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Dell's Recovery Partitions



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 14th 12, 08:38 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Ben Myers[_4_]
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Posts: 479
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

I recently set up (actually reset) an Inspiron 1440 laptop with Windows 7 x64 Home Premium using the recovery partition and some of Microsoft's arcane tools. This was sort of slick, because everything including hardware drivers, Dell Dock and other bloatware were restored to the system in about 7 minutes.

Does anyone know how universal the Dell Windows 7 recovery partitions are and how extensively the driver sets are? Does Dell generate specific recovery partitions for specific models or groups of like models?

I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime... Ben Myers
  #2  
Old November 14th 12, 09:48 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
[email protected]
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Posts: 82
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers
wrote:

I recently set up (actually reset) an Inspiron 1440 laptop with Windows 7 x64 Home Premium using the recovery partition and some of Microsoft's arcane tools. This was sort of slick, because everything including hardware drivers, Dell Dock and other bloatware were restored to the system in about 7 minutes.

Does anyone know how universal the Dell Windows 7 recovery partitions are and how extensively the driver sets are? Does Dell generate specific recovery partitions for specific models or groups of like models?

I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime... Ben Myers

In the not too distant pass they were model specific. Can't speek for
current models.
  #3  
Old November 15th 12, 05:12 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
who where
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Posts: 48
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers
wrote:

I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime...


Good thinking. Several years back SWMBO's Vostro had a major lockup
and lost the plot - under warranty. The (offshore) support clown
stepped us through what he called a "recovery" process, and in the
process nuked the entire hard drive. Queried him and he said "yes,
that's the only way to recover" so we lost whatever benefit the
recovery partition may have provided. During the reinstallation
process I cursed the lack of that partition.
  #4  
Old November 15th 12, 06:16 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Ben Myers[_4_]
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Posts: 479
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

On Wednesday, November 14, 2012 11:11:31 PM UTC-5, who where wrote:
On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers

wrote:



I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime...




Good thinking. Several years back SWMBO's Vostro had a major lockup

and lost the plot - under warranty. The (offshore) support clown

stepped us through what he called a "recovery" process, and in the

process nuked the entire hard drive. Queried him and he said "yes,

that's the only way to recover" so we lost whatever benefit the

recovery partition may have provided. During the reinstallation

process I cursed the lack of that partition.


Now I'm just trying to figure out how widely I can use it. I'm gonna guess that it can be used with any Dell that has a Win 7 Home Premium sticker and with enough memory to make 64-bit worthwhile. Worst that ought to happen is that some of the drivers will need to be downloaded and installed.

I thought that it was pretty cool that it took only 7 minutes to parse-and-copy the whole WIM file from the recovery partition to the C: drive. After that, you reboot, and Win 7 contemplates its navel while installing hardware drivers, I think.

I suppose the really worst thing that could happen is that I copy with WIM file to the C: drive and get a BSOD for my efforts. If that happens, I can always revert back to my handy dandy DVD that installs any Win 7 x64 version, but requires the product key, activation and driver installation, a time-consuming process... Ben Myers
  #5  
Old November 15th 12, 06:56 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Ben Myers[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 479
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

On Thursday, November 15, 2012 12:16:46 AM UTC-5, Ben Myers wrote:
On Wednesday, November 14, 2012 11:11:31 PM UTC-5, who where wrote:

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers




wrote:








I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime...








Good thinking. Several years back SWMBO's Vostro had a major lockup




and lost the plot - under warranty. The (offshore) support clown




stepped us through what he called a "recovery" process, and in the




process nuked the entire hard drive. Queried him and he said "yes,




that's the only way to recover" so we lost whatever benefit the




recovery partition may have provided. During the reinstallation




process I cursed the lack of that partition.




Now I'm just trying to figure out how widely I can use it. I'm gonna guess that it can be used with any Dell that has a Win 7 Home Premium sticker and with enough memory to make 64-bit worthwhile. Worst that ought to happen is that some of the drivers will need to be downloaded and installed.



I thought that it was pretty cool that it took only 7 minutes to parse-and-copy the whole WIM file from the recovery partition to the C: drive. After that, you reboot, and Win 7 contemplates its navel while installing hardware drivers, I think.



I suppose the really worst thing that could happen is that I copy with WIM file to the C: drive and get a BSOD for my efforts. If that happens, I can always revert back to my handy dandy DVD that installs any Win 7 x64 version, but requires the product key, activation and driver installation, a time-consuming process... Ben Myers


I forgot to add that flash memory sticks are so inexpensive these days, sort of like Skittles or potato chips. I usually get them 5 at a time, use them for various purposes including Win7 x86 and x64 installation, giving people data backed up from a decaying hard drive, and on and on. I ordered 5 16GB sticks last week from Amazon for $9.50 apiece (free shipping), and this Sunday's Staples flyer had them for $9.95 + tax, with 32GB for $19.95. But the nearest Staples store did not have the 32GB in stock... Ben
  #6  
Old November 15th 12, 10:49 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Ellen Hall[_2_]
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Posts: 2
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, November 15, 2012 12:16:46 AM UTC-5, Ben Myers wrote:
On Wednesday, November 14, 2012 11:11:31 PM UTC-5, who where wrote:

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers




wrote:








I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an
NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime...








Good thinking. Several years back SWMBO's Vostro had a major lockup




and lost the plot - under warranty. The (offshore) support clown




stepped us through what he called a "recovery" process, and in the




process nuked the entire hard drive. Queried him and he said "yes,




that's the only way to recover" so we lost whatever benefit the




recovery partition may have provided. During the reinstallation




process I cursed the lack of that partition.




Now I'm just trying to figure out how widely I can use it. I'm gonna
guess that it can be used with any Dell that has a Win 7 Home Premium
sticker and with enough memory to make 64-bit worthwhile. Worst that
ought to happen is that some of the drivers will need to be downloaded and
installed.



I thought that it was pretty cool that it took only 7 minutes to
parse-and-copy the whole WIM file from the recovery partition to the C:
drive. After that, you reboot, and Win 7 contemplates its navel while
installing hardware drivers, I think.



I suppose the really worst thing that could happen is that I copy with WIM
file to the C: drive and get a BSOD for my efforts. If that happens, I
can always revert back to my handy dandy DVD that installs any Win 7 x64
version, but requires the product key, activation and driver installation,
a time-consuming process... Ben Myers


I forgot to add that flash memory sticks are so inexpensive these days, sort
of like Skittles or potato chips. I usually get them 5 at a time, use them
for various purposes including Win7 x86 and x64 installation, giving people
data backed up from a decaying hard drive, and on and on. I ordered 5 16GB
sticks last week from Amazon for $9.50 apiece (free shipping), and this
Sunday's Staples flyer had them for $9.95 + tax, with 32GB for $19.95. But
the nearest Staples store did not have the 32GB in stock... Ben

Ben,
How did you make the copy? Is there another way besides the clone/image
type?
Thanks, Ellen


  #7  
Old November 16th 12, 07:23 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
Ben Myers[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 479
Default Dell's Recovery Partitions

On Thursday, November 15, 2012 4:49:43 AM UTC-5, Ellen Hall wrote:
"Ben Myers" wrote in message

...

On Thursday, November 15, 2012 12:16:46 AM UTC-5, Ben Myers wrote:

On Wednesday, November 14, 2012 11:11:31 PM UTC-5, who where wrote:




On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:08 -0800 (PST), Ben Myers








wrote:
















I figured I might as well copy the rcovery partition onto an


NTFS-formatted flash stick, because it may come in handy sometime...
















Good thinking. Several years back SWMBO's Vostro had a major lockup








and lost the plot - under warranty. The (offshore) support clown








stepped us through what he called a "recovery" process, and in the








process nuked the entire hard drive. Queried him and he said "yes,








that's the only way to recover" so we lost whatever benefit the








recovery partition may have provided. During the reinstallation








process I cursed the lack of that partition.








Now I'm just trying to figure out how widely I can use it. I'm gonna


guess that it can be used with any Dell that has a Win 7 Home Premium


sticker and with enough memory to make 64-bit worthwhile. Worst that


ought to happen is that some of the drivers will need to be downloaded and


installed.








I thought that it was pretty cool that it took only 7 minutes to


parse-and-copy the whole WIM file from the recovery partition to the C:


drive. After that, you reboot, and Win 7 contemplates its navel while


installing hardware drivers, I think.








I suppose the really worst thing that could happen is that I copy with WIM


file to the C: drive and get a BSOD for my efforts. If that happens, I


can always revert back to my handy dandy DVD that installs any Win 7 x64


version, but requires the product key, activation and driver installation,


a time-consuming process... Ben Myers




I forgot to add that flash memory sticks are so inexpensive these days, sort

of like Skittles or potato chips. I usually get them 5 at a time, use them

for various purposes including Win7 x86 and x64 installation, giving people

data backed up from a decaying hard drive, and on and on. I ordered 5 16GB

sticks last week from Amazon for $9.50 apiece (free shipping), and this

Sunday's Staples flyer had them for $9.95 + tax, with 32GB for $19.95. But

the nearest Staples store did not have the 32GB in stock... Ben



Ben,

How did you make the copy? Is there another way besides the clone/image

type?

Thanks, Ellen


Ellen,

I keep HiRen's CD (Revision 15.1) around for many useful tasks. HiRen is a bootable live Windows XP with a bunch of useful tools on it.

First, I reformatted the flash stick as an NTFS, not FAT32.

Next, I booted HiRen, which allowed me to see the recovery partition drive letter. Then I selected all files in the recovery partition and copied them to the flash drive. Took maybe 30 minutes to copy it all.

What you end up with is not bootable by itself. There is some other software you need to boot the system and then use Microsoft's imagex (in the Windows Automated Installation Kit) to put the software back on the C: drive, and that's what I also used repair the Inspiron 1440, too.

Get HiRen 15.2 he

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

When Staples did not have the 32GB flash sticks in stock, I ordered them from Amazon at the same price, no sales tax, no shipping charge... Ben

.... Ben
 




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