Microsoft 7 System Restore to Factory Settings without Disc?

RoadrunnerNBiggs

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Hi All,

I am trying to restore my old Dell laptop back to factory settings, but I do not have the disc. Is there a way to do this without the disc?

**It's on a Windows 7 OS
 
go to control panel> backup and restore and click 'create a system image' on the left panel and then follow the instructions. When you have made your sysem image, turn off your computer and boot off the device that contains the image.

Note: you may need a storage device to make the image (e.g: usb flash drive, dvd, external hdd, sd card).
 
Will that reset the PC to factory settings? I pretty much want EVERYTHING on my PC to be the way it was when I first purchased it and turned it on the first time


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You can get a legit Win7 ISO from here:
[Legal Download: Windows 7 with SP1, 13 languages

Just get the x64 version of whatever one matches your key on the bottom of your laptop (Home Premium, Pro, etc.).

I'm glad more and more people are providing/sharing links to downloadable OS discs. Back in the day (i'm sure that you would agree carnageX) it was often frowned upon to try and find an install disc even though you had a valid key.

Thanks for posting this.

To the OP, you may also search for a torrent "Dell OEM Windows 7". I did this a couple of times due to misplaced restore discs and have had 0 problems with the valid keys that I bought.

You can then either burn it to a disc, or use Microsoft's USB tool to put it on a flash drive: Microsoft Store

You ever have difficulties using this utility carnageX? I've had to bang my head against a wall of couple of times prior to getting past a couple of issues using it in the past.
 
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One thing I'm surprised nobody mentioned, There MAY be a partition for windows on your HD if it's the HD it came with, Computers don't come with a recovery disk any longer, They have a hidden partition with the windows recovery on it. What is the model of your laptop, It way be a hold F10 or F12 for recovery but different companies set them up different some times.

Just did a little searching for you and came up with this.

press F8 after the BIOS POSTs but before the Windows boot-up logo appears. F8 is being handled by the Windows bootstraps, and not the BIOS. What you're trying to get to, re: "Advanced Options", is actually part of the Windows bootloader. You know how on XP/etc. you used to press F8 and then go into Safe Mode? Yes, this is the exact same menuing system/etc..
 
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One thing I'm surprised nobody mentioned, There MAY be a partition for windows on your HD if it's the HD it came with, Computers don't come with a recovery disk any longer, They have a hidden partition with the windows recovery on it. What is the model of your laptop, It way be a hold F10 or F12 for recovery but different companies set them up different some times.

I agree, Dell and HP are notorious for recovery partitions.

However, I must disagree with you a little. Computers still, most certainly, come with recovery discs. I've purchased many new Dell laptops recently and they had one recovery disc in every box. If you buy an OptiPlex right now, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that you will have a disc (if not 2) in the box. They also have the recovery partitions (HP especially).
 
It is my opinion that Dell/HP and just about every other OEM only provides a recovery option program to create recovery disks from blank dvd's that you provide
 
I agree, Dell and HP are notorious for recovery partitions.

However, I must disagree with you a little. Computers still, most certainly, come with recovery discs. I've purchased many new Dell laptops recently and they had one recovery disc in every box. If you buy an OptiPlex right now, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that you will have a disc (if not 2) in the box. They also have the recovery partitions (HP especially).
Most home computers make you create your own recovery discs - been this while for quite some time as well.

I'm glad more and more people are providing/sharing links to downloadable OS discs. Back in the day (i'm sure that you would agree carnageX) it was often frowned upon to try and find an install disc even though you had a valid key.

Thanks for posting this.
Was definitely difficult sometimes in finding a good source for them. Win7 was/is easy to find fortunately; unfortunately XP, Vista, and Win8 are all fairly difficult to find non-torrent links for.

To the OP, you may also search for a torrent "Dell OEM Windows 7". I did this a couple of times due to misplaced restore discs and have had 0 problems with the valid keys that I bought.
Usually we frown upon torrents (still); unless its legal content. The Windows disc torrents are still kind of a gray area (I think they're alright, but others may not). That's why I provide the link to the Digital River links, which are a direct Microsoft software distributor.

You ever have difficulties using this utility carnageX? I've had to bang my head against a wall of couple of times prior to getting past a couple of issues using it in the past.
The several times I've used it I've never had an issue. Make sure you use a good quality flash drive, and not a slow/cheapo one.

One thing I'm surprised nobody mentioned, There MAY be a partition for windows on your HD if it's the HD it came with, Computers don't come with a recovery disk any longer, They have a hidden partition with the windows recovery on it. What is the model of your laptop, It way be a hold F10 or F12 for recovery but different companies set them up different some times.

Yeah, forgot about that, lol. Good call.
 
The several times I've used it I've never had an issue. Make sure you use a good quality flash drive, and not a slow/cheapo one.

The errors I got were usually with the software and was able to work around it (using the same USB stick and Google) ... LOL.

Usually we frown upon torrents (still); unless its legal content. The Windows disc torrents are still kind of a gray area (I think they're alright, but others may not). That's why I provide the link to the Digital River links, which are a direct Microsoft software distributor.

Yea, I know. I was a SMOD as well many moons ago. Torrents are legal while the actual download and/or file is the downloaders responsibility. Sometimes I just find it easier to torrent search for a OEM disc rather than fish through a OEM site for it.
 
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