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zombieeters
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June 27th, 2011 22:00
Restoring Windows 7 to its cleanest state??
Hi All
I've just got myself a new Dell XPS L502X laptop. Once I had unpacked it all I noticed that there was no Windows 7 x64 Operating System Disc included. After I had read the manual, I have discovered that there is program called "Dell Data Safe Local Backup" which advises to make a OS recovery disc and I have also noticed there is also something that is called "Dell Factory Image Restore".
I'm someone who likes to do a clean install of Windows every 9-10 months to get it running like new again. Which of these 2 options, the Dell Data Safe Local Backup or the Factory image Restore will get the laptop back to its cleanest state??
I've also notice that the Dell Factory Image Restore doesn't seem to ask me to make some sort of restore disc so how does it actually work, is there a partition on the Hard Drive with all the OS Files???:emotion-42:
This is my forth Dell laptop and this is the first time I never gotten a Windows OS disc in the box.:emotion-6:
Any advice welcome.
zombieeters
57 Posts
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Posted June 28th, 2011 11:00
Can anyone please help me out and explain to me the best way to do a clean install of Windows 7 x64 Home Premium using the software tools that I mentioned in my opening post?
As with all other systems these days, you make your own recovery discs.
There is a system image on hidden partition of HDD.
I shrank C: then made an additional partition for backup data.
After several software installs my reliability monitor score took a hit so I decided to test out the OEM system image on HDD. Using Dell utility while in win 7, I was able to restore windows 7 as it was fresh out of the box except that C: was smaller(which I wanted) and my extra partition was untouched.
When I received my laptop I made backup images on DVDs and on USB HDD just in case.
Philip_Yip
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Posted January 8th, 2012 23:00
With Windows 7 and Windows Vista you may use retail .isos with your Windows Product Key to perform a clean install. Thus everything you need can be downloaded, however you need to input the key on your Windows 7 COA (base of your system) and activate via phone. I have documented the install procedure in depth in my two wikies below.
1. A Clean Install of Microsoft Windows
2. Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office Downloads and Recommended software
I have also made several suggestions on Dell Ideastorm to improve the procedure such as Dell providing Dell Reinstallation Windows .iso downloads, to make a better quality Windows 7 OEM COA and to bring all software for the system together on the drivers and downloads page. The links to these Ideas are in the wikies, I would appreciate it if you voted on them.
jt_runner
3 Posts
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Posted January 8th, 2012 17:00
Zobbieeters: Same here -- was curious to see if you ever received any tech response to this. This is my sixth Dell laptop since 2004 and the first time it arrived without an OS disc. The Factory Image is loaded up with extra software, most of which have auto update features running in the background, not to mention an incredible number of startup items in sys config. I have an old Windows 7-64 disc that I plan to use when I get home to do a clean install...would have been nice to know they'd changed their approach to their shipped products, this was a real strength of Dell laptops.