Coming back to factory settings after windows 8 cd install ,new alienware.

Hi guys,

I have recently bought new alirnware m17x 24 gb 128ssd with 750 hard drive. I thought that some tests in 3 mark were low(3d markcwas simpmy not using gtx card) and i wanted to restore system. It turned out that i was an idiot and by tchecking some tests wich went out that everything was fine from the beggining i reinstalled windows 8 from scratch. I would like to get back to factory settings but i simply cant and tried numerous ways.

1.F8 doesnt work for me while boot.

2.Before i reinstalled windows i made usb boot recovery by alienrespawn but when i progress with it at 3% i got message error 0x4001100200001005 contact dell support

I had it with option to restore only c: partition , when i tried to restore all and erase date i had a message even before start that i need for it 697 GB disc size . I got 128 SSD and 750 GB.

3. When i go to www.alienrespawn.com site and make a check if i can use it still i got an error that AlienRespawn cannot be installed because your hard drive does not have a backup copy of your factory image. But when i still download it and go to recovery option it finds factory image on my local disk from before purchasing but when i confirm it and the computer is restarting to use it all i get is that same window if i would hold shift buttom while using restart/shut down options. When i also tried using factory image in there ti look on the pc it didint find anything.

Tried to contact dell support on phone but i cant get to them today.

If i got that reinstallation of windows by myself and install all the drivers will there be any particular change vs that factory settings? I know i wont be able to ever use alienrespawn wich sucks but there is probably more things. I still believe they should fix it though.

As i said it looks like i still got it in recovery partition but it just dont want to install and i still got usb bootable disc with factory settings that have those error on installation.

Basically there is only one reason that makes ne angry with that. In that PC check disc scan i got 20 GB now unscanned space that doesnt go either to used or unsued space,wich could block somehwere
In the air while i was maming those windsos reinstallation.

Despite that (i assume its not normal and 20 GB from 128 GB locked somehwere is pretty much ) are there any other reasons from factory settings? I can install windows by my own and install all the drivers , alien command center autopsy etc. I guess that Logo in boot for 2 seconds that exist i can also switch somehow if i read about it more. And even can use some other backup as i wont be able to use alienrespawn i guess after i surrender here. Is there any sense to fight with it ? Do i miss anything from those factory settings ? (of course that 20 GB is preety big matter)

Thx

 

Time to give up on that and start over.

See if this link will work for you: Backup and Recovery Media Request Form (For US and CA Only) | Dell US Support

Edit: Ooops. I see you are in the UK, so that link will not work. Since you reinstalled Windows from scratch, I am going to assume you already have installation media and product key.

You're going to need to wipe out the drive contents, including deleting the recovery partition, and start over with a clean install to unallocated disk space. The installation you have now seems pretty messed up based on what you have posted. It sounds like you cloned to SSD from the original HDD and this is not the best approach. AlienRespawn will not allow recovery to a partition smaller than the original. It is not designed or intended for hardware migration. It does a good job of restoring the factory OS with the original drive.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...es-sata-iii-ssd-upgrade-raid0-discussion.html

If you no longer have installation media, but you do have your product key, download the OS using another PC and save it as an ISO, then create DVD or USB installation media. If you did not save your Windows product key you are going to need to contact Dell Support to obtain the media or go buy a retail copy of Windows.

 

I got widnows 8cd with product key given with alienware system so no need to dowoad
It right?
EDIt: now i read about windows 8.1 ,but isint it the same if i update it after instalation? See your idea jow to download but kind of worried to mess it again. Are there any cons of updating it later afer i go through clean insall using original win 8 cd from dell?

So basically what i understand :

I will have to read now how to make clean installation for windows 8. This will delete all partitions on sdd 128 gb disc including recovery one and it will create new partitions iincluding recovery for new system installed. Then i will install all drivers ,apps such as autopsy and allien command and i will have it like factory settings by "created by me" with no unscanned and unlocated space on disk too.

All i lose comparing to original factory settings will be alien respawn option but i can just download it and make a backup for the system i will install,or even do it by doffrent program

Everything rest will be same? Even possible that boot logo wich is not
Imporstnt but would be fine to make it like original.

Ah and one more question as i am just waiting for your anwser to progress with it and still unsure of one more thing. In that clean installation i have to delete all partition on ssd right? I remember i had like 4 of thise with recovery and two smaller,all will have to be deletef untill there is one with 128 gb left ?

Thx in advance

EDIT : ok i read that there were problems
With updating so yeah will do like you said with fresh 8.1.
Can you or anyone else just please anwser for the previous post questions, i am still stuck with taking those steps

 

Go ahead and use your Windows 8 disk from Alienware, delete all of the partitions and do a clean install. Windows 8.1 upgrades often turn out a lot better than Windows 7 to 8 upgrades do. So, just update through the store if that is more convenient to you.

Or, go ahead and download the ISO and make a new 8.1 installer as noted above. Either way should be fine... whichever you feel more comfortable with. Windows 8.1 is just a fancy name for Windows 8 Service Pack 1. They spun it as a new OS and fibbed a lit bit to create marketing hype.

You will lose your recovery partition, but you really don't need it anyway. It's a waste of drive space more than anything. Use a disk imaging program and create an image of your new OS installation on an external storage medium.

 

Ok great thx will do that

It will mean i got everything same as on factory settings without only alien respawn right? Of course after i install drviers and that alien autopsy and command center.

I got also at the moment that boot logo with inscription alienware with alienware icon when laptop is booting. I remember there was a partition created with like 5 mb. Could it be thats is taking that from there?
I mean if i make a clean install and delete wverything will that boot logo change to windows microsoft one or will stay like it is? If so is it easy to change back?

 

The boot logo is part of the BIOS, not the operating system or anything resident on the hard drive. If you have Secure Boot disabled (recommended) you will see the large cool-looking alien head during POST before Windows begins to load. If you have Secure Boot enabled it will be the small Alienware name logo.

 

Even though i have that Secure boot disabled i got that alienware name logo not alien head during boot.

I read your posts a little bit more and have one more important guestions and cant proceed without it so Please if you are online let me know what to do

Its about Boot Setup in Bios. I should have UEFI or Legacy mode with secure mode off ? Not sure if its important before windows installation and i guess it could be .

I got set UEFI boot mode with Secure Boot off now . (load legacy option ROM is disabled too from what i see) You wrote about secure boot off too and its set here as off but with UEFi .

From what i see also legacy is the older version and when i installed windows previously here twice or so there were no problems during installation at all so i am guessing UEFI is fine here as i never changed anything here since unpacking it.

In advanced Options in BIOS i have SATA Operation -> AHCI I read you suggest to change those settings into Raid but from what i see it could be complicated and i am worried i will only mess more with it. Unless all it require is to change those Sata Operation option in bios to Raid and then after windows is installed , downloading that RST driver (application) not sure whats and just follow that step as in windows7 with that Rapid0 or so.

I also have that Rapid Storage driver installed i checked , saw that in some posts too.

Can i go with installation like it is now? Will it be ok ?

 

I recommend setting the BIOS to RAID, not AHCI. AHCI offers nothing that is not already included with the BIOS set to RAID. RAID includes AHCI mode, but it gives you the flexibility to set up RAID0 in Windows later or set up caching using an mSATA SSD if you want to. If you use AHCI those extra options are not available. There is nothing complicated about it and the Windows installation process is the same. You should not need RST F6 drivers unless you put two drives in a RAID0 membership before installing Windows.

I prefer what is shown in the screen photos below, but either one will work.

 

Thank you very much i just wanted to make last test before that installation and here what i found. AS for RAID i read what is that and that it could gain an edge for games but honestly i wont ever play any game on this one , its just for a lot of work mostly with small apps and internet browsing . I also dont think i wille ver combine sth with mcache as i dont even know what that is and if at some point i will need to change ssd to bigger one or so i could do that at that point i guess.

When i changed into Legacy mode now the Alienhead came back but it didint start up , there was a message to check cavble connection , PXE-MOF Exiting Intel PXE Rom No boot device found.

Once i came back to UEFI i still got alienhead logo but i noticed its running way to much and there was windows logo after it too so i came back to BIOS and saw there was no Fast boot option possible as Legacy Option Rom was enabled. I disabled it and it all came back to normal with very quick boot but with alienware inscription not alienhead logo. So even though secure boot is disabled it was on Legacy option Rom to either have this alienhead logo or not.

I know its minor thing but i would prefer to have that alienhead even for that sec or two wich is preety cool but :

Is there any way to leave it as UEFI and still get that alienhead logo ? it only came in package for me with much longer boot and windows logo after it

P.S Sadly I will have to go with windoiws 8 cd install too and then update to 8.1 as i dont have anywhere CD key in my product (no on CD or paper with it and nothing on the bottom of the laptop) , only CD without it and i didint have to write it once i was making installation. Kind of strange but because of this i cant download 8.1 and have to go with CD

Mr fox? Anyone ?

Can anyone please suggest also any program to create system backup after installation similar to alienrespawn as this one wont work?

 

In regards the alienhead logo its only available on legacy boot. UEFI boot uses the alienware logo unfortunately.

You cannot change the boot mode after you've installed a OS, it will refuse to boot properly. You have to reinstall usually to change the boot mode.

If your OS is working, just make a system image clone if you want, might be the least hassle in the long run. Alienrespawn is also useful too.

I use Easus backup tool its free, just rememebr to remove it after you've made the image.

 

I am after win 8 installation used Uefi and ahci at the end. I deleted all partitions , everthing was top top untill i made step 6 with drivers and wanted to install Intel HD Graphics. As far as i remember its 4600.

I am getting message that my system does not meet minimial requirements. Why is that I dont want to test installing nvidia drivers as i read that intel hd must be first but i cant proceed with it. I checked with latest drivers from dell suport site as well as from CD resource . None of those work and i get this message in both situations. Tried download both zip and exe files and also from intel site.

Some people wrote that bios need to be restarted , but i dont want to turn off battery and make a mess over there. I just bough this laptop its 1 month old and cant believe i am having this from 5 days and still only thing i do is fighting with it .

(Fn+f7 makes only volume down here.) And on intel site when i wanted to try drivers from there i got
Product Detected Primary Graphics Card Microsoft
Current Driver Installed 6.2.9200.16384
This device is unknown or unsupported. Please contact the manufacturer for possible updates


Do you have any idea why is that and how to fix it ? Would it be possible to send it to dell to get back factory settings too ? How much would it cost if so


PROBLEM SOLVED !

For others that might have same problem , you have to download alienware on screen application. Once done you should be able to swtich graphics by fn+f5. I was not able to do that before and once its done system will reboot and you will be able to instal Hd graphics.


Thx for all the help guys now i am back to the settings i had with factory one ( perfectly messed it up )

I dont have any unscanned space anymore also. Did not know windows is taking a huge 30 GB from the space on the disc.

Is that program EASUS as good as alienrespawn one ? Just thinking if its not better to pay that 30 pounds and update it to premium not to have such problems same in future. EDIT: Actually will buy it and make a backup using alienrespawn.

Mr.Fox - I also understand thats its not worth to mess anymore with that boot logo as it wont be possible to get alienhead one instead of alienware logo due to UEFI mode. that alienhead works only with Legacy mode or with ROM enabled. Can you just verify that please

This is what i got when windows boot .



Thx for private message too , i saw it too late and cant anwser yet because pm are disabled.