Windows 7 Hard Disk Recovery

Transcription

1 In order to restore your hard drive back to the original factory settings you will need to do the following: 1) Press the start button and in the search area type Recovery 2) From the search results, launch the Recovery Control Applet by left clicking on Recovery 3) In the Recovery Control Applet dialog box select Advanced Recovery Methods Factory Reset Page 1

2 4) In the advanced recovery methods dialog Select Reinstall Windows 5) It is highly recommended that you backup your files before you proceed to restoring your operating system because the restore process will completely overwrite all of your files and you will lose everything. Follow the on-screen instructions to back up your files. Note: Only your files and data will be backed up and Not your programs. You will have to reinstall all of your programs after you finish the factory reset. Factory Reset Page 2

3 6) You will now need to click on Restart to continue the recovery Note: Your computer will now restart in the Recovery Environment that will look similar to the picture below. Factory Reset Page 3

4 7) From the system recovery options dialog box, select the language and keyboard layout from the drop-down then click next. Note that the standard keyboard and input method is US and it is fine to just let those selections stay in their respective boxes. 8) Click the Yes Button to reinstall Windows and recover your system to Factory. Factory Reset Page 4

5 The recovery process will begin and a screen will appear similar to the one pictured below. 9) Once the Windows Setup is complete which should take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour you will then go through the Windows Welcome, where you will enter your username and regional information once again. You will not have to reenter your license code for Windows. Note: If you create a backup prior to the restore, you will have the option to restore from the backup. 10) You can now start reinstalling your programs and other personalization s. Factory Reset Page 5

6 If you are not able to access Windows in the case where Windows fails to start you can repair your computer from the advanced boot options. The Advanced Boot Options menu lets you start Windows in Advanced Troubleshooting Modes. You can access the menu by turning on your computer and pressing the F8 key before Windows starts. Accessing the Advanced Boot Options menu allows access to the Repair Your Computer option. By selecting the repair your computer you ll be able to reach the System Recovery Options menu to access the recovery options. To access the advanced boot options perform the following tasks: 1 Turn on the computer. 2. Press the F8 key before Windows starts Note: If Windows starts, you did not press F8 within the appropriate time allowed simply shutdown the computer and start again. 3. From the System Recovery Options dialog box, select a language and keyboard layout. Factory Reset Page 6

7 4. Choose the user you created. Factory Reset Page 7

8 5. Select reinstall Windows. 6. Click the yes button to start the reinstallation of Windows using the factory restore image. Factory Reset Page 8

9 The factory reinstall will now begin and should take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. Please note the above warning as you will be required to reinstall any programs that you have installed since the computer was initially purchased. A note about Windows.old Returning Windows to original settings doesn t completely delete everything on the computer. It deletes programs, but saves user files to the Windows.old folder on the root directory of the hard disk, which can be accessed after the initial install completes. However, you should still back up your files before using this method. For example, if you have encrypted files, they might not be accessible after reinstalling Windows. If you have backed up your files and then restored them after reinstalling Windows, you can delete the Windows.old folder. Factory Reset Page 9