Inspiron 1525 - factory image restore problems (need help!)

• Verify the modem or network cable is detached from the computer.

•  

• Start the computer.

•  

• When the Dell splash screen appears during startup, press + and release them at the same time
•   Note:           Press the key combination only once. If you press them more than once, a keyboard error occurs. Restart the computer and repeat the steps above.

• 1. Click Accept when the Symantec|Dell Recovery Environment End User License Agreement screen appears. The Symantec Recovery Disk window appears displaying two options:
     
     
     • Recover My Computer - Restores your computer to a backup point:
       
       1. Click Recover My Computer.
          
       2. When the Select Recovery Point window appears, click to select the recovery point from which you want to restore, and click Recover My Computer.
          
       3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the recovery process.
          
     • Recover My Computer to Original Dell Configuration - Restore your computer to its original Dell configuration:
       
       
       1. Click Recover My Computer to Original Dell Configuration. The Recover My Computer Wizard window appears.
          
  2. Click Yes and press .
     
  3. Click Yes when the Recover My Computer Wizard dialog box appears, and press .

• The Ghost32 window appears, and the restore process begins, which takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes to complete. When complete, the computer restarts.

   

   

Hi,

thank you for your answer but I already tryed that way but without success...

No entry of F8 menu and of "Repair your computer" menu let me access the restore factory image feature!

I read somewhere on Dell support that this feature could be not enabled for specific countries and/or specific system, and I suppose this is my case (Italy - Inspiron 1525)... unfortunately!!

Bye..

Hi all,

it didn't work.... I was carefull to press Ctrl + F11 only once and release them at the same time... but never happened.

Is there another way to access the factory image recovery feature?

Thanks :-(

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

I am having the exact same issues as Orlando1.  I really hope someone can post a solution here soon.

Is there another way to access the factory image recovery feature?

Unfortunately not - no :emotion-6:

I think I have it figured out. 

When I would hit CTRL+F11 I would get a screen with the "how should I start Windows screen" (Safe Mode, etc).  The last time I got this screen, I started in safe mode, then shut down properly.  When I powered it back up, I hit CTRL+F11 when the Dell logo appeared and it worked.  It's restoring my system as I write this.

I hope this helps.

orlando1

Assume your Inspiron 1525 was supplied with Windows Vista preinstalled?

You don’t mention what the original BSOD error message is?

Have you tried Recovery Environment using Windows Vista® DVD procedure Dell Support

Just some notes regarding Dell OEM preinstalled Windows & Factory Image Restore

Windows XP – it’s the Ctrl + F11 key function to boot to DSR factory image

Windows Vista – it’s the F8 key function to boot to ImageX format factory image

Vista (ImageX format) factory restore is not available on some computers purchased through an Express Upgrade promotion or a computer upgraded from XP version to Windows Vista

I am having the exact same issues as Orlando & David!!  Don't get any restore/repair options with F11 or CTRL+F11.

>> You don’t mention what the original BSOD error message is?

what is the error you are talking about?

>> Have you tried Recovery Environment using Windows Vista® DVD procedure Dell Support

Yes I tried, but Windows Vista starts booting from DVD but crashes in the same way (blue screen appears)

I tried this way to reinstall Vista at all... but I can't because it crashes! So using that DVD I cannot either recover factory image or reinstall Windows.

>> Windows Vista – it’s the F8 key function to boot to ImageX format factory image

Pressing F8, I'm redirecting to a screen with several option (Safe Mode, Safe Mode with command prompt, Safe Mode with network, Enable boot log, and so on) but nothing about system factory image restore restore

>> Vista (ImageX format) factory restore is not available on some computers purchased through an Express Upgrade promotion or a computer upgraded from XP version to Windows Vista

I bought my Inspiron without using any upgrade promotion and no upgrade from XP

A question: if I format C: and then boot from Vista DVD shipped with my laptop, do you think I'll be able to reinstall Windows? or do you think, I'll always get the same blue screen? I'm asking this because up to now, trying to boot from DVD, I get the same blue screen.

Thanks

Quotes in your original post

“…(I always receive that bad blue screen while starting)..”

Sounds like you are referring to a typical blue screen of death (BSOD) error?

BSOD errors can disable read/write from NTFS volumes causing the type of problems you describe

“ Item 4…I tried to boot…Windows starts loading…”

If Windows starts loading then it will definitely revert to BSOD error

This will happen only if your system didn’t boot from CD-ROM drive containing original OEM Windows Vista OS DVD

Did you follow procedures in the link I provided Dell Support ??

You didn’t explain how you selected boot from CD-ROM drive, so I’ll just need to guess what went wrong!!

Switch on computer

Open the CD-ROM drive & Insert Driver & Utilities CD/DVD, close CD-ROM drive door

Press computer power off button then restart computer

Press key during the boot process

If key menu does NOT provide an option to boot from CD-ROM drive then you will need to shutdown & restart computer & do the following:

Press key during boot process to enter System SetUp (some refer to BIOS Settings)

Navigate to Boot Sequence & move CD-ROM drive up the list to position 1

Save settings on exit

Computer will reboot to CD-ROM drive

At the prompt to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD, press the key

If you are too slow to press the key, Windows will start loading again – not good

Follow on screen instructions & select Hardware Diagnostics Express test option, should only take between 9 & 10 minutes

If you get All tests Passed message, then problem is unlikely to be hardware related & it also proves your CD-ROM drive is working

Open the CD-ROM drive & remove Driver & Utilities CD/DVD

Leave the CD-ROM drive open & press computer power off button

Insert original OEM Windows Vista OS DVD into CD-ROM drive & close the drive door

Restart computer 

Computer will reboot to CD-ROM drive

At the prompt to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD, press the key

If you are too slow to press the key, Windows will start loading again –  not good again

Follow the on screen instructions, but read very carefully Dell Support Step 7 & 8

You want recovery rather than repair

If Recovery is successful, follow the on screen instructions & remove DVD

If you used System SetUp, then reset Boot Sequence settings during next boot, otherwise computer will try to boot from CD-ROM drive

Reply if you need further clarification

The error I receive is the BSOD error; now I haven't the laptop with me but I will provide the error code as soon as possible.

I know that if I booted from CD-DVD, I should NOT receive the BSOD screen.. but, even if it's strange, it's exactly what's happening.

I select the boot from CD-DVD exactly as you suggest; infact I'm able to boot from CD a live version of UBUNTU by which I realized the recovery partition with image file is there... don't worry about the booting process, I'm not so newbie! :-))

Said that, the CD-ROM drive works properly; I also pressed F12 while booting and then Diagnostic: I was showed with a GUI named system diagnostic or something like that and I performed the main tests regarding memory, hard drive, cd-dvd drive and everything is ok. I run also the test regarding BSOD errors  and everything is ok.

I tried to follow the istructions reported in your Dell Support link but with no success because:

  - booting from CD fails as said above

  - pressing F8 during startup does NOT show me any entry related to System Recovery Environment.

  - pressing F12 and then Diagnostic does NOT show me any entry related to System Recovery Environment (only test procedures).

My idea, but I'm not having so much time to test, is:

  - install Windows Automated Installation kit (WAIK) on a working laptop

  - install Winbuilder and Vista PE on the working laptop

  - run Winbuilder starting from files in WAIK installation directory, in order to have a Windows Preinstallation Environment as a bootable iso image to burn on a cd

  - boot the bad laptop using the cd I just created

  - if everything will work file, I will be able (I HOPE!!) to access the D: partition and run this command:

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

(the D: partition contains the \dell\image\factory.wim file and the \Tools\imagex.exe file)

Thanks for you support.... and if anyone has other ideas, s/he is welcome!!

   Orlando

Well unless I’m missing something?

Checking Dell OEM supplied bootable media  :emotion-55:

Do you have a Driver & Utilities CD/DVD – if you do – did you boot from it, as suggested?

If you do & it works but Vista DVD doesn’t boot then only one thing left to eliminate – a damaged DVD – unusual but does happen???

Can you borrow an OEM Vista Home Edition DVD or test your DVD on another computer??

Finally

I know you can see the factory image partition is still present

Forget about accessing original factory image until you can resolve unbootable Vista DVD & thereby gain access to Vista Recovery Environment

In absence of the BSOD error code/message?

If it is 0x0000c1F5 – as questioned by fgslaw, then read this thread, it includes one possible fix for BSOD error code 0x0000c1F5 – but unfortunately with no feedback if it works? 

 Also this from MS KB article 946084

Is it the 0x0000c1F5 bug?