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Windows 7 - stuck trying to restore system image from USB - help wanted

  • 19-06-2013 7:00am
    #1
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭


    I'd really appreciate any help you can give with restoring a system image on my Dell laptop. I've had a few strange Windows problems over recent weeks/months, with system restore not working, task manager only partially working, and this week I'm getting warnings about not being able to connect to the event logger. When I got the laptop first, I carefully followed the instructions to make a recovery disk on a Sandisk Cruzer USB drive. When the laptop is up and running and I plug in the USB drive, I can see the files/folders.

    However, when I go into Control Panel/Recovery, and choose the 'System Image Restore', it reboots but doesn't find the USB drive. I'm a bit confused as to why it would let me/encourage me to use the USB drive as a recovery disk, if it can't actually be used.

    What can I do to restore a clean Windows image on my laptop?


Comments

  • #2
    nc6000
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,405 ✭✭✭nc6000


    You need access the BIOS at startup and change it so it tries to boot off USB before the Hard Disk.

    When you turn the laptop on it should tell you what key to press to get into the settings.


  • #3
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,285 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    Try the f12 key to access boot options


  • #4
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    IIRC the built in Dell recovery boot option is looking for an image on the HDD partition
    so it's probably not even looking for a USB key.


    or


    Press F12 to get boot options , if USB isn't listed then re-check BIOS settings


  • #5
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭RainyDay


    Thanks for all the help. The F12 boot options didn't do it, as there was no USB listed. I did the F2 for setup, and was able to change the boot sequence to put USB in front of hard drive there.

    That seemed to sort it out, and I left the restore running as I went out to work this morning. Having said that, I'm not 100% sure if it is restoring from the USB or from the recovery partition (which I didn't really know existed). Either way, I should hopefully have a nice clean Windows installation waiting for me when I get home.

    Thanks again folks.


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