are safe, so you probably are virus free.

 

You even cut an Acronis True Image image just to be safe.

 

Now you go to D:\tools and capture your C: Operating System partition using Imagex, creating a new .wim image file.  Then, you can, using the GUI of the Dell Factory Image Restore Utility, restore your system to YOUR as-tweaked condition (you can also save the original factory.wim file somewhere else in case you want to remount that another day).

 

Anybody try it?

 

Tom
XPS 420, Q6600, 4GB, 500x2, Radeon HD2600XT, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate SP1
XPS 420, Q6700, 4GB, 750GB x 2 (RAID 0), GeForce 8800 GT, Xcellerator, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate SP1
XPS M1330, 2.2GHz, 4GB, 200GB (7200), SP1
XPS M1330, 2.0GHz, 4GB, 320GB, Vista Ultimate SP1 & XP Pro SP3

The following information is for Vista PC's only 

 

Here is the old AIK if you are using Vista with no sp1

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=C7D4BC6D-15F3-4284-9123-679830D629F2&displaylang=en

 

 

Here is the new one for Vista sp1

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en

 

" By using Windows AIK, you can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, and create Windows PE images. "

 

 

These are ISO files that you can download, then burn the ISO to DVD as an image. Then install AIK from the DVD

http://blog.neilmonday.com/2007/04/how-to-burn-isos-directly-in-windows.html

Yea, I've used them and tried capturing some images but integrating into an automated recovery process will take a little more time on my part.  :smileywink:

 

 

Tom
XPS 420, Q6600, 4GB, 500x2, Radeon HD2600XT, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate SP1
XPS 420, Q6700, 4GB, 750GB x 2 (RAID 0), GeForce 8800 GT, Xcellerator, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate 64-bit SP1
XPS M1330, 2.2GHz, 4GB, 200GB (7200), SP1
XPS M1330, 2.0GHz, 4GB, 320GB, Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1 & XP Pro SP3

So when you press F11 apon boot you can restore it back to its defaults. 

Hi Tom

If you have Vista CTRL + F11 does not work , for Vista you press F8 to get to the

Factory restore option just after the Dell logo goes away .

CTRL + F11 is for XP computers only .

Good Luck  

Nice catch Jerry, thanks!

So if i am reading this correct using the Vista AIK and the  ISOrecorder program, One can make a complete image of your drive and if the drive crashes you can use this to load on a new drive?

Is this a better option then using a backup image like in Acronis or simular?

Thanks for clearing that up. I currently do not have a factory image as my orginal hd died a horrible death and I had to reinstall on a new drive so I guess I will just rely on my Arconis full back up to have as a standby

---

@Davet50 wrote:

So if i am reading this correct using the Vista AIK and the  ISOrecorder program, One can make a complete image of your drive and if the drive crashes you can use this to load on a new drive?

Is this a better option then using a backup image like in Acronis or simular?

---

 

No not quite, the iso program is to burn the AIK iso image to dvd, so you can install AIK on the Vista PC to capture an image of your tweaked Vista installation. Once you have the new "wim" file created by AIK, you can replace the factory Dell wim file with the new one, I suggest backing up the factory Dell wim file before replacing it.

 

 

Better than Acronis, not in my opinion. I was just answering the original question if one could replace the Dell factory restore image on the hard drive with a customized one.

 

Yes one could use AIK to make backup images in case of a hard drive crash, installing the backup image from another source than the Dell restore partition is a whole different subject.

 

 

FYI, this info is for Vista PC's only.

 

I wasn't sure whether Nakoma was referring to Vista (F8) or XP (F11).  Obviously I was talking about Vista.  Dells with XP use Norton Ghost and F11 to recover (some of them anyway).  I wasn't really implying this idea was better; just thought it would be cool to have such a recovery option when away on a trip, etc.  At least one would be able to use the computer again.  No question that frequent backups are essential.  Acronis is amazing at that....to a point.

The WAIK is a very powerful tool.  I've used parts of it, particularly the Preinstallation Environment for crash recovery.  I've also used the PE to recover the automated Recovery Console that Dell uses......

My next project is.....you get the point; I like to tinker.

 

Tom
XPS 420, Q6600, 4GB, 500x2, Radeon HD2600XT, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate SP1
XPS 420, Q6700, 4GB, 750GB x 2 (RAID 0), GeForce 8800 GT, Xcellerator, Bluetooth, eSATA, Ultimate 64-bit SP1
XPS M1330, 2.2GHz, 4GB, 200GB (7200), SP1
XPS M1330, 2.0GHz, 4GB, 320GB, Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1 & XP Pro SP3

Ideally we would like to do this for both windows xp (F8 to restore) and vista machines (F11 to restore)

 

Let me be more specific, we can create the image as i'm fairly comfortable with sysprep. Also the new vista WAIK, i havn't used but sounds pretty similar in how it works. So creating the actual image to use isn't the bit i'm unsure of. 

 

What i wanted to know was how can you see the hidden partition (what tool), and what type of image file does it have to be to replace the factory default one?

The partition is hidden in XP, and usually not in Vista.

 

You would have to use a special tool to unhide the XP partition.

Lots of good reading about this type of restore partition, and a tool to unhide the XP restore partition. Not for newbies.

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

 

The image file used in XP is made by Symantec Ghost on most of them, not sure how to make a replacement for that.

 

 

To replace the "wim" file on the Vista restore partition is just a matter of backing up the old one, then copy paste the new one.