Unable to Create Factory Default Backup on Aspire A315-58

Hi all,

Good day,
Thank you for your support.
I need some help.
I want to create factory default backup on my newly purchased laptop.
I follow guidelines from this link:
https://community.acer.com/en/kb/articles/73-create-a-usb-recovery-drive-using-acer-care-center

But I cannot find menu for "Create Factory Default Backup" in the Recovery Management menu.
There is only a menu called "Backup Data" & when I click Get started, it does not ask me to select or prepare thumbdrive, but it brings me to OneDrive folder syncing.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ne/1py22ofk2wu8.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/q4/xucwhg8lgsla.jpg

Pls guide me as I need to create a recovery disk (usb thumbdrive) in case my windows is crashed.

Thanks once again,

Regards,

Accepted answers

All comments

JackE

Go to this link and download then install the new AcerCareCenter for your model.

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/8899?b=1

hendy_g

Hi JackE,

Thanks so much,
I will try it first & update again,

Marty11

@hendy_g Did you succeed in creating a factory default backup?

I'm experiencing the same problem with a new Acer Swift 3 SF314-43-R2LX.

When I follow this Acer guide for creating a factory default backup and start Acer Care Center, then I get:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/em/piag8hoygm06.png

Exactly as you described, there is no option for creating a factory default backup. When I select Create backup nonetheless then I get this screen:

As you can see, there is no way to back up the factory image. There is a RECOVERY partition on the SSD, but it's only 1 GB in size of which only 470 MB is populated.

When I start D2D recovery, then I'm presented with the default Windows 10 recovery environment. I don't want to try my luck there without a proper factory default backup.

I've got a hunch that I'll be missing important AMD drivers, microphone array configuration, KB specific drivers, etc. etc. when I go that way.

Marty11

JackE

I checked the version of Acer Care Center, that I have running and it is identical to that on the Acer support site for the Acer Swift 3 SF314-43-R2LX. Will reinstalling it make any difference?

JackE

>>>There is a RECOVERY partition on the SSD, but it's only 1 GB in size of which only 470 MB is populated.>>>

The D2D recovery is usually only available from this hidden factory partition if it's still intact. Access to it is often lost when trying to install another operating system. Try this.

(1) Open Control Panel. Search 'button'. Click 'change what the power buttons do' in left pane. Click 'change settings that are currently unavailable' near the top of the next pane. Scroll down and uncheck the box for fast startup.

(2) Shut down Windows normally.

(3) Turn it back on and immediately tap F2 to enter BIOS menu

(4) Make sure D2D option is enabled in the MAIN tab Also disable secure boot in BOOT tab. You might have to set and save a supervisor password and reenter the BIOS menu with the password to do this.

(5) Shut down Windows normally again

(6) Turn it back on and immediately press and hold ALT key while tapping the F10 key.

If the recovery partition is stilll intact, you will be presented with a menu to reset the a factory fresh state.

Marty11

@JackE

Thanks for your elaborate explanation, but I already started D2D recovery with the following result:

When I start D2D recovery, then I'm presented with the default Windows 10 recovery environment. I don't want to try my luck there without a proper factory default backup.

I've got a hunch that I'll be missing important AMD drivers, microphone array configuration, KB specific drivers, etc. etc. when I go that way.

Judging from the size of the recovery partition it can't contain the pre-installed software packages. For instance the package "Power Director" (video editing software) alone is close in size to 1GB. I will probably loose the pre-installed packages and more impotently the installed jungle of drivers, managers to get all the esoteric (AMD) hardware features working. Before I dare go that path I need a proper factory default backup.

JackE

1GB is the correct size for the hidden recovery partition. It's compressed. Did you try the ALT+F10 cold boot method? If you still get the same result, then the hidden partition is probably no longer accessible often because another OS was tried or a reset was done from the Windows settings instead of ACC. If ALT+F10 no longer works, you may be able to get the OEM USB version from the Acer Store if you're in the US or Canada.

Marty11

JackE said:

1GB is the correct size for the hidden recovery partition. It's compressed. Did you try the ALT+F10 cold boot method? If you still get the same result, then the hidden partition is probably no longer accessible often because another OS was tried or a reset was done from the Windows settings instead of ACC. If ALT+F10 no longer works, you may be able to get the OEM USB version from the Acer Store if you're in the US or Canada.

Dear @JackE ,

The recovery partition is only populated with 470 MB. It can never contain the files necessary for an Acer factory image restore. Just "Power Director" is compressed 700 MB big and there needs to be much much more stuff on the factory image.

ALT+F10 works, but it will most likely not be able to restore the to the factory image, so I dare only try it once I have a good factory image on external media. Since Acer Care Center does not contain that option I'm stuck.

I'm located outside of the US so no OEM USB version from the Acer Store option for me.

JackE

>>>The recovery partition is only populated with 470 MB. It can never contain the files necessary for an Acer factory image restore. Just "Power Director" is compressed 700 MB big and there needs to be much much more stuff on the factory image.>>>

Never say never.

Microsoft's own generic hidden recovery partition is only filled with about 400MB for Win10, 200MB for Win8x & 100MB for Win7. Acer's OEM hidden factory reset partition is even more svelte. Since there's no other way for you to reset the system to a factory fresh state, I suggest that you back up whatever you have now, and try the ALT+F10 cold boot reset to see what you get. If you don't get what you like, you can always return it to it's present state with a backup. Since new high capacity drives are so cheap these days, you could also clone your old drive as is. Swap the drives, and try the ALT+F10 reset on the new drive.

Puraw

Hi @Marty11
Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) on that menu that you showed (bottom option). This will also create an image file of your disk (includes everything you have on your HDD and SSD). Use an external HDD to backup to. Backup has been depreciated by Microsoft since 2015 and only the Windows 7 version still works. I have been using this (W7) to make all my backups (for many laptops) and use the same program to restore from external HDD (incl. finding my files) or the System Restore option on your recovery disk, see below (it will find the image file on your external HDD)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/6a/bq34nkrdpcns.jpg

To create a recovery drive:
Type in your Windows search box "Create Recovery Drive" and you will get this menu (Windows 11)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/jv/2zjcep137cr7.jpg

Insert your USB (20+ GB, Fat32 formatted) and click Next, this will take 1 hour on a slow laptop.

JackE

>>>The recovery partition is only populated with 470 MB. It can never contain the files necessary for an Acer factory image restore. Just "Power Director" is compressed 700 MB big and there needs to be much much more stuff on the factory image.>>>

Never say never.

Microsoft's own generic hidden recovery partition is only filled with about 400MB for Win10, 200MB for Win8x & 100MB for Win7. Acer's OEM hidden factory reset partition is even more svelte. Since there's no other way for you to reset the system to a factory fresh state, I suggest that you back up whatever you have now, and try the ALT+F10 cold boot reset to see what you get. If you don't get what you like, you can always return it to it's present state with a backup. Since new high capacity drives are so cheap these days, you could also clone your old drive as is. Swap the drives, and try the ALT+F10 reset on the new drive.

Marty11

@Puraw

Thanks for you elaborate explanation of the deprecated Backup by Microsoft since 2015.

I have tried "File history" on another Windows 10 machine, but it blatantly misses files in its backups for no apparent reason. It's buggy and can't be trusted. I can't believe that MS has such worthless backup utilities (deprecated and buggy) built-in in its Windows? It's one of the most important features with all those viruses and ransom-ware around nowadays.

I tried a free version of a backup program (Acronis True Image), but I'm not sure howto restore yet.

@JackE

FYI, there's only one RECOVERY partition on the drive and by the looks of it, it's the default Windows 10 Recovery partition. There's no PQService partition like I have on my Win 7 Acer desktop machine (15 GB in size). When I start recovery on the new laptop, it has a question which I don't know how to answer on its second screen:

JackE

>>>FYI, there's only one RECOVERY partition on the drive and by the looks of it, it's the default Windows 10 Recovery partition. >>>

This laptop was probably originally ordered by a company or institution.with special requested software installed. You obviously don't need this software. So choose "NO",

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