D: Recovery drive

[WildCard]

My Gateway Notebook w/Vista Home Premium, 32-bit, bought in 2008 needs a system recovery done. It has a regular C: drive and a D: Recovery drive. I see no way to access that locked D: drive. I don't think my spouse ever made recovery disks for this NB. What is my best plan of action to do a Recovery to restore the OS? I assume I have to call Gateway and purchase a Recovery disk. TIA.

[renegade600]

since you have vista, I doubt gateway will have recovery disks available. if you still have the original os installed, you still may be able to create recovery disks. go to your start and see if there is a gateway folder. It should have that option. also when you first start the computer, the very first screen may tell you to press some key to recover. for more specific info, we need the full model number.

[Murf]

D: Recovery drive It's already there. as renegade600 said when you first boot up at the bottom of the screen it will tell you which key to hit to recover usually a "F" key.

When you do a recovery it restores it back to factory and you lose everything, Documents, Pictures, and programs that were installed after purchased. So you need to back that stuff up. Programs will have to be re-installed from the original media.

Since you have a Recovery Partition you can make one on a DVD:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...n-windows.html

[WildCard]

Originally Posted by renegade600

since you have vista, I doubt gateway will have recovery disks available. if you still have the original os installed, you still may be able to create recovery disks. go to your start and see if there is a gateway folder. It should have that option. also when you first start the computer, the very first screen may tell you to press some key to recover. for more specific info, we need the full model number.

The Gateway Recovery Center does not open. Nothing happens when clicked on. There are a lot on numbers on this Gateway laptop. None says serial # or Model #.

Here are several. #9011439R. It doesn't say what it is.
Then on the back we have #TO386v1009695
And # P/N 1MAS0000075
And # GWTC 8250zsL

There is no way for me to know which is Model or Serial #'s.

Yes, there is a black screen for a second or two with F something. It goes by too fast to read.

[WildCard]

Originally Posted by Murf

D: Recovery drive It's already there. as renegade600 said when you first boot up at the bottom of the screen it will tell you which key to hit to recover usually a "F" key.

When you do a recovery it restores it back to factory and you lose everything, Documents, Pictures, and programs that were installed after purchased. So you need to back that stuff up. Programs will have to be re-installed from the original media.

Since you have a Recovery Partition you can make one on a DVD:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...n-windows.html

Thank you - I hope it works because it says D: is locked. I'm aware I will lose all personal goodies so have copied all personal stuff to a flash drive. There is a partition called D: Recovery with a lock next to it. I'll get back here to let you all know how I managed and if I managed to do a Recovery.

[renegade600]

try tapping the alt and f10 keys at startup. may have to give it several tries to get the timing right.

[WildCard]

OK, the Gateway recovery Center came up using Start/Run (recdisc) - but which one do I burn for a Recovery Disk? It's asking if I want an "ISO image" or "Application and Driver Recovery Image." I want the Image that Recovers the PC to the state it was when bought. I assume the second choice?!?!!

Added: When clicked on, no Optical choice was given. I could only make another image on C: or D: Drive. No choice of a Recovery disk. My DVD drive is E: that choice was not there.

[WildCard]

See above.

[Murf]

The way to restore Gateways is to hold down the ALT Key and repeatedly hitting f10 then it should bring you to a boot sequence screen then choose the HDD and then hold down ALT and repeatedly hit f10 again that should promt the restore feature for gateway. OOPS just read renegade600 told you that.

If the whole purpose is to have a recover disk, good action, and the PC is running OK there is an alternative.

1. Start
2. All Programs
3. Maintenance
4. Backup and Restore Center

Select Back up Computer button, you can put on a DVD

[WildCard]

Originally Posted by Murf

The way to restore Gateways is to hold down the ALT Key and repeatedly hitting f10 then it should bring you to a boot sequence screen then choose the HDD and then hold down ALT and repeatedly hit f10 again that should promt the restore feature for gateway. OOPS just read renegade600 told you that.

If the whole purpose is to have a recover disk, good action, and the PC is running OK there is an alternative.

1. Start
2. All Programs
3. Maintenance
4. Backup and Restore Center

Select Back up Computer button, you can put on a DVD

~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't want to back-up the corrupt C: drive. What would be the use? It's not running OK anymore and was cleared of trashware (annoying adware, a few cookies etc) using 4 different anti-virus/anti-adware programs. It's clean as a whistle. WindowsMail is a mess since it compressed the mail to save space. PrtSc no longer works. Snipping tool freezes.... lots of small aggravating things have accumulated. This is why I need to access the locked D: drive and make a Recovery Disk. D: drive has the original OS without corruption. But the only choice I'm given is to back-up the corrupt C: drive. No mention of making a DVD of the Recovery Drive when I open Backup and Restore. I don't even have a boot disk for this computer. Gateway no longer sells the needed disks.

I'm afraid if I try to so a System Recovery without a Recovery disk, and it fails, I don't have a disk to boot this LT.

System Restore didn't fix anything. I went back as far as I could.

[renegade600]

try going to start - all programs then find the gateway recovery center folder and click on the gateway recovery center. if the welcome to gateway recovery center appears, then click on applications and drivers external media. Click on next and it should take you to where you can create system recovery disks.

If you cannot do the above, then you will not be able to create disks and if you want to restore, you will have to do the alt f10 method and do a factory restore from there. If you are able to, then you might be able to follow the above instructions and create disks after the os has been reinstalled. That is really the only options you have for that old system.

[WildCard]

Originally Posted by renegade600

try going to start - all programs then find the gateway recovery center folder and click on the gateway recovery center. if the welcome to gateway recovery center appears, then click on applications and drivers external media. Click on next and it should take you to where you can create system recovery disks.

There is no choice there to burn a Recovery Disk of the locked uncorrupt D: Recovery drive. I can only do a massive backup of the corrupt C: Drive and all the files on it - I would be in the exact same place I am now with the same problems. I need access to the locked D: drive to burn a disk or load a Flashdrive of the uncorrupt OS but am not given that choice.

If you cannot do the above, then you will not be able to create disks and if you want to restore, you will have to do the alt f10 method and do a factory restore from there. If you are able to, then you might be able to follow the above instructions and create disks after the os has been reinstalled. That is really the only options you have for that old system.

I could probably restore the OS using that method. Would that be safe to do without a boot disk or Recovery disk if something goes wrong? I already backed up all my personal files. I know this is an old PC but as far as I can tell the hardware is functioning fine, it's the OS that's going and WindowsMail after that compression.

I did a System Recovery on an old XP years ago and it was like new - until it died a few years later of old age. Actually I don't remember what did it in. One day it just wouldn't start so I replaced it with a Vista desktop. When I tried a System Recovery on the Vista-Sp2, it never worked again. Even the tech couldn't get it to work..... I only got 18 months out of that one.

I use MozillaFireFox and can't locate the Bookmarks to save.

[WildCard]

Bad news. WindowsMail just crashed so I wont get any email until I get this LT "System Recovered" for lack of a better description. All the inbox messages vanished.

[Murf]

If you have a anti-virus program, disable it then open Windows mail and see if they come back.

Also in Windows Mail at the top right of the window you should see a Tab dropdown with 3 messages in it;

Hide Read or Ignored Messages
Hide Read Messages
Show all Messages

Is Show all messages check?