[SOLVED] System Restore NOT Working on Studio 1737 Vista Home Premium 32-bit

Rick,

Just found that I have the same problem.

Studio 1737, Vista Home Premium 64-bit. Have all the latest updates from Dell and MS, including SP2.

I just downloaded Paragon Drive Backup and was making a rescue disk on a USB when it was done I clicked finish with the USB still in and I got a blue screen (Ironically). I do have lots of previous backups.

I'll make another post about this.

At first re-boot Vista was very slow. So I rebooted again and it was much faster, but not like before. After some checks I thought I would use Restore. Got the same screen you did. Tried a couple of earlier restore points with no luck. Started looking at the restore files and it was set at default 68GB. Seemed large so I put it down to 35GB. It that a reasonable size? Or still too much?

I used restore right after I recieved the laptop when one of the MS updates crashed it, worked fine then. Tried some of the things mentioned here before I found this post and then have done the other suggestions up to making the VLite Vista Slipstream disk. Nothing else is working so will try this now. This will be my first VLite Slipstream disk attempt. I have previously been researching it so have some info on it, wasn't planning on doing it now !

Just to confirm the System Repair, as the name implies, leaves all non-vista files intact ?

Thanks for the info and walk through.

Dave

Dave,

When I did the Vista Repair, yes everything was still intact. All my files and folders were there and most programs were ok, except a few. I had to re-install those few programs, get Windows Updates, again.

I could NOT get vLite to Slipstream SP2(I have SP1 on my Vista 32-bit disk). So after I repaired Vista using the instructions, provided in the verified answer, I got Microsoft Updates and then when it asked for SP2 download, I cancelled, since I downloaded it to a DVD earlier. I then tried system restore after a couple of days and it is working, again.

Let me know if you have any problems and if you get it working.

Rick

Rick,

Hope you can give me a little help with this repair disk.

Had a few learning curve issues but finally worked them out and got the VLite ran and the disk made.

Couldn't get the Wndrvrbckup Backup Utilities to work, it would copy to a location but the folders were empty. Tried several different times, doing things a little differently but didn't work. Finally got the drivers copied and slipstreamed in with DriverMax. Just now figured out that I have to run Wndrvrbckup as administrator, should have known that. 

Put in the DVD with Vista up and running. When I got to the 'Now you click on Upgrade' step, it's grayed out and says below on the window that the upgrade option is not available. Only option is clean install. The disk that came with my computer is the 'Dell Reinstallation DVD Windows Vista Home Premium 64Bit SP1'. I copied it to my desktop and added it to VLite from there. Didn't ask for the product key, as it shouldn't. In VLite it also said that it was only making a copy of Vista Premium. That's VLite's purpose to make the repair disk volume smaller and the only Vista version on my Dell reinstallation disk, but is that why it didn't let me select 'upgrade'?

Any ideas on why I didn't get the upgrade option?

VLite wouldn't accept SP2, as you mentioned but that’s easy enough to do later. Once I became familiar with the program it seemed to be fairly straight forward. 

Thanks,

Dave

PS

Looks like this might be the reason:

" If you have a OEM Recovery Vista installation DVD that came preinstalled with your OEM brand computer instead, then it will most likely only be a clone of the hard drive with Vista allowing you to only do a clean install with it instead. These OEM computers often have a Recovery D:\ partition that does the same thing as the OEM Recovery Vista installation DVD."

Mine is a 'Reinstallation Disk'. Are they different disks?

What disk did you use?

"The Vista installation DVD that you use to do the repair (upgrade) install must be the same or newer version of Vista with the Windows Updates and SP level than what you currently have installed. If the DVD is a older version, then you cannot do a repair (upgrade) install with it."

Looks like I need to uninstall the SP2.

Dave,

You might not have to un=install SP2 as the repair disk might remove it and take you back to what version your DVD is. Before I slipstreamed a disk, I used the Operating Disk with XP and it took SP3 away and I was back to XP SP2.

Like I preach to many, you should ALWAYS make copies of files and folders that you cannot afford to lose.

Rick

Rick,

Thanks for the reply.

I always do my backups, and make double copies of 'important' files. Sound advice.

I figured out how to get Wndrvrbckup  to work, just had to open it as administrator.

With SP2 installed the 'upgrade' option was disabled. I uninstalled SP2 and then 'upgrade' was enabled. 

It's "Upgrading Windows" as I type.

Will let you know the progress.

Dave

PS

Had previously found the site Robin Bredin referred to, some good info there.

Hello,

The upgrade installed without incident. 2hrs 27 min.

Did all the windows updates. Reloaded a couple Dell drivers. Everything is working fine. Will try the system restore after the SP2 is loaded.

Got the " Error message when you try to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2: "One or more system components that the service pack requires are missing" when I tried to install the SP2. One of the reasons mentioned is "However, a common reason for this problem is that the vLite software was used to customize the Windows Vista installation and some required system components were removed." 

The MS resolution is "To resolve this problem, use genuine Microsoft software media to reinstall Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 and then install Windows Vista SP2."

 Rick, did you have this issue when you loaded SP2? 

Did you find a way around it?

Hope you can help with this.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave,

I downloaded the full package and installed SP2. I have a few computers, so I downloaded the Vista SP2 DVD image from Microsoft and burned the image to a disk and installed SP2 that way.

Remember to restart your computer before trying to install SP2 in case there were some files that needed updating before you start.

Rick

Rick,

Your using Vista 32bit, right.

I am using Vista 64bit.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave,

I have Vista Home Premium 32-bit. The DVD image has both versions of Vista SP2 on it, so it's easier to install on a couple of computers, even if the SP2 download is larger. It will also come in handy if you ever need to do a clean installation if and when the hard drive fails.

Rick

Hello Rick,

Just wanted to update you on my progress.

I did manage to get the Vista repair (upgrade mode) done with VLite and it was running just fine, but when I tried to install SP2 I got the error message mentioned above. The only way I could find to resolve it was to do another Vista repair (upgrade mode) with my Dell re-installation disk. Still had the same error when tring to install SP2. 

I put this issue in a new post along with the solution.

Ended up having to uninstall VLite and delete the VLite registry HKey before the SP2 would install.

Do you know if this will work after using the VLite installation? So the re-repair with the Dell disk might not have been neccessary.

Just wondering if this is possible so I might use it again. 

Will have to wait a day or two to try system restore to see if it is working again.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave,

I just wondered if it's just a Vista 64-bit issue. I didn't un-install vLite on my Vista 32-bit system and everything went fine.

On 64-bit systems, I noticed there are two ways to install programs. A 64-bit programs folder and a regular(32-bit) Programs folder. Wonder which folder you installed vLite into.

I waited about a week or so to try system restore. I installed the Microsoft Updates, then at one point restarted my computer. I then tried system restore and too it back to a before the Windows Updates. When it said it was sucessful, I then left everything alone and I had to get the Windows Update that I took out of the machine because of using system restore. I have tried this one later time and everything seems fine, now.

Post back after a little period of time and let me know if system restore works. It's a slow process but you have to be patient when you don't use system restore everyday.

Rick

Rick,

It was in the 32bit program folder. 

I uninstalled VLite and SP2 would not install. Only after I deleted the registry key would it install.

My plan is to wait a week before trying system restore. After figuring out VLite, running repair install twice, all the attemps at installing SP2 and searching for the solution, I need a break.

Learned alot during this process, just wish it would have went a little smoother....

Dave

Dave,

I just wished that Microsoft and vLite(Vista) worked as easy as Microsoft and nLite(XP). I located an article on How to How to Integrate and Slipstream SP1 Into Windows Vista RTM. It's a little over my head, so I will stick with the way we made the disks. Just wish there was an easier way.

Rick

Dave,

Just checking back on your progress. I was wondering if you tried System Restore yet to see if it was working. It's been about 2 weeks.

Rick

Rick,

This all started because the laptop boot time started getting longer and longer. After the repair it was (1 min 20sec) better but still not what it was when I got it (about 45 sec). At the worst point it was over 2 min. Having said that it wasn't that long ago when I would start the old computer and go get coffee and b'fast , it was usually done when I got back. Going with the current standards today it is more than double what it should be. Decided to restore one of my backups, now its about 1 min. Been about a week since the backup, so think I will either try an earlier backup or go for the clean install. I do want to check the different backup restores (old style backup and the image backups) and Installation disk repair to see how well each work and compare them, which is why I have been doing the various methods. Always just used a clean installation before. 

Went to system configuration and  in selection startup only ran 'Load system services' and it was 49 sec. By running the different startup items it seems Dell Dock was very slow to start and windows sidebar a bit slow. Deleted and reloaded them and while better it's still just under a minute. These two startups were being used since I set up the laptop when I got it, so not sure why they're causing the slowdown now.

The thing that bothers me is my desktop with vista premium 32bit, which has been running great since Sept 08 when I got it, boots faster than the vista premium 64bit laptop. When I got the laptop it booted about 10 sec faster than the desktop. 

Anyway, to answer your question, I'll check the system restore tomorrow or before I do the next backup restore or clean install.

The laptop was running so good and fast I requested the 64bit DVD from Dell and so I could put the 64bit on the desktop, now I'm not sure I want to as the desktop has been running so fast and been very stable. Too bad I can't do a dual boot with vista 32/64. Can always reload my 32bit image if the 64bit doesn't perform.

Have you had any issues with your system restore?

Dave