PLS HELP: Reset PC issue - link to recovery partition/img

JH7

New Member
Messages
6
Hi guys!

SCENARIO: I wen on a factory reset and it froze at around 75% while resetting. It already took 4-5 hours on 75% so there came my impatience and overthinking (I'm sorry :() that it was either starting to be a faulty HDD or my BIOS was outdated. So I tried to force stop (HDD risky, I'm sorry again:() the reset procedure (while stucked at 75%) and was hoping that I could somehow update my BIOS and resume with the reset. But as I opened the unit again, it continued with installing the OS which is WIN10 again (I was hoping this would be Win8 since it was the factory OS :eek:). So I just let it finish and was hoping that I could revert back to the factory OS.

I also tried the different instructions from dell and windows on how to reset the unit but still in no luck. And I have not made a recovery image disk beforehand :eek:

The unit is a Dell Inspiron laptop that came with pre-installed UEFI activated (I believe) Win8.0 that has been updated to 8.1 and Win10 over the time.


PROBLEM: Reset function not working properly or as expected anymore. I think it lost it's link with the original recovery image. I have been reading a lot from the related posts from several threads here but still out of luck (or I am really that noob. Haha! :eek:). I believed I might have also messed up mapping reagentc along the way as I don't remember the previous data anymore. I have tried to do as others had their luck but I get lost as their parameters are not the same as mine (at least from what I have already read).

REQUEST: Can anyone please help? I've been stuck figuring this one out for days already. Haha! I'm not sure what else (details/info) to include here as well. I had installed the PartitionGuru too and running with it's file recovery at the moment to check if there are files/folders that were corrupted/lost along the way. I also already had found the Install.swm (there are actually three of them there which wasn't the same as the case of other threads that came with .wim). And also already found my WinRE.wim with it's ReAgent.xml - though I was worried on those because I have more than one of it and on different partitions. I'm not sure how I got those - maybe from the updates? Anyway, I'm not sure about more details are needed to fix the issue. Below are several screenshots I think will be of any use (hopefully).

From an elevated command prompt:

reagentc info.jpg
Ran reagentc /info

diskpart.jpg
Ran diskpart. Disk 0 is the main drive. Disk 1 was just a thumb drive with the Windows Media Creation Tool. I tried to use it but still no luck. It gets me to a message that says something like the partition needed was missing.

par_winretools.jpg
Here is where I found a Winre.wim

par_primary(4).jpg
Here is where I found another WinRE.wim

par_pbr-image_base.jpg
The location of the three Install.swm

par_pbr-image_base.jpg
Not sure if this is of any use at all. I just thought I'd upload it too.

I'd be happy to provide more details that are needed anytime. I hope anyone could help. please. help. :cry::cry::cry:
Thank you in advance!

PS:

I'm currently running the partition recovery from PartitionGuru. Currently at 39% on searching files and it seems that it's showing some folders that are not on my current partitions. This one folder (named: sources, containing a boot.wim) was also mentioned from other threads that wasn't on my drives/partitions while I was researching. I was just wondering if that would be of any help. You can see it here attached:

par_esp.jpg

Sorry for the long post :(
 

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
you would need to re-register the Dell factory image location - to do a factory 8/8.1 Reset...

Right now the registered WinRE is on partition 4 and I assume is Windows 10 RE....

So what is it you want to do and why ??
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
Hi KYHI,

Thanks for the response!

Right now the registered WinRE is on partition 4 and I assume is Windows 10 RE....
I believe it is the case as well, but - question, does WIN10 disables my ability to reset to factory settings? or something is obviously messed up with links/directions of registrations that kept me from resetting to factory settings?


So what is it you want to do and why ??
I was hoping to totally reset the unit. I wouldn't mind resetting it to factory default (WIN8.0) and go through the long process of the upgrade to WIN10 again as long as we could somehow revert everything to normal/default. Remove unnecessary partitions as well so it would look like a fresh unit and I could keep track of the partitions that would be added by WIN8.1 or WIN10. Do you think that's possible?

Thanks a lot again! Really, huge thanks! You're a hero! :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
Progress Update

*Update:

I was able to fetch the factory image from Dell's Backup and Recovery procedure & tools. I am now running a factory OS (win8). Success! :party:

Now, I was wondering if I can delete any excess partition (if any) that is occupying my drive atm. Or if anyone can spot anything (please) to worry or unusual on the new folders and files that now exists on my drive. Here are screenshots from PartitionGuru on each partitions that now exists on my drive:

par_0_esp_sources.jpg
- New ESP partition with sources folder now existing but no boot.wim? Not sure if that's fine.

par_2_msr.jpg
- New partition named MSR

par_3_winretools.jpg
- WINRETOOLS partition looks updated

par_5_partition_winre.jpg
- This looks like the previously "Partition (4)" with the other WinRE.wim file that is now Partition (5) with the same untouched files (I think, as the Modified Time suggests)

par_6_local-disk_y.jpg
- This one also looks liked the previously "Partition (5)" that now has a Recovery folder in it but no files on each folders at first glance.

par_7_pbr_image_swm-files.jpg
- This one I think is fine :D

reagentc info new.jpg
- Updated reagentc /info
- This was automatically updated upon the reset. I have not meddled with this at any point since my original post and after the reset from factory image.
- @KYHI: Does this mean that the now Partition (4) is the one with the running the Win8.0 RE? I think Partition 4 is the OS Partition atm. I'm just a bit confused at this as well because it says that it has the Recovery image location at Partition 8 - which does not exist and I think it's referring to Partition 7, is that correct?

*All updates on the partitions were created by the factory image reset process.

Also, if there is anything missing/messed up from any of those partitions that needs attention (ie. sources folder from the ESP partition with the boot.wim file was detected as a deleted file/folder from the PartitionGuru File Recovery run). :think: I was hoping to keep track of new partitions to be created by the updates to win8.1 and win10 from this point as well. Is it possible to track and delete excess partitions (if any) existing on my current drive?

Thank you so much!
 

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
If you had properly RESET your PC - you would have 5 partions (maybe 6 due to dell diagnostics)

go into Control panel > Recovery > create a recovery drive

And Create a recovery USB

I want to see the files created on that USB
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
Hi KYHI,

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the late reply. Been busy yesterday. Anyway, about creating a recovery USB, it was asking me to use at least a 16GB USB to create the recovery drive - which I don't have. I only have an 8GB thumb drive and a 1TB external HDD in FAT32 for backup. The 1TB HDD still has a 66GB free space. Any suggestion on how to proceed? I was wondering if the external HDD would work as a recovery drive. Would creating a recovery USB create 5/6 partitions on my external HDD and aside from the risk that it contains my backup files, would it still be fine to use it as a recovery drive? Thanks again!

P.S.
Another issue: the existing local drive (from the laptop) is apparently detecting bad sectors. I was wondering if formatting it would help remove the bad sectors or something similar. So after creating the recovery drive, I was thinking if it's wise to format/low level format the drive from the laptop?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
If you try to create the Recovery Drive to the external HDD - the process will format the whole 1TB drive to a Fat32 32GB Drive...
A 16/32 GB USB stick is Highly Recommended.. And fairly reasonable in price.....

If the laptop drive has bad sectors - the drive is starting to fail....
You can get a 128GB SSD drive for a very reasonable price... 128GB is perfect for the OS and a few saved GB of files... Because you also have the Option to save those needed file to the 1TB external drive... And the SSD will make the laptop respond Faster...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I am very please with the SSD but not on a 100% yet as I use the unit for post production as well (Web and graphic design, as well as thorough audio and video editing). So far, i'm not sure about taking a smaller storage atm. I'm trying to check on friends+connections if I could scavenge on a 32GB USB stick atm. Haha. Also in talks with buying a new 1TB HDD. So the new question is transferring the recovery partitions. Is it possible to move it to another drive with full functions? Thank you so much KYHI!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
You could move the larger Recovery Image Partition to another drive - would just have to re-register the new location with the OS..
As far as the smaller recovery partition - better off leaving alone - as it is a fallback bootable partition...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I know this is too much to ask, i'm sorry, i'm completely new to this. Can you give a quick set of instructions? Which partitions do I need to move and how to do that properly. Is it possible to move to my current external HDD with all my backup files intact? I think I won't have access to another extra drive until the day after tomorrow so I was hoping if it's possible for me to move the partitions to my current external HDD available or at my 8GB thumb drive?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.0
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