Laptop Recovery

[pob786]

Hi, I purchased a Windows 8 Laptop with a "partition" on the HDD to "Recover" the Laptop to "original as new" condition. They also provided 2 off discs to make a secondary copy using their "recovery disc programme".
Since installing Windows 8.1 (Windows update), when I "search" for the "recovery partition" on the laptop, it cannot be found!!!!!!. when I try to create new "recovery discs using manufacturers programme, it fails with errors!!!!!.
My concern being that when I do have a problem, I don't know whether the 2 off discs created will work?
Has anyone any suggestions/recommendations?............I suppose at worst I could source an "Image Backup programme" and copy the HDD complete, but is there one available where, after having created an "image", you can down load specific programmes/files as opposed to the complete image.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John

 

[theog]

The Windows 8.1 Repair tools will not use the Windows 8 Recovery Partition.

What make & model PC?

 

[popeye]

My Acer has a reset partition (recovery) which contains 8. I upgraded to 8.1 Pro but the recovery partition remains as 8. If I were to reset then I would be back at 8. I can also not make recovery media using the Acer Recovery Manager as it is set to run on 8 and I'm now on 8.1. I made an 8 recovery usb flash before I upgraded. I am now making image backups of my 8.1 Pro for disaster recovery.

I hope this makes some sense.

 

[whs]

My recommendation would be to make frequent images. The most reliable program for that is free Macrium - it is also very easy to use. Make sure you also make the recovery CD (or stick). There are 2 links in the first blue Note box of the tutorial that provide the .isos.

You can mount a Macrium image by double clicking on the image. This is in case you want to retrieve individual files. But not recommended for retrieval of programs because there is a lot more to a program installation than just the program file. If you have probelsma with a program, it should be reinstalled. Some program installers also have a repair option.

 

[pob786]

Hi Theog, My Laptop is an :- Advent V200 (1TB HDD, 8Gb DDR3 RAM, Windows 8-64-bit)., John

 

[theog]

Check with PC World, if can order the Microsoft official OEM Recovery disks.

PC World are the OEM manufacturer for Advent.

 

[pob786]

Hi Theog, The Discs are available from PC World........at £25.00, and what I would get is the same as the 2 off discs I made using the "recovery disc programme", which would revert it back to "Windows 8" !!!!!!!!!!!, as commented previously by "Popeye".
Would "Popeye's" solution be the most practical?. Thanks, John

 

[SIW2]

If it came with 8.0 , then the recov discs provided will also be 8.0.

Probably best to make an image. My preferred program for that is FREE Backup software for Windows 7, 8 and Server 2008 R2, 2012

There may another update thing from MS soon. Hopefully you will be able to get hold of the installation media for that at some stage, as well.

 

[whs]

Reverting to 8.0 is just a small pain - the download time for 8.1. Not really a big deal.

 

[popeye]

Reverting to 8.0 is just a small pain - the download time for 8.1. Not really a big deal.

Yea, but if you want to keep your "stuff", imaging or even cloning along the way is best IMO. Although, we know what the saying about opinions is.

 

[whs]

Reverting to 8.0 is just a small pain - the download time for 8.1. Not really a big deal.

Yea, but if you want to keep your "stuff", imaging or even cloning along the way is best IMO. Although, we know what the saying about opinions is.

I am absolutely of your opinion. But here I thought the OP goes down the reinstall route. I never reinstall. I do everything with images. Always keep an image from the beginning of the installation.

 

[popeye]

Reverting to 8.0 is just a small pain - the download time for 8.1. Not really a big deal.

Yea, but if you want to keep your "stuff", imaging or even cloning along the way is best IMO. Although, we know what the saying about opinions is.

I am absolutely of your opinion. But here I thought the OP goes down the reinstall route. I never reinstall. I do everything with images. Always keep an image from the beginning of the installation.

I get where you're coming from now. I was trying to give pob786 some guidance on how to handle things in the future. For a clean re-install, do it like you say.

Pob786, once you get things the way you want, image or clone at least every couple weeks then you'll have your system back in a snap if you ever have to recover. With the price of usb 1-2 TB drives going down everyday, this should not be a problem.

 

[whs]

Last year I got a 1TB SSHD for appr. $90 on sale from Newegg. That is a fantastic disk for imaging. I made some performance comparisons with HDD and SSD.

SSHD - Performance comparison with HDD and SSD - Windows 7 Help Forums