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    Restoring Vista from complete PC backup

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by jimbob83, Feb 9, 2012.

  1. jimbob83

    jimbob83 Notebook Evangelist

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    I've been messing with a Vista Business 32 bit installation trying to get Folding@home to work and accidentally nuked a directory. It wasn't in the recycle bin so I tried file recovery software (Recuva) but that couldn't find the lost directory either. Well, maybe it could but I had previously cleaned several gigabytes of files on this computer and it was going to take over 4 hours to do a "deep" scan. No big deal, I thought, I had just burned a complete PC backup after cleaning up and before I started messing with the system :cool: (16 DVDs that took about a half hour each :eek: ) so I'll just pop the DVDs in and recover the system.

    Not so fast! Microsoft in their infinite wisdom won't let you do anything with that complete PC backup unless you have a system recovery disk or a Vista installation disk. Now, nowhere in the backup process did Vista ask me to create a system recovery disk, and Vista does not even have a built-in way to create one so I had foolishly assumed the DVDs would be a complete, standalone recovery solution. The computer did not come with any installation disks and, of course, Microsoft wants to forget it had anything to do with Vista so you cannot download it from them anymore.

    Tried a system repair disk from Windows 7, no luck.

    Now, if you don't mind paying $9.75, you can download a recovery disk image from here and get on with your life: Vista Repair and Recovery CD Download | The NeoSmart Files

    Being the cheapskate that I am, I kept looking for a free solution. Microsoft apparently almost released a program to create Vista recovery disks (see link below) and I managed to download it. Victory is close, but not yet at hand because you'll quickly find that you still need an installation disk to create the recovery disk. Fortunately, Dell still has working links to download Vista (big thanks to Dell for continuing to support their older platforms!).

    tl;dr Here's a couple of links for anyone who needs to restore a Vista installation from a complete backup but does not have the install disk or a system restore disk:

    1. Create recovery disk: Create a Recovery Disc - Vista Forums

    2. Vista download (almost 4 gigs!) with instructions: Dell Community
     
    jimbob83, Feb 9, 2012
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  2. SemiExpert

    SemiExpert Notebook Consultant

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    I thought the Digital River downloads for Vista had been down for years. I guess not. Thanks for the link to the links.
     
    SemiExpert, Feb 9, 2012
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