Is there some way I can use the extra partiion on my hdd to restore my machine?

[ArtReid]

I have a 750Gb HDD with a 40Gb partition on it. When I look at it I can see
there are several folders on it including one called RECOVERY. Is there a
way to use that partition/folder to recover my machine should the need
arise?

 

[Jeff Layman]

I have a 750Gb HDD with a 40Gb partition on it. When I look at it I can see
there are several folders on it including one called RECOVERY. Is there a
way to use that partition/folder to recover my machine should the need
arise?

That partition is the "default" installation your computer manufacturer
provides for you to get back to a working condition if your PC crashes
fatally (assuming that the hard disk with the recovery partition hasn't
failed completely. In that case, you are back to replacing the hard
disk and using the disk image you made recently. You /did/ make an
image recently, didn't you?...). Look upon it as the OS plus any
programs provided with the computer when you purchased it. Think of it
as a single file which runs to get you back to stage 1. It may take
quite some time, but eventually you will be back to the point when you
first turned the machine on after you purchased it.

 

[ArtReid]

How exactly to I initiate that process?

 

[LouB]

How exactly to I initiate that process?

RTFM?

 

[Paul]

RTFM?

I think Art has "Optiplex 780", for which a user
manual of any value is not shown on the Dell site.
So it's hard to say what the manual that came in
the box includes, in the way of instructions. I couldn't
find a manual that addressed the burning of recovery media.

It's possible a dialog will appear in Windows,
providing instructions for what to do. But that's
just a guess on my part. And there should be two
different burning sessions - one Dell inspired,
and one Microsoft inspired. So being told to burn
discs the once, isn't enough. There should be
on the order of three DVD discs (or more) for Dell,
and one CD for Microsoft (recovery console boot disc).

Paul

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I think Art has "Optiplex 780", for which a user
manual of any value is not shown on the Dell site.
So it's hard to say what the manual that came in
the box includes, in the way of instructions. I couldn't
find a manual that addressed the burning of recovery media.

That's because the Dell Optiplex line of computers are Dell's business
line and come with media rather than requiring you to burn your own.
That said, I've never used the recovery partition on one (we wipe the
drive and replace with a custom image that does not contain the
recovery partition). I found the following on Dell's website, seems
like it should apply:
http://support.dell.com/support/top...t?c=us&docid=125843&doclang=en&l=en&s=gen&cs=

 

[Jeff Layman]

That's because the Dell Optiplex line of computers are Dell's business
line and come with media rather than requiring you to burn your own.
That said, I've never used the recovery partition on one (we wipe the
drive and replace with a custom image that does not contain the
recovery partition). I found the following on Dell's website, seems
like it should apply:
http://support.dell.com/support/top...t?c=us&docid=125843&doclang=en&l=en&s=gen&cs=

Yes - very similar to my HP laptop. Pressing ESC during boot allows
several options, one of which is pressing F11 to access recovery.

 

[Steve Hayes]

How exactly to I initiate that process?

Which process?

 

[Jeff Layman]

How exactly to I initiate that process?

See Zaphod Beeblebrox's reply and my reply to that.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

How exactly to I initiate that process?

During bootup (when it's all text, before anything graphical appears -
usually, though can depend on the graphics card, some of which do start
with a graphical splash screen), there should be - briefly, watch for
it! - a message "press Del" (or Esc, or one of the F keys) "to" (and
what follows that varies too). The very first such may be instructions
on how to get into the BIOS; in some cases what you have to do comes
just after that, in other cases it _is_ that, and you get a further
menu, one of which is get into the BIOS, another is do the recovery.

Investigate these: you can usually back out of them without changing
anything (though be careful).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"I hate the guys that criticize the enterprise of other guys whose enterprise
has made them rise above the guys who criticize!" (W9BRD, former editor of
"How's DX?" column in "QST")

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

During bootup (when it's all text, before anything graphical
appears - usually, though can depend on the graphics card, some of
which do start with a graphical splash screen), there should be -
briefly, watch for it! - a message "press Del" (or Esc, or one of
the F keys) "to" (and what follows that varies too). The very first
such may be instructions on how to get into the BIOS; in some cases
what you have to do comes just after that, in other cases it _is_
that, and you get a further menu, one of which is get into the BIOS,
another is do the recovery.

Investigate these: you can usually back out of them without changing
anything (though be careful).

Although that would be helpful if the OP was asking how to get into
the BIOS, that's not at all what the OP wanted to do...

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Although that would be helpful if the OP was asking how to get into
the BIOS, that's not at all what the OP wanted to do...

Actually, J. P. Gilliver's post addresses exactly what the OP wants.

He wants to know what to do with the recovery partition, and in any
computer I've seen that has one, the instructions for getting there are
on the same screen as the instructions for entering the BIOS setup. And
that's what John said.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Actually, J. P. Gilliver's post addresses exactly what the OP wants.

He wants to know what to do with the recovery partition, and in any
computer I've seen that has one, the instructions for getting there
are
on the same screen as the instructions for entering the BIOS setup.
And
that's what John said.

Interesting, although that may be the case with some computers, it
isn't how it works on that particular model of Dell (or any other
model in the Optiplex line as far as I know).

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Interesting, although that may be the case with some computers, it
isn't how it works on that particular model of Dell (or any other
model in the Optiplex line as far as I know).

Yeah, why be standard?

As I thought further, I think my older computer has a different
approach. One key (Del, IIRC) gets me to the BIOS and another (F8?) to a
screen where I can make other choices, such as recovery.

This one is home built, so there's no recovery partition.