DIM9200 with Vista- what exactly is drive D? and other Restoration functions
- From: "Joe" <abc@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:07:41 GMT
I've now had my Dim 9200 for several months and I've been meaning to find out just exactly what is the extra drive partition that came with the computer: drive D identified as Recovery. I understand that Windows has Recovery functions but how do you make use of the stuff on the Recovery drive?
The manual that came with my Dim 9200 is was written before Vista- or is that irrelevant? My other 2 older Dells which came with Vista didn't come with a Recovery partion.
The manual discusses the Recovery functions. On pg. 72 it discusses "Restoring your operation system". It mentions:
* use of system Restore
* Dell PC Restore by Symantec- which I don't have, but I do have a "Reinstallation DVD"- at the top, the disc just says "operating system- already installed on your computer"
* "if you received an Operating System CD ..... you can use it to restore your operating system. However, using the OS CD deletes all data..... Use the CD only if System Restore did not resolve your OS problem.
I'm presuming that the OS DVD I have is not a full MS Vista OS disk? It's just for restoring this particular Dell? That's fine by me- but I always like to know the facts.
Now, in the tome: "Special Edition- Using MS Windows Vista", I get a bit confused with the Restore functions.
On pg 966 it says, "If you cannot start your system from the hard disk, insert your Windows Vista installation media and use it as a boot device. .......... On the following screen select Repair Your computer. The system searches for recovery options. Click Repair and Restart. In some cases, this is all you need to do to fix a problem with your system."
QUESTION: Does my "Reinstallation DVD" have this Repair Your Computer function on it? Common sense says it should but the manual said use of the OS CD will delete all data. I recall in the early days of Windows, using the floppies- and finding a "fix system" routine.
Next, the Special Edition tome says that if the above mentioned Repair Your Computer didn't fix the problem, reboot again and this time from the DVD and choose "Repair Your Computer" again and this time a menu will come up. The options include Startup Repair, System Restore, Complete PC Restore, Windows Memory Diagnostic Took, and Command Prompt. The book offers good explanations of these functions so I won't ask about them at this time.
I just noticed a "NOTE" in the Windows tome that says, "If you are using a preinstalled edition of Windows Vista, ask your hardware vendor how to access the Repair Your Computer feature. A vendor might include a special boot disc with a system or provide you with instructions on how to make a boot disc that contains the files necessary to repair your installation."
So, in conclusion- what is on that Recovery Drive D- the full OS and all the Restore and Recovery functions? How to get to them?
And, does the, "Reinstallation DVD" also contain a full OS and those functions- despite the warning in the Dell manual that use of this will delete all files?
I'd rather get a sense of this now, rather than when my system goes south.
Joe
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