Alienware M11X Recovery Problem...

Guys, this problem has just occured on my system and I don't know if anyone might have a solution for this...

I'm trying to do a system restore via the F8 system recovery in Windows, it has worked before when I did a restore about two weeks ago but I tried to do it again and now the system recovery states it cannot see a recovery image. Now I'm sure it exists because I can still see the two other partitions on the hard drive as well as the one holding Windows 7. Now I don't know if this was my undoing but an error appeared out of nowhere about a device no being accessible and that system restore could not function, so I foolishly wiped the windows partition and reinstalled via the disk only to realise that it was just a barebones windows 7 premium and nothing else. So I tried to run the system restore but it could not see the recovery partition anymore...

Scouring the web, I found on this forum several people like myself making this mistake and someone had written a post stating about using the WAIK and its imagex function from this - lo and behold it worked and my entire system restored itself to the factory settings - the only problem though is that if I try and do it the system recovery way - it cannot see the restore image...

Have I inadvertently deleted something to stop the system recovery seeing the original image and does anyone know how I could restore this so I dont have to use IMAGEX again as my only way to restore my M11X ???

I have ordered an 8GB usb drive and Acronis True Image 10 this week as an option but I'd like to be able to have the M11x like it was initially...

Any help or advice would be apreciated...

Since then - I have contacted Alienware Support who simply told me, you need to reinstall the entire computer using the CD and download the drives off our website, surely this cannot be the only way to resolve this...

I still don't get why they didn't put a restore kit on a USB flash to begin with...

 

Actually the restore option (on a USB flash drive) was available. Dell DataSafe Local. It is critical to use the 'Create Recovery Media' option prior to wiping and performing a clean install.

Only suggestion I can give is once the USB Flash Drive you ordered arrives, install Dell DataSafe Local and see if it can find the recovery data. If so, immediately create the recovery flash drive and then boot from the flash drive.

You may need to login to the Dell My Downloads site to access Dell DataSafe Local. Not sure - check with Support on where to access this.

If you are unable to recover using this route then you are stuck with a clean install and updating the drivers on your own - which isn't as bad as it sounds.

See my post here if you haven't already - some info there which may shed some additional light.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/6032949-post7.html

 

ive been stuck with this problem for 3 weeks now, haha yeah
basically, i kinda get it why the F8 wont work because it couldnt find the factory image

but the Recovery Partition is still there on the disk management

i've been getting a lot of different responses which still left me unsure to follow which

from acronis to uninstalling the anti virus software

so for example if someone forgot to use "create recovery media" before trying to factory restore through Dell data Safe, then he/she realizes and then "create recovery media" again this time, then hit the Factory Restore, will it work again? ( the F8 or factory restore via Dell Data Safe ), because the factory partition is there, just that the dell data safe wont read it, and always having the error upon restoring ( the xe00000 thingy )

also, clean reinstall indeed does not sounds bad as it gives up option to save more space without the apps which not all people use from the restore, but we wont get some like the Alienware Login Background, and also Alienware's original Wallpaper

 

i been trying to reformat as well and all i get is this black screen

 

I went through a similar experience myself, where I uninstalled Alien Respawn not realizing how much of a headache I was causing myself. I searched and searched and searched for a way to redownload and hours later I finally came across it, although I can't remember where.

However I ended up not needing it because I found this link below which solved my problem.

http://en.community.dell.com/support.../19325513.aspx

Just some quick notes on my experience doing this.

1. I went into disk management and reasigned my RECOVERY drive to drive D, this allowed me to Explore the drive.

2. The second thing I did was went into the Folder options and allowed Hidden Files to be seen as well unchecking the box that hides Protected Operating System Files. This will allow you to see all the hidden folders and files in your Recovery Partition. This step is explained in the link provided as well.

Now upon doing this I was not able to access the Dell/Image/Factory.wim file that is explained about. All my files had locks and when I tried to access the files in the folder an AlienRespawn warning showed up.

Upon trying to remove the locks by giving myself permission to do so, it never worked so I just pressed on with the assumption that the Factory.WIM file was there.

Eventually it all worked out. Be careful on step 13 however. I went step by step and was able to restore my machine without having Alien Respawn installed on my computer.

I have an R1.