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59349
March 6th, 2012 16:00
Inspiron 1525 - 'Repair my computer' not showing in F8 Menu, and Disk Drive broken.
Hi, i really need some help with my dell inspiron 1525, it runs on Vista. I've had the laptop for a while, and recently whenever i turn it on, it just reboots and reaches the blue screen before shutting down, and restarting again doing exactly the same thing so it gets stuck in a cycle of this. So i decided the best thing to do was to restore the entire laptop ( I am not bothered about loosing anything at all that is on it) Also, my disk drive is broken, meaning i cannot restore my laptop from any disks and cannot access the internet from it. I also was not supplied with a vista disk as it came pre-installed on my laptop. However, i have an external cd drive and i was wondering can i use this to put the restore disks into and restore my laptop that way? How can i get my laptop back to factory image?!?!
Please please please help if you know of anything that may be useful!!!
Thank you!
Philip_Yip
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March 6th, 2012 22:00
If you can read your COA with your 25 digit product key, you can use a retail Windows Vista .iso to make a bootable USB stick and phone activation. See my wiki Microsoft Downloads to create a bootable USB stick with a Windows Vista .iso. Next follow my other wiki A Clean Install of Windows for full reinstall instructions.
If you cannot read your COA which sadly happens alot on laptops (I have posted an Idea on IdeaStorm to prevent this here). Then you will need to install without a product key. You should take a picture of your damaged COA and attempt to activate via phone. Speak to a Microsoft Support Agent for product activation (see here for details). Since you are in the UK the 2 numbers should be 0800 018 8354 and 0870 241 1963, one is automated and the other is direct I think.
There should also be a factory image. Power down your system, tap F8 repeatedly until the advanced boot options display, then there should be "repair your computer", then the Factory Image see here.
As you are having the BSOD then you should also run the diagnostics, power down your system, hold F12, run the diagnostics and any extended test.
SSJJHH99
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March 8th, 2012 08:00
Thanks for your help. I looked at your thread on trying to fix my computer via USB stick, but will this work if i cannot physically do anything with my laptop but turn it on, i cannot log into it or anything, it doesn't even get to the log in screen before it turns off and reboots. I do have my CoA sticker underneath the laptop still. And considering i have the Drivers DVD, but cannot use it because my disk drive doesn't work!!
Philip_Yip
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16.1K Posts
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March 8th, 2012 15:00
Yes it should work providing there is no additional hardware fault. It may be best to run the onboard diagnostics before proceeding. Power down your system, hold F12 while powering up and run the diagnostics.
My method takes you through the install via the BIOs. It does not need to access Windows to do the install. You will need to use another computer to download the drivers and .iso in preparation. Also your driver disc is made redundant if you follow my wiki and obtain the latest drivers from the Dell website.
You do get to this screen okay?
SSJJHH99
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March 27th, 2012 12:00
Yes i got to this screen and have got all the .iso downloads. Do I need every driver on the dell page specific to my laptop?
Philip_Yip
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March 27th, 2012 13:00
I just checked the download link it seems to be the same. You install it and then you have to run the program from the start menu.
SSJJHH99
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March 27th, 2012 13:00
Ok I have now downloaded it, will it definately work for windows vista? What do I do now I have downloaded it?
Philip_Yip
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16.1K Posts
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March 27th, 2012 13:00
You need
• R259999.exe Dell System Software (System Utilities)
• R166187.exe Intel (Chipset)
• R166188.exe Ricoh (Chipset)
• R180254.exe Intel (Video) + Any other Video drivers the components were optional
• R150152.exe, R147130.exe Conexant (Communications) + Any other Communications are optional and probably don't apply unless you got the mobile broadband.
• R167854.exe Ethernet (Network) and whatever wireless card you have.
• R218148.exe (Audio)
• R286709.exe Touchpad (Input)
• R165116.exe Webcam (Input)
• R140135.exe Bluetooth (Network) if you have bluetooth.
• R180762.exe Dell Quickset (Application)
• Dell Support Centre
• R230103.exe Dell Webcam Software
SSJJHH99
5 Posts
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March 27th, 2012 13:00
I went ahead and downloaded all the driver downloads anyway. However, The Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool you described seems to of been updated and changed and therefore I cannot follow it step by step. Could you please help?
Philip_Yip
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16.1K Posts
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March 27th, 2012 14:00
Have you got the files for Windows Vista?
X14-63452.exe
boot.wim
install.wim
Have you made the .iso from these using imgburn as I wrote here.
You must download the .exe, the boot.wim and the install.wim in the same place. Run the .exe file and it will extract all the files into a folder called Vista. Windows installer will now start (cancel the installer).
To create a bootable .iso extract the files to the Vista folder and download Imgburn. Launch imgburn and select "Create Image file from files/folders"
Select the browse folder button and select your Vista folder. Next select Advanced.
To the left will be your Vista folder, to the right make sure, you have checked Make Image Bootable, changed the Developer ID: Microsoft Corporation, load segment: 07C0 and Sectors to load: 4.
Select the browse folder button and then navigate to your Vista folder and then select the boot folder and finally select the file called etfsboot.
Select the build button.
Save your .iso
Select yes when the prompt for the Volume Label comes up and then select ok. Finally wait for it to make the .iso file.