how do i format my pc like i just got it from the store

Now, i don't want to remove windows, I forgot what i had to do to format the pc...i was suppose to hold like F8 or something while booting my lappy up. Um, yeah any advice !. Im trying to get this when i first bought this @[email protected] remove the whole OS and such....xD.
its like tap f8 while booting up right?

 

You should have recovery disks that came with your laptop / you made when you got it

Then you just put the recovery disk in your drive, reboot, and follow the instructions to restore your laptop the the condition it was in when you got it.

Hope this helps

 

I remember my dad formatted the computer brand new without disks....he just typed some f button and formatted....

 

Maybe he had a recovery partition, as I have heard it can be used in place of the recovery disk to restore the pc

Check if you have a recovery partition on your hard drive using disk management

 

If you have "administrator privilege"it's as simple as clicking "Acer eRecovery" or to press "alt" and "F10" which brings you to the same place.
P.S. Unless I'm wrong,you can't format the PC without deleting Windows...maybe if you have 2 partitions(C and D) then you can format just the D partition but I think if you format the C partition,Windows goes out with it that's why you need,or the Windows CD or the hidden partition that comes with using eRecovery.

 

Ask your Dad. I'll bet he knows. Or you could always RTFM.

Here, let me do that for you.

Q) I want to restore my computer to its original settings without recovery CDs.


A) This recovery process helps you restore the C: drive with the original software content that is installed when you purchase your notebook. Follow the steps below to rebuild your C: drive. (Your C: drive will be reformatted and all data will be erased.) It is important to back up all data files before using this option.

Before performing a restore operation, please check the BIOS settings.
1 Check to see if Acer disk-to-disk recovery is enabled or not.
2 Make sure the D2D Recovery setting in Main is Enabled.
3 Exit the BIOS utility and save changes. The system will reboot.

Note: To activate the BIOS utility, press F2 during POST.

To start the recovery process:
1 Restart the system.
2 While the Acer logo is showing, press Alt+F10 at the same time to enter the recovery process.
3 Refer to the onscreen instructions to perform system recovery.

Important! This feature occupies 10 GB in a hidden partition on your hard disk.

 

And...if you do all this and you get the message that...only those with "administrator privilege" can use the eRecovery feature then...what you do?...if you're log in as "administrator" ???

 

Did you RTFM?

 

This has nothing to do with the in-Windows eRecovery software.
Press Alt-F10 when your system is booting up, before Windows, to initiate the process.
Unless you cucked something something up, that should send your C: drive back to factory default, keeping your D: drive safe.

Make sure your data is fully backed up, just in case!

 

Yes I did...that little pamphlet with about 12 pages.There's no mention as to what to do when you're log in as "administrator" and they don't give you the permission to use the eRecovery feature.
P.S. If you press "ALT" and "F10",you win-up straight at the the eRecovery box.Unless I'm wrong,there's no such thing as Windows eRecovery."eRecovery" is an Acer thing.There's Windows "recovery console" though which is a totally different thing.

 

Did you press alt+f10 at the Acer screen during boot up? Before windows starts loading?

 

Thanks dude that was the answer i was searching for...i was about to ask my dad hes coming back in about 10 minutes but since you told me how....now its all a walk in the park. do i spam f10,hold it or press it once while booting up and what screen do i push it in....once it starts?

 

What I meant, Lesl, is the Windows version of eRecovery. There are, as you can tell, two versions: one you access from Windows and one you access BEFORE Windows boots up, by hitting Alt+F10 at the BIOS screen.

Actually, hit F2 when your system boots up to enter the BIOS setup and make sure that D2D Recovery is Enabled. (D2D=Disk to Disk, of course).

And let this be a lesson to you: you should've burned the recovery DVDs when you first got your system like it prompted you to!

@Awake: Dude, you posted right before me! Almost didn't see your reply.
Not sure, as I've already disabled my recovery partition (have my own backups). Try it all three ways - spamming, good timing, and holding. What's the worst thing that can happen? Your computer beeps at you?

When the recovery system comes up, you should be able to follow the easy prompts to get your system back to factory default. Again, make sure your personal data is stashed away safely just in case things go kaputtinsky.

 

oh whats that little icon sayoing i need to make a backp image of the computer @[email protected] sure my dad did that once we got this lappy...

 

OK, now you've lost me.
Time to call Acer Support! :S

 

Well...thanks for the hint that there was two different eRecovery.I sure once(in fact my more than once)read the user's manual but I guess it was too long a time ago.In searching for help online,I got mislead in a post where some wrote you can hit "alt" "F10" both before or after the Acer name appear on the screen...so I thought they were both giving the same result and in my case,it was sending me to that box where I could click "eRecovery" and from there,the only thing I was getting was:"only those with administrator privilege are allowed to use eRecovery" so...I was stuck because I was log in as administrator.
This morning,I did press "ALT" "F10" very early when the Acer logo was on the screen and BANG!...I went right through the eRecovery feature.Now,everything works fine.My sound is back.My Internet wireless is back as it use to be.
Now for fun,I went back to click on "Acer eRecovery"(same as pressing "ALT" "F10" late) and instead of:"only those with administrator privilege are allowed to use eRecovery"...I got the box where they ask for a password and where they tell you the default one is 000000...all this with me never changing a thing about who I am,password or anything.

 

Good to hear you managed to fix your issue

 

I know the feeling when Recovery starts and brings all back to life the way things were when the lappie was still new. And all works again like it should .

That is why I am such a firm believer of leaving the Hidden Partion alone

Cheers,
Theo

 

AMEN!!

Sort of like a full-proof backup plan

 

Yup...that's the way it is.

It can do no harm to listen and learn.

+1 for you.

Cheers,
Theo

 

....anyways...that backup image acer keeps telling me to do...thats the backup image of My OS right? my dad already did that...but i formated this computer already once...sooo @_@. yeah xD....anyways should i reformat i have been unistalling reinstalling antiviruses...is that bad?

 

Thanks mate, much appreciated

I'm just wondering, is it possible to do a recovery using only the recovery partition, or are the recovery disks still required???

 

recovery partition + ACER boot record.

 

I made the disks when I first booted the lappie but have yet to use them.

If I want to do a restore I just push Alt+F10 at boot up and the recovery is done from the Hidden Partition. Simple and much quicker compared to using the disks.

Cheers,
Theo

 

Yeah, same
I made the disks as soon as I got my lappy.

I have yet to have to restore (thank god ) but it's good to know that I have a back-up in case of my back-up failing

Also good for people who forget to make recovery discs, because they get caught up in the excitement

 

What? The backup image Acer kept bugging you about are the recovery discs that can reset your system back to factory default if need be. They should work regardless on whether or not you formatted.

That being said, uninstalling and reinstalling antiviruses (antivirii?) is nothing to go formatting over. Your system should be fine, methinks.

 

True, as long as you made sure you un-installed it fully, and to be sure you could have just deleted all folders related to the A/V

Saves quite a bit of time

 

errr...what you mean fully uninstall the Antivirus....? I just went to control panel and add or remove programs ....are you saying I got to explore and delete the folder?

 

No, I mean once you HAVE un-installed it from add/remove programs, search MY computer to remove all traces of it (any folders left behind)
Should do the trick

 

i have similar problem to the op with my 5315 and the recovery partition which might be gone?? also i have two recovery discs which i have tried to restore the laptop with but this fails each time even though a reset to factory default succeeded with these discs in november.

now the full story.... i had installed linux on a seperate partition and it was booting up fine but when i tried to boot up windows it failed so i tried to restore using the discs i had made but this failed and also the recovery using the hidden partition seems to start up but then fails.

does anyone know where i have gone wrong or any way i can get windows vista back and i will promise to never meddle with my laptop again?

 

There may be a way but i'm not sure if anyone from NBR has tried it. Basically, on acers website there is a Vista Upgrade ISO. It was from when vista came out and people upgraded from XP. Anyhow, it may work, worth a shot if your recovery partition is screwed, and disks won't work.

I guess you would need to burn the ISO to disk and try to boot from it.

It's a fairly big ISO, 3 to 4gb, and acers download speeds can be slow at times so could take a while if you decide to do this. The link is a direct download link. There's no instructions on acers website.

ftp://ftp.work.acer-euro.com/notebook/vista_32_update/Acer Upgrade Kit 1.0.3009.iso

 

thanks it is probably worth a try at this stage as everything else has failed.

i have more info now though, when i try to use my recovery diskd i get

and when i try the Alt + F10 to reset to factory default i get this first

and the recovery thing works for a bit before showing this

and it still fails to boot up.

 

progress report....i managed to use my restore disks at last,

i had a vista re-installation disk from my dell pc and i used this to install vista home premiun and during that installation i deleted all the partitions then my recovery disks worked!

only thing now is i do not have a recovery partition but the hard drive has gained 10GB so i will have to look after the recovery disks i have in case they are needed again!

p.s. does anyone knoe if it is possible to copy these recovery disks so that i have an emergency set?