hi Ed,

     Let me see if I understand the problem correctly. Let's call your PHYSICAL Hard Disk Drive "Disk 0" for the purpose of clarity. I don't want to get hardware and partitions mixed up. 

      SO, I presume you formatted C;\ is this correct.

• I also presume you were attempting to install Windows from retail or ISO media like a CD or a USB flash drive. Is this correct
• ALSO I'm assuming that once the bare operating system was installed you wanted to revert to the original System Restore from the Dell Data Safe Recovery Partition. Is this correct?

**AS WITH ALL MAJOR DISK MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES MAKE SURE TO HAVE A CURRENT BACKUP OF ALL FILES YOU WISH TO KEEP IN THE EVENT AN ERROR OCCURS!!"

     If you have a viable copy of windows installed on Disk 0 at Partition C:\ You can download and install the Dell Data Safe program on Windows which will look for a recovery partiton to address, adding it to advanced boot options from the F8 menu./Repair My Computer. You'll find the software available for download HERE. Make sure to pay close attention to the prompts while you install and run Dell Data Safe Local Backup for the first time. (On C:\) The D:\ recovery partition should be available shortly after the software recognizes the recovery environment....of course you'll have to let it run it's course if it has to relocate data.\

     If this information was helpful please remember to hit the YES button and if you need further assistance don't hesitate to contact

No here is what I did and why

Dell Data Safe Local Backup has given way to Dell Backup and Recovery. It is a direct replacement for the older application DDSLB.

I am in the process of restoring a different model right now. I will let you know if installation of the Dell Backup and Recovery shows up in the F8 menu from Repair Your Computer. 

If this performs the way I suspect it will, You will uninstall Dell Data Safe. DBR replaces it. I have already installed it. It updates the Preinstallation Environment (PE) and I will assess the results and get back to you. 

If there are any hangups with this process I'll request intervention from other members of the ROCKSTAR Team. Thanks for being patient.

I forgot to mention I did get the Factory.wim back

but not the restore points

thanks 

dwight

Well I am sorry to say that Dell Data Safe may be a good application but it does now work for my  

requested FIX I have discoverd that when you install Dell Data Safe it deletes your recovery partition information and it deletes your Restor Point History

So here is where I am at now I do not have Imgaex on my computer 

I have been told you can run the Factory.wim file from the DOS cmd promt

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

but with no imagex CAB on the computer this will not work
so now the question is how to install imagex and where 
I do not play with DOS much and CAB files are unknown subject 

thanks
Dwight

Dell Data Safe isn't as versatile as the newer Dell Backup and Recovery. From the Dell Downloads center download it, install it, run it. It will update the PE and and recognize it's own installation as the new current factory image. You may have lost your restore POINTS already but if you haven't this is the fix..they will be there if you'd done a straight uninstal DDSLB and installed DBR. Hope that the cure for what ails ya!

If this information was helpful please rmeember to hit the YES button and if you need further assistance don't hesitate to contact.

If you haven't already done so you will need to install Windows as you normally would (not over the recovery partition obviously.) Install the DBR from windows, run it, conduct factory restore from Advance Boot Options menu under REPAIR COMPUTER

Advance Boot Options menu under REPAIR COMPUTER

that function is not presented when I do the F8 thing

last option is Command prompt

I am trying to use the 

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

these comans are not working system boot manager 32 error

above post was edited and includes more info than you will have received via inbox alert.

Here's what I did in a similar situation not very long ago. 

I lost the F8 advanced boot option on a 5010 

If you created a recovery CD from the Dell Diagnostic Distribution Package you can use it to access the recovery (Dell DataSafe Local Backup) 

HERE IS THE WEBPAGE

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK

You can also FORCEFAIL Windows startup by hard-booting (holding power button down until it shuts down) DURING STARTUP.

When you restart Windows will default to Startup Repair....let it get to the main window.

Next IMMEDIATELY interrupt Startup Repair by hitting the cancel button as soon as it shows up on screen.

Select "Show me other options....etc) from the two links in the bottom left of the window. 

You should see Dell DataSafe Local Backup as the LAST option when you get to the menu. 

One of these options is likely to be the ticket if you still have a recovery partition intact.