Comments on: Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:28:48 +0000

Mari, first off the x86, and the x64 have nothing to do with what version of Windows Vista you own. They are the computer architecture. If your not sure of which type of computer architecture then I suggest that you get help to accomplish this. All modern computer makers have live chat on their website, and have technicians within those chat rooms. That endless loop can probably be solved by holding down after you turn on your computer by pressing f8, and when that DOS menu screen appears choose safemode with networking, and once inside of Windows run a through scandisk. If you cannot get to that point, then under the F8 menu choose DOS mode, and when it gives you the DOS prompt, cd into Windows/Tools and then type chkdsk c: /f it might be \f Don’t remember which slash direction offhand. After it’s ran, go ahead and try to reboot your computer all the way in. That’s the best I can tell you without seeing the physical machine.

By: Mari

Mari — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:51:46 +0000

Hi.
I have two operating systems, a professional xp as well as a windows vista business.
I would like to recover my vista from the infinite loop of stage 3 of 3 - 0% update. Can I use this recovery disc to recover my vista? Which one supports vista business? The x64 or x86?

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:24:24 +0000

Vic Lewis, you wouldn’t have that on your Gateway, that’s a directory that HP creates within Windows. Gateway I believe has something similar as well, check with Gateway support as to what they call their recovery tools, and what directory it is listed under.

By: Vic Lewis

Vic Lewis — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:48:08 +0000

For all who are advising to use “PC Help and Tools” to create a Vista Recovery Disc.

Vista Home Premium has no such animal.

By: Vic Lewis

Vic Lewis — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:45:34 +0000

For all who are advisiing to use “PC Help and Tools” to create a recovery disc in “Vista”

My Gateway came with Vista Home Premium and there is no such thing as “PC Help and Tools”. Could you be talking about “Vista Ultimate, or the “Vista Business” versions?

By: Glen in Tassy

Glen in Tassy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:42:49 +0000

I created recovery discs when Vista worked, and they don’t boot either.

I spoke with Microsoft this morning and they wanted me to pay $40+ for a recovery disc. I told them that was crap and rang HP who tried to do the same thing. I explained that the fact they ship the PC with no external recovery options meant that a genuine Microsoft product had corrupted my genuine HP product that I had paid for and that I shouldn’t be forced to pay agin to re-install.

After explaining that the HP recovery program was inaccessible and that recovery discs didn’t work, and that MS have known about the issue for months they agreed to send me a full recovery disc for free, which I thought was nice of them

I will see how it goes.

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:40:58 +0000

GleninTassy, your not screwed yet. I want you to do this, it’s an old, old fashion way.

1) boot the computer and hold down the F8 key till it gives you the option screen.
2) choose the boot into safe mode with networking. Or hold down the shift key when you see the Windows Vista’s logo during startup procedures.
3) relax a little, we’re not done yet.
4) When you get back into Windows Vista, create the restore Discs, if you don’t know how, all you need to do, is go into the start menu look for PC Help and Tools.
5) Go back into PC Help and Tools and click on Recovery manager and let it repair the computer.
6) Final step grab a cold beer and let it do it’s thing, it will take awhile.

By: Glen in Tassy

Glen in Tassy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:52:09 +0000

Hi all - my computer is screwed thank to SP1 like everyone else here. I have a HP with OEM Vista Ultimate, recovery facility is in the recovery partition which is inaccessible and I have no Vista disc.

I downloaded and burnt the iso several times (both with Nero & ImgBurn) and none of them will load to the repair facility. I did notice that my boot sreens changed along the way - started as the black screen of death, moved to a screen with a Vista Aero background and nothing else (no mouse ppointer etc), then the PC booted itself back into the “Configuring updates Stage 3 of 3…”…

The PC (HP Pavilion M8180a, Vista Ultimate) is now stuck in a loop of configuring the update (an issue Microsoft knew about since Dec 2007).

Any ideas why the burnt Vista boot discs won’t boot (BIOS settings are correct)?

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:40:54 +0000

Ed F, did you also download and RUN the x86 torrent file from here?

By: ED F

ED F — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:05:57 +0000

I found imgburn and loaded it it will not find the iso file either. I know it is there because I can see it using “mycomputer”

By: ED F

ED F — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:28:07 +0000

I down loaded the iso file and tried to download IMGBURN I could only find express burn and expressburn plus. I downloaded express burn plus when I run it it does not find the iso file. All it shows is the file folders in My Documents which is where it is. Help

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:19:56 +0000

Glen in Tassy, you don’t need to burn anymore of the disc, that’s not your problem, your problem is a fubar’d Service Pack install, and you won’t be able to do anything till that Service Pack is installed properly. Here’s what you need to do boot up the computer normally then log in as the Administrator. If you don’t see that option on your login screen, do a ctrl + alt + delete that will give you a DOS screen then type in Administrator when it ask for a password, just press enter HP doesn’t set a password for the Administrator account on new PCs that’s up to the purchaser. OK once the system is completely booted up, go and download that service pack at http://www.microsoft.com if you don’t have it already on a disc. Now once the download is completed go ahead and start the install process. REMEMBER DO IT UNDER THE ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT. The entire process as Administrator. Once done, you’ll be in business to try out the ERD that you created at the site here. as well as your HP Restore Disc. If you require any further assistance please join us in the users forums “Chat” here and anyone of us can help you complete this task.

Good Luck Glen

By: Glen in Tassy

Glen in Tassy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:20:32 +0000

I’ve burned the .iso about 6 times now (a couple with Nero, a few more with ImgBurn at various speeds) and it still won’t boot. It takes me to a weird Vista Aero-type background with nothing on it.

Running a HP Pavilion M8180a with Vista Ultimate (OEM, no support discs) - BIOS is set to boot from CD first, HD second. The “Press any key to boot from CD….” prompt appears and the white bar says that Windows is loading files, then this Aero screen and nothing else. **Note: up until about the last 6 or so goes at loading it just gave me a black screen**

I’ve tried booting from my Vista Recovery discs but they just send me to a blue screen (no text, just a blue screen with a big mouse pointer).

Any ideas - I’m starting to run out of CDs!

P.S. The file was downloaded with both uTorrent & BitTorrent - and burnt discs from both sources give the same result.

STOP PRESS - my PC has just rebooted into the screen that says Installing Service Pack: Stage 3 of 3 0% complete. I’ll be buggered.

Anyway - any ideas on why the boot discs didn’t do much?

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:21:00 +0000

gunnar46 really easy fix for it not seeing the Windows Vista partition just rename that directory to i386, and make sure it resides in C:\Windows\i386. NOT only is it important that that i386 directory exists in Windows, but that’s where Windows looks itself to add new .dll’s, vxx’s, etc, and other important files the Windows needs.

By: Texas_Wolf

Texas_Wolf — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:13:41 +0000

gunnar46, I can’t really answer that question, but I would think you would have a partition on that computer that’s accessible from within DOS. Either that or you should have a set of manufacturers discs to accomplish this function. If not, then contact the computer maker’s support and they can advised you from that point. I think with myself or anyone else on the board we would have to see the computer itself, or read the system internals to know what it has/hasn’t the abilities of. For example, Dell’s setup of their computers are different than Hewlett Packards.

Mike