Question about restore partition on e1505

Hi, i just received my new e1505 couple days ago, its performance is real good. i have a couple of question. i just read the sticky refomatting guide, it said the restore partition will no longer work if i reinstalling operating system, is this correct? the reason i wonder is because on the my old NEC lappy, the restore procedure still works even after reformatting as long as the restore partition is unchanged.

The other question is that, if i burn the restore partition on a DVD, am i be able to use it later even after reformatting? If this is correct, it sounds like a contradition to the first question. please help me out with an answer. thanks

 

technically you're right, you should be able to use the restore partition.
i think they mean that if you format (which would obviously mean delete all partitions) then you can't do it.
so the answer to both is yes
however, those restore partitions still come with the regular junk, don't they?
i actually make my own images
i format, get everything working right (driver wise) and don't actually install any programs, as they just get updated.
i just make an image, and i'm done.
that way, i can restore an image in 10 mins, with all drivers, and just install a few progs, and i'm good to go, and bloatware free

 

Smart,

I was very careful about re-installing Win XP pro over my media center edition operating system. I did not touch the hidden partitions, only formatted the C: partition during the install. Unfortunately the formatting guide is correct. While it is still possible to recover the image (according to the guide), I haven't tried it yet. My problem seemed to be the fact that the comp no longer recognized ctrl-f11. It didn't really affect me however as I was planning to get rid of that bloatware anyway.

In hindsight, I should have done what syxbit did prior to touching the computer. That way I could have gone back to the original config no matter what I did.

G'luck,

Inc

 

What software do you use to create your image ?

 

thx for the reply. so the conclusion is that even i just reinstalling the operating system on C: drive, and i don't do anything to the hidden restore drive. I still won't be able to use the hidden restore procedure, correct?

by the way, syxbit

did you use norton ghost to make the image?
If i make an image, and then creat one more partition and put that image on the other partition, does it still works?

 

Correct, at least in my case.

Inc

 

And as to why....

When you reinstall Windows one of the 'not-so-nice' things it does is overwrite the MBR boot code. Dell computer's are delivered with 'special' boot code. One of the things the Dell code does is check for the Ctrl +F11 key at boot.

The following is just conjecture....

One additional 'thing' lost when the Dell code is overwritten is the MediaDirect functionality. The MediaDirect software is still on the hard drive in the host-protected area [HPA], but the code needed to 'unlock' the HPA is 'gone'. The fix to this MediaDirect 'problem' is to run the MediaDirect Repair utility. Among other things, the repair will rewrite the Dell code to the MBR. it is possible the MediaDirect repair will also 'fix' the Ctrl + F11 problem...

That said the computer must otherwise be just as delivered by Dell [i.e. with the Dell Utility and Dell Restore partitions in-place and 'unmolested']. If not and depending on exactly what you've done... 'strange' and sometimes 'bad' things can happen .

End Speculation....

fwiw

Mark

 

This is why I didnt reinstall my OS... but instead just cleaned out all the ****ware Dell installs on their machines. I know that eventually Ill upgrade to a new machine... and want to sell it... and its nice to know I can just do the boot key sequence to wipe the drive and return it to its virgin condition.