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Restoring Windows 7 Dell Factory Image After Windows 10 Upgrade #

0. Backup, backup, backup! This process will erase the entire contents of the OS partition.
1. Boot from Windows 7 DVD
2. Press Shift+F10 at language selection screen to launch cmd.exe
3. Check drive letter assignments carefully; they may well differ from the ones shown here (in my case, the RECOVERY partition was assigned C: while the OS partition (which is assigned C: when booted normally) was assigned D:)
4. Copy imagex.exe (or imagex64.exe for 64-bit boot discs) to the RECOVERY partition (C: in this example)
5. Check the factory image:
   C:\>imagex.exe /dir C:\Dell\Image\Factory.wim 1
6. Format the OS partition
7. Restore the factory image to the OS partition:
   C:\>imagex.exe /apply C:\Dell\Image\Factory.wim 1 D:

• The factory image was for a slightly different model Dell Optiplex (long story). After restoring and rebooting, the following error appeared: "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation." Created a new user account to resolve:
  1. Shift+F10
  2. C:\>\windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe
  3. "Set Up Windows" will appear; create a new user then reboot.
• Running the incorrect version of imagex.exe (e.g., 32-bit when 64-bit is required) returns: "Subsystem needed to support the image type is not present"
• If there is any problem booting after restoring the image, reboot using the Windows 7 DVD and run Startup Repair.
• On some Dell models, factory image restore functionality may also be accessible via the F12 boot menu ("OTHER OPTIONS:" > "Dell Backup and Recovery")
• A Dell Studio XPS had the factory image in two parts, \dell\Image\FACTORY.WIM and FACTORY2.WIM. Restored via
  imagex64.exe /ref FACTORY*.WIM /apply FACTORY.WIM 1 drive_letter_to_restore_to
• A Dell laptop formerly running 8.1 was restored like so:
  1. Booted from Windows 8.1 installer and opened command prompt
  2. Recovery partition drive letter was not automatically assigned (unlike in Windows 7 example above), so diskpart was used to assign a letter: list volume > select volume x > assign letter R.
  3. Instead of WIM file(s), there were two SWM files (R:\Preload\base.swm and R:\Preload\base2.swm). Restored via
     imagex64.exe /apply R:\Preload\base.swm /ref R:\Preload\base*.swm 1 drive_letter_to_restore_to
  4. Unassigned drive letter R in diskpart: list volume > select volume x > remove letter R

• Restore Windows Vista or 7 from .wim file
• Lost the Dell Factory Restore function after installing windows 10!
• Using imageX to restore a .wim image from a USB/DVD
• Restore from dell recovery partition with Imagex [Solved]
• How to restore dell factory image when PC restore does not work?
• Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation
• manually recovering windows using imagex
• How to Use the Diskpart Utility to Assign and Remove Drive Letters
• Using spanned images (.swm) with ImageX /ref switch

/windows | Mar 30, 2016

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