More restore CD questions- Oh noooo!!!

[Whitey]

OK I have a few more questions concerning the restore CD's included in my
Dell Inspiron 530S package. There is 2 CD's that someone needs to clarify
for me. One is marked " Device Drivers Already Installed On Your Computer"
and the other is marked " Operating System Reinstallation DVD Already
Installed On Your Computer".
OK so I also understand there is also a way one can press F1 or F12 or
something during start-up to get to a restore area. If ( heaven forbid ) I
have to ever reinstall the system like factory fresh, which way is advisable
and which CD or DVD is the correct one to use? Why would I need a CD for
device drivers? Seems like if I screwed the PC up so bad the drivers were
lost it would need a total restore anyhow. Sorry for the ignorance but I
just want to be " in the know" ! Thanks in advance a lot! TJ

PS I read this forum a lot and there is some very intelligent people in
here! I learn a lot just lurking!

 

[Chuck]

The CD's allow you to "rebrick" the system if the HD has failed and been
replaced.
Some PC's also include the ability to do a backup of the current running
system.

 

[peter]

The F1 or F2 method activates a "recovery partition" that resides on your
Hard drive.
When activated it will reset the system back to a "just purchased" state.
It is advisable to back up your work to external media like CD or DVD or
even better an external HD in a case designed for
that purpose and usually connects via USB port. It is also a good idea to
image your internal HD to an external one.
In this way if something goes wrong you can restore the image and be up and
running in a very short time without
the loss of your particular settings or work. Acronis True Image is the
preferred choice for a lot of people here..but there are other
programs that do the same thing. A quick google on "imaging a HD" will turn
up a vast amount of info

The CD/DVD that came with the system are to be used if your hard drive
breaks and you need
to install a new one. Then you would run the Operating System one 1st to
reinstall the Operating system...then the
Dell driver one to install the proper Dell supplied Drivers for your
particular model.
All of this information is usually supplied in the manual.. whether it be
paper or a .pdf file on the HD.

peter

 

[Mick Murphy]

" Operating System Reinstallation DVD Already

Installed On Your Computer":

That is the DVD to reinstall Vista Operating System.

"Device Drivers Already Installed On Your Computer":
That is the Drivers for your Motherboard; Ethernet Adaptor(to get to the
Net), Graphics, USB controllors, Sound, etc.

 

[Whitey]

OK... Soooooo, If I put in the System Installation DVD would it NOT also
have the drivers too or would I have to use BOTH to get it back to factory
fresh condition? Why wouldn’t the reinstall DVD simply put EVERYTHING in its
program instead of using 2 different CD's..
I promise this is the last time I'll beat this dead horse! TJ

 

[Whitey]

Oh man I will do that! I would cry a river if I lost all my stuff and could
have prevented a disaster. Thanks Chuck, Peter, and Mick Murphy for your
patience! TJ