I want to restore an eMachines W3653 to factory software conditions.

[Deleted User]

I have a secondhand W3653 I'd like to get to its original software setup.

 

I can get into Vista to try running the recovery center, but when it reboots the computer, Windows starts normally. I had a hard time finding the program, it was somewhere in a windows.old directory. I thought that may have had something to do with not running correctly, so I moved the contents of that directory to the root directory, and moved the newer versions of those directories to a directory I named windows.new. After rebooting and trying the factory restore option again, it lamentably had the same result, Windows booted normally instead of the factory restore happening.

 

I've tried tapping F8 to bring up Window's boot option screen, but no recovery option shows in there. I've tried other key combinations that are supposed to do something, but they don't do what I need.

 

I suppose it is possible the recovery partition is messed up somehow.

 

Please help if you can.

IronFly

try also Alt+F10 at boot, not sure it will work but this is the standard Acer key combination.

PMiner

do you have the vista disc that came with your computer? if so, use that to reinstall vista, making sure to delete all partitions before install. If you do not have a vista install disc, you can try to do a system restore, from the F8 menu on boot. make sure to click format and repartition drives when restoring.

[Deleted User]

I have no discs that came with it. The only Windows installations disc I have is a Dell OEM Windows XP disc from an even older computer. Don't think it will do, though.

 

All I have of this computer is the tower and the contents thereof, and the monitor. Not even the original keyboard, using a different one.

PMiner

do you have any restore points?

[Deleted User]

There seems to be none.

laurent_14

@Ironfly: That's correct. Extract of the eMachines manual (old website)

 

Recovering from the hard drive during startup to reinstall Windows OS and all pre-installed software and drivers:

1. Turn on your computer, then press ALT+F10 during startup. eMachines Recovery Management opens.
2. Click Restore system from factory default.
3. ClickNext to continue. Your hard drive’s original, factory-loaded contents are recovered. This process will take several minutes.

IronFly

Vista was the original OS?

check if any sticker on the laptop report the factory OS.

[Deleted User]

It is a desktop, actually. There's a Windows Vista logo sticker on the lower front, and a Windows Vista™ Home Premium OEMAct product key sticker on the back of the computer.

 

I'm not sure why Alt+F10 isn't doing its thing. I've tried a USB keyboard, and a PS/2, no difference either way.

IronFly

Ok.
Let's check if the original recovery partition is stille here:
Click on the windows icon, right click on Computer, click on Manage, click on disk management

Take a screenshot and post it here.

[Deleted User]

IronFly

Ok recovery is still here.
Do you have any Acer/Gateway software called erecovery or that can help you create a recovery disk?

[Deleted User]

Searching for that specifically yields this result:

I can't make heads or tails of that.

 

There is this thing that I mentioned in my initial post, the thing that didn't work right, however:

I tried the first option before, as mentioned earlier. I tried the last option also, but it wouldn't work for whatever reason. I suppose either my blank disc wouldn't work with the drive, or the disc burning function of the drive may have failed. Not sure which, if either.

 

I really don't know if a way to do what I aim to do even exists.

IronFly

Since your recovery partition is mounted as , can you please take a screenshot of the folders inside?

[Deleted User]

IronFly

not good.

 

are you able to double click the Recovery file?

[Deleted User]

When I double-click on that recovery file with the lock icon, I get this on my screen:

This is quite new to me, I have not heard of PC Angel before.

IronFly

try to boot pressing F11 and check if it's able to start recovery process

if not

have a read here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/how-to-get-rid-of-pc-angel

[Deleted User]

F11 didn't start recovery.

 

I've renamed C:\Windows\System32\ShellvRTF.dll, and also ShellvRTF64.dll just in case.

I've unset the hidden and system attributes of all of the files, and most of the directories in the root of , except for two. "System Recovery" and "System Volume information". I get stuck on those two.

 

Here's what's visible in the root now:

IronFly

they look like a proper recovery enviroment to re-install windows but it's hard to tell if they aren't corrupted or not complete.

 

for sure Kapersky folder is not from the original Acer recovery.

 

you can try a very raw thing: create a bootable DVD with that files on it and hope it will start the recovery process and...it will end it correctly.

[Deleted User]

Unfortunately there seems to be too much there to fit on one of my DVDs. Altogether there's about 6 gigabytes. Even if I exclude the ones that are newer than 2007, it still adds up to 4.8 gigabytes, about a hundred megs too much.

 

But this got me to thinking, bootable, making something bootable, maybe that's the thing? How do I check that? How can I make sure the boot sector is right for this recovery partition? Could that do it for me?