Q: hi i have an packard bell imedia 2412 with vista and i want to reboot it when i got the pc i didnt get a recovery cd but the guy sad the vista back up is in the hard drive already can u plz tell me how to reebot without the cd. in the c:/ drive there is Windows is tht the back up for "windows" home premium? no i mean not to reboot like to erace all the data from the hard disk
A: You really mean do a Recovery, or return it to factory default configuration, correct? A Reboot is when you turn it off, then back on, or the automatic reboot from the system shutdown options list. You can do this from either the Start Menu, or Task Manager (In XP). Each manufacturer uses a different keyboard combination to access the System Recovery Console. Not the Microsoft Recovery Console, but the hidden partition where the disk image resides. I can't locate the Packard Bell website, as I do not know what it is called, and I used all the combination's I could think of, but no luck. You will need to go to the website, it should be in your User Guide or manual, or other paperwork you possess, and then go to Support, enter your make and model, and then do a search for Recovery or Factory Default, or System Recovery, etc. Or, you can phone technical support and ask them to either email you the instructions or walk you through them. I do want you to be aware that you do have a right to a Recovery Disk. Some manufacturers do try to get away with not providing one, and Dell is a one of them. You must make the request from the manufacturer you bought your machine from. Be sure to also request the Drivers and Utilities disk, as you will need to reinstall those too after you restore your PC. If they try to give you the run around, such as saying you don't need it, and that the recovery partition is faster and easier, just tell them that you prefer to have the media just in case something goes wrong, and trust me it can. For example, four weeks after I bought a Dell system I contracted a nasty virus that wiped out my recovery partition. It refused to allow me to restore the system. As Dell hadn't sent me a Recovery disk, I had to wait while the mailed it. Turns out that my order got mixed up over the fourth of July weekend, and it took three weeks to arrive. Once I had the DVD, my system was back up and running an hour later. If I had that disk, I wouldn't have had my brand new system down for three weeks! So, I never allow the manufacturer to get away with not sending me a disk, whether they think I need it or not. As a consumer, we have a right to our media. Period. Good luck and much success restoring your system, please have a nice day. Edit: No, your Recovery Image is not on the C Drive, but on a hidden partition that you can only access through a keyboard combination. You cannot access from within Windows. Once you know the correct keyboard combination, you press it as you boot the system.