Restore Disk

[Daave]

I've always had OS installation disks, so I have no experience using
restore disks. I'm just asking out of curiosity...

I believe that a restore disk brings your PC back to where it was the
day you first got it; that is, a clean install plus all the crap the OEM
decides to add to it. Do I have this right?

Are there other options with a restore disk? For example, is there a way
to repair the OS if necessary? What are the major drawbacks of restore
disks? Is there a hack to create your own installation disk if that
would be preferred? Is a hidden partition on the hard drive containing
an image of what would normally be a regular installation disk necessary
for a restore disk to work?

Thanks in advance for answering.

 

[Dave Cohen]

I've always had OS installation disks, so I have no experience using
restore disks. I'm just asking out of curiosity...

I believe that a restore disk brings your PC back to where it was the
day you first got it; that is, a clean install plus all the crap the OEM
decides to add to it. Do I have this right?

Are there other options with a restore disk? For example, is there a way
to repair the OS if necessary? What are the major drawbacks of restore
disks? Is there a hack to create your own installation disk if that
would be preferred? Is a hidden partition on the hard drive containing
an image of what would normally be a regular installation disk necessary
for a restore disk to work?

Thanks in advance for answering.

Depends on the machine. My emachine came with a restore disk that will
restore machine to purchase state. There is no hidden recovery
partition. Dell use recovery partition as does Compaq and others.
My recovery cd is an image, so I believe only a complete restore to
original purchase condition is applicable. The advantage to the
manufacturer is absence of activation hassles, lower cost and more
suitable for the non technical customer. If you've ever tried to help
out non techy friends you'll appreciate the full meaning of that
statement. I've had to make a house call to show friends how to open my
..pdf newsletter attachment. Some of them still run Acrobat 3.0,
downloading later version is just too much of a challenge!!
Dave Cohen

 

[...winston]

There are two types of OEM provided disks(restore and recovery) the former as you figured restores back to as shipped condition, the latter does not.

The availability of options(repair etc) is determined by the OEM. e.g Some restore cds use only the cd, others use the data on a hidden partition.

Hacks usually don't work on restore disks and doing so probably invalidates any existing legal agreement amongst you, the oem, and msft.

Some Oem machines, if the Windows files are copied or available on the pc, may be able to create a bootable slipstreamed cd which normally merges your o/swith later service pack updates and may or may not also provide a repair option.

.....w


: I've always had OS installation disks, so I have no experience using
: restore disks. I'm just asking out of curiosity...
:
: I believe that a restore disk brings your PC back to where it was the
: day you first got it; that is, a clean install plus all the crap the OEM
: decides to add to it. Do I have this right?
:
: Are there other options with a restore disk? For example, is there a way
: to repair the OS if necessary? What are the major drawbacks of restore
: disks? Is there a hack to create your own installation disk if that
: would be preferred? Is a hidden partition on the hard drive containing
: an image of what would normally be a regular installation disk necessary
: for a restore disk to work?
:
: Thanks in advance for answering.
:
: --
: Dave
:
:

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Are there other options with a restore disk? For example, is there a way
to repair the OS if necessary?

The BEST you will find will give you two options:

1) Restore the entire disc, which brings it back to "like new"
condition... i.e., everything you've done since you bought it will be
gone.

2) Restore the operating system... which, I assume, is similar to a
"repair" install.

Note the use of "assume".