Recovery Media For Dell XPS 8700

Anyone familiar with Dell Backup and Restore?

I'd like to be able to make a set of recovery DVDs so that in case, some day, I cannot boot from my
HD, I can boot from them and start a recovery procedure.

Does the Dell program create such disks?

Thanks.

On 12/11/2014 8:19 PM, wrote:
Anyone familiar with Dell Backup and Restore?

I'd like to be able to make a set of recovery DVDs so that in case, some day, I cannot boot from my
HD, I can boot from them and start a recovery procedure.

Does the Dell program create such disks?

Thanks.

If it uses Windows 7, it most likely affords you that possibility
through bundled Dell-branded software. If it's loaded with Windows 8,
chances are that they gave you no product key and that they expect you
to use the operating system's own options to refresh the system or
restore to a previous state.

--
Silver Slimer
OpenMedia Supporter
www.silverlips.ca

Silver Slimer wrote:
On 12/11/2014 8:19 PM, wrote:
Anyone familiar with Dell Backup and Restore?

I'd like to be able to make a set of recovery DVDs so that in case, some day, I cannot boot from my
HD, I can boot from them and start a recovery procedure.

Does the Dell program create such disks?

Thanks.

If it uses Windows 7, it most likely affords you that possibility
through bundled Dell-branded software. If it's loaded with Windows 8,
chances are that they gave you no product key and that they expect you
to use the operating system's own options to refresh the system or
restore to a previous state.

That's not necessarily always the case.
Dell's ship with a recovery partition and provide an option for the user
to create Recovery media to 'recover' the system to the as-shipped
condition.
- Depending upon the type of recovery media it may create media with
content identical to the hidden Recovery Partition which can be used for
restoration independent of the Recover Partition or it may create media
allowing restoration using the Recovery partition.
- Recovery media is usually 5-6 disks including a driver disk which
use of may be necessary to finalize o/s and hardware setup

The Win8 Refresh and Reset options are supplemental to the OEM provided
recovery route and usually require use of the OEM provided/user
purchased or user created Recovery media. Both Win8 methods reinstall
Windows 8 though unlike Reset the Refresh method retains user files,
Modern UI apps, and settings. Also unlike, the OEM or user created
Recovery Media the Win 8 Refresh and Reset doesn't usually require use
of the OEM/User Created driver disk.

For OEM machines, no product key is provided because it is stored on the
machine mobo (part of the contractual requirement between the OEM and
MSFT agreed upon and solicited by both parties to protect both
interests). Since OEM provided o/s is not transferrable without the
provided hardware (pc) there is no real need for a product key (since it
is stored by design on the hardware) and its 'on-board' inclusion allows
the o/s to be reinstalled without product key entry and also facilitates
activation.

If the pc was shipped with 8.0 and later upgraded to 8.1, the Recovery
media will still restore the system to as-shipped 8.0 condition. The
Windows Reset and Refresh option since it relies on use of the Recovery
Media also would restore the machine to 8.0 condtion - thus if one
upgrades to 8.1 from 8.0 it is ***imperative** that the user creates or
purchases (if not provided) that 5-6 disk Recovery media set....if not
done the user may be SOL. Note: There are cases for some OEM built
units that upgrading from 8.0 to 8.1 will render MSFT's Refresh/Reset
null and void thus another reason for the user to purchase/create those
5-6 disk Recovery media set.

There are also methods/tutorials on the internet to create updated
recovery media for restoring an OEM provided or full version retail
(e.g. MSDN, MSFT partner provided) install of 8.0 pc to 8.1 - depending
on the OEM vendor this approach can be a ymmv route (i.e. success is
usually better for the latter full version retail (since one has a
retail disk with an included/provided product key.

--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps

On Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:59:36 -0500, Paul wrote:

snip

OK, for one thing, this sounds like a GPT partitioned hard drive. There
is the old way (DOS MBR partitioned disk), but when I see the "EFI" thing
mentioned, and the excessive number of partitions, I think that's
the new GPT setup. This is only important, if you connect the drive
to an old WinXP computer and you can't see anything :-(

If the Dell BU is transferring all that stuff to a USB drive,
then the USB drive is undoubtedly bootable. Your choices from
there could look like this. Do a test boot, as it won't do anything
nasty, unless you tell it to.

When it boots, you may see this screen first.

http://www.eightforums.com/attachmen...recovery-1.jpg

Click "Next", as you're not going to do an actual install.
On the next screen, in smaller print, is an option to "Repair".
And eventually you can get to a screen like this. It's possible
the Dell has added something to this. They need some kind of
restore option from there.

http://www.eightforums.com/attachmen...ed-options.jpg

*******

If you want to image the entire disk (only the sectors with data
on them), Macrium Reflect Free can do that. (Green icon, lower
left corner)

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

Windows 7 had a system image option. Windows 8 kinda hid that.
For a while it was available as command line "wbadmin". I don't know
if any of that stuff still works or not.

wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:,F: -allCritical -quiet

The "allCritical" item, selects C: and SYSTEM RESERVED, if one exists.
I'm including lettered partitions D: and F:, for a total of four partitions
to be backed up. The output is going to partition E:, an external drive.
Booting a Win8 DVD at a later time, you could use the "System Image recovery"
option to reinstall that backup. But using Macrium is just as effective.
At least Macrium doesn't "deprecate itself".

If you have Acronis and are happy with it, that's another option
as a backup method.

With Macrium, it makes a boot disc for you, and that's how you can
do a bare metal restore if the internal hard drives breaks, and
needs to be replaced. Don't store your only backup on the
internal drive, and store the backup in a safe place.

Paul

Paul, that was a wonderful answer! Thanks so much!!