I know alot of OEM vendors like Dell and HP will ship a new PC with one of these. My question is just what the heck is the difference? Obviously it's not exactly a full OS CD, so..... i'm not sure what exactly this is.
If your question is, is it a full OS , it is the OS that came with your PC. It can only be used on your PC. You use it when you are having problems that nothing else will fix and you have to format your HD. You lose all your files you put in, and it is RESTORED back to the original factory shipped OS.
It is, in most cases, a CD containing all the information needed to return the PC to the condition the factory originally shipped it in. In other words, it will overwrite all data, programs, formatting, and partitioning you may have added to the computer.
It ain't necessarily so you know. I have a Packard-Bell OEM install with a recovery disk set comprising one RED Diskette and three master CD-ROMs.
If you put the red diskette in you get a CHOICE of full factory install OR adding components starting with asking if you want to fdisk, partition and format, then add ME and Smart-Restore only. Adding other software items from the Master CDs as you require.
Happily it put all of the CAB files onto the HDD and I was then able to burn an ME Operating System install only, removing IE5.5 and burning IE6 SP1 to another CD-RW. CD-RW's, so you can up-date them.
I had to ask for some missing files to complete the set-up, so I now have an additional CD-RW from which to do an over-install recovery and IE6 SP1 at hand with no downloading to do.
Using the RED diskette wipes the disk clean, but if you make up your own install you do not have to do a return to factory condition, if you don't want to.
Now I am confused. I have an HP and besides the hidden partition I asked and received the the recovery cd's. 7 in total plus a couple of applications cd's. Now as I understood it you could do two different kinds of recovery . One was called non destructive, where all your data and settings stay in place and the second being what you guys have been talking about, bringing computer back to the way it left factory. Does anyone know if the first option really is the way the cd's work or is that only off the hidden partition. Thanks Mad
It depends on the brand of machine, and when it was sold. I have some old machines, some with, some without their proprietory, original restore discs. In the case of my IBM thinkpads, the restore cd's are completely proprietory and contain special files that I (as not a hacker be) cannot BEGIN to fiddle with. I know of NO WAY to do a "restore" from one of these cd's without totally wiping the hard drive.
On the other hand, some other brands, seems to me some Emachines were this way--and certainly the old Belching Packards, have .cab files SOMEWHERE on the CD. HOWEVER--you cannot generally take one of these cd's and do a "generic" install on a machine where it didn't belong.
What we did, for instance, on my friend's emachine, is to swap a NEW hd into his machine, and use an OEM "generic windows" cd to do an install using his ORIGINAL install key--the one that went with his restore disc. From my view point, this should be completely legal--he "owns" the rights to the license and key that went with his "one" machine.
The Restore CD I got with my system was just a customised version of 'Ghost'. You booted with it and it restored the system from a hidden partition on the hard-drive.
'Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity'
Actually i've never had any experience with these "restore" type CDs. When Dell shipped me my new PC about 4 years ago, I got lucky and they shipped me a FULL version of Win98 SE. Not a restore mind you - but a bonafide full Win98. That's nothing to brag about as we're onto XP now... but it's very nice & convenient to have as i dual boot with W2K. Anyway, all the responses have been enlightening. thank you.
