Windows Vista Recovery Disk and Repair Disc Download

2,732 thoughts on “Windows Vista Recovery Disk and Repair Disc Download”

1. This is great and useful. I’m wondering though, does one have to boot from it to use it, or can it be run live to restore the internal quirks of a working windows session?

2. You’ll need to boot from it.

3. Guruji ur great … simply great

   first easybcd  and now this … u should now be neosmarter

4. Usually you can create a recovery CD/DVD from a recovery partition, however.

5. Yeah, that’s usually the case with the newest PCs. But even then, that will be an OEM-specific *system* recovery CD/DVD – not a Windows Vista installation/recovery disc; and can usually only be used to wipe your system clean and start again from scratch – it doesn’t give you the option of actually _repairing_ your Windows installation.

6. The good thing is that the good ones will let you do some repair, for example entering the recovery console. In fact, the ones based on WinPE, such as Lenovo’s, will lets you do much more than XP’s recovery console can do. But I am talking about WinXP recovery discs here. In Vista, it is even easier because most PC manufacturers use WinRE for recovery and that allows access to a Command Prompt. Still, thanks, because I am sure that not all use WinRE and I am sure there are still some that still use DOS for recovery, even with Vista.

7. I didn’t know that Lenovo’s were WinPE based – thanks for the info. For us, the biggest advantage to everyone using a standard recovery CD is that we can easily provide support and instructions on various recovery procedures.

   The nicest thing about the Vista DVD is the ability to use System Restore without being able to boot into Windows (safe mode or otherwise) – I don’t know if this is a feature available in the OEM recovery discs?

8. BTW, only the latest version of Lenovo’s recovery discs (in particular, those coming with T60 and later) are WinPE based. Older versions were only DOS-based and more limited. 

9. >I don’t know if this is a feature available in the OEM recovery discs?

   I think the WinRE based recovery discs and partitions can do System Restore.

10. BTW, Lenovo’s recovery discs and partitions are part of a feature called ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery and provides more than just Windows reinstall. Only version 4 and later are WinPE based.

    http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/think/thinkvantagetech/rescuerecovery.html

11. Anyone actually get this to work?  I have so far attempted two Disk burns of the ISO, and neither on of them will boot.  The files seem to be there, but it is not bootable, so I am unable to repair my notebook.  All I need is that bootsect.exe to allow me to repair the MBR.  Ugh.

    No floppy drive on the system either.  Please let me know if you were able to get this ISO to boot.
     

12. Hi John,

    You need to make sure that your BIOS is configured to boot from a CD or DVD. Also, you did burn it as an ISO image and not as a normal file, correct?

13. i upgraded my notebook laptop to vista from xp and now the system wont even let me log in

    as it says that this system is not a genuine windows product and i was wondering if this recovery

    disc download will let me restore my system without buying the xp or vista installation disc

    all over again as i didn’t do a back up disc of my xp from when i purchased the laptop

14. No, that won’t work.

15. Computer Guru,

    Yep, I burned it as an ISO and I’m set to boot from CD/DVD.  I had no problem burning and booting the UltimateBootDisk … but unfortunately the UBD does not work with Vista.

    I lucked out and found out a friend of mine had a Vista Install DVD and ran the repair … which solved my problem… but I still never got the Vista Recovery Disk to work.  I even tried booting it on another computer with no luck… it just gave me a flashing cursor at the top left of the screen.

    When I view the contents of the disk it lists a “/boot” directory and various files that look like they might be appropriate, but like I said… it just won’t boot.

    Anyway, my problem is solved, but you may want to check the ISO to check for yourself.

    -John

     

16. I don’t know – we’ve been using the ISO image in the forums for support-related purposes for a couple of months now, with great results.

17. John, I just re-downloaded and re-tested the ISO myself on a real PC and in VMware… it works fine.

    The MD5 for the ISO image should be aff5ceef6dbf202cc1beb9fc81e8d02b

    As a matter of fact, it’s been downloaded over 300,000 times since we posted this story, no one else has reported any problems. Perhaps you can try downloading it with the bittorrent link above to ensure it doesn’t get corrupted along the way?

18. I tried to use the disk but when I went to repair my computer (I’m trying to do a complete PC restore) it says it isn’t compatible and to try to use compatible media. Dose this disk only cover 32 bit versions of windows (I’m using an x64 version). If so, can someone point me in the direction of something that can help me?

19. Yeah, that’s (unfortunately) a known issue. We’re working on getting an x64 edition up ASAP.

20. Computer Guru, I bought a new HP 9576ea laptop which started to teeth with some problems. Gave it back to the ever useless PC World Tech guys who replaced it with a hard drive, and didnt bother copying the recovery partition. So with no recovery disc, i thought I would try the one here. Unfortunately I have come across the same problem as John did. I burned the image on nero to a cd. When i tried to boot from the disc, all i got was the flashing cursor on the top left. Could it be the disc only works for certain types of machines i.e desktops but not laptops?

    I have ordered the recovery discs from HP but it will be 10 days before they arrive!

    Shanni

21. Shanni,

    I’m not glad that you experienced problems, but I am glad that someone else is experiencing the same problem I had. Both PCs I attempted to use the disk on were notebooks/laptops, so you may be onto something.

    I downloaded the file again… but have not yet had time to retest.

    -John

22. I stand corrected. The ISO for the Vista Recovery Disk using the original link worked just fine this time. Booted as expected.

    I re-downloaded and used Roxio on this computer to burn the ISO instead of Nero which was on my girlfriend’s computer during my attempts to repair this one. (Although I doubt the choice of burning tools had anything to do with it.)

    It is nice to have this in case of future disasters. Although now I wonder if I will be more risky in my future endeavors, knowing I have the Recovery Disk in my back pocket (figuratively of course).

    Thanks guys!!!

    -John

23. Hi Computer Guru,

    I am using Nero. Do I have to burn the ISO File as a bootable CD-ROM option in Nero?

    Many Thanks,
    Lim

24. Thanks to NeoSmart Technologies. The recovery disc has helped me a lot.

25. John, glad to hear that’s been resolved. If you do end up with any problems needing a recovery…. just gives us a shout in the forums; we’re there to help.

    @Lim: I recommend using the free ImgBurn, instructions on the best way to burn a (bootable) CD w/ ImgBurn can be found in the NeoSmart Technologies Guides Center at http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/G/Burning+ISO+Images+with+ImgBurn

    @Shanni: Either verify the MD5 or your downloaded ISO image with MD5 calculator and compare it to the one I posted above, or verify the download by checking it against the .torrent files by following these instructions: http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/recovering-corrupt-downloads-with-bittorrent/ (or just download it from bittorrent from scratch).

    What burning application did you use, btw, Shanni?

26. I’ve got an HP Pavilion dv9000 which came with Windows Vista Home Premium and one of those useless recovery partitions.

    At one point, I had to use something to recover some permissions on some system files. The recovery partition on my machine did indeed contain the repair system — I could roll back, attempt automatic recovery, and (if I waiting through enough menus) get to a DOS prompt as SYSTEM.

    Nevertheless, this looks like a useful tool. I’ll have to download it and burn myself a copy just in case I can’t find my recovery DVD (I burned one and deleted those partitions.. I paid for that disk space!).

27. Hi I am woundering if you can redirect me to some one that can give me a link to download the windows vista kit it came with my computer and now i am trying to use it cause i wiped out my hard drive do to alot of spyware on the system. come to find out my disk driver ca not read the disk now. Please tell me if there is away to load it from a link. Microsoft said that i would have to pay $70.00 for a new one. even thought it can this way from them in the package.

28. @JR: Sorry, you won’t find a legal download link for Windows Vista online anywhere.

29. Hi, I wonder if he same exists for XP, I have an HP system and don’t like the CD recovery system.

    Thank you

30. Windows XP’s own CD doesn’t even have a real recovery center – just a command prompt.

31. As like most tosspot companies Toshiba failed to include a disc in my purchase, I downloaded your recovery disc file, tested it… and it all works fine.

    Stats:

    Toshiba Equium A100
    Windows vista Home Premium Italian Version.

32. “Anyway, my problem is solved, but you may want to check the ISO to check for yourself.”

    Hold down ?F12? while booting to open up your ?Boot To? menu prompt. Select ?CD-ROM? and then continue by pressing enter.

33. Computer Guru,

    I am going to redownload the file and burn it with Nero, which is the application I used previously. I am burning it using the Burn Image. Lets see if it works this time.

    Thanks
    Shanni

34. I think Nero has a problem burning bootable ISO images – I advise you to attempt to burn it with ImgBurn instead (it’s free and a tiny download).

    Also, please check the MD5 of the downloaded ISO if it still doesn’t work.

35. And Lo Behold, there was LIFE!!! Thanks Computer Guru, the error was being caused by Nero. It works fine 🙂

    Shanni

36. Glad to hear it worked for you. You used ImgBurn?

37. I was Thinking, Maybe someone can make a CD Cover for this Great Recovery Program, Something Cool and Awesome Looking.. That Would Be Great To Have too. Thanks.

38. Guru, Yep your chosen program was the saviour! I think you should point it out at the top in the commentary, that program will not work on Nero. Just a thought.

39. This saved my laptop!!! I have been looking for this forever and i finally found it! My laptop hasn’t been working for a month and best buy would have charged me over $130 to do the same thing as it took me to do with this download in 15 minutes! Super Duper Gang!!

40. So here is something interesting to ponder… I have a Sony VAIO laptop, which has the Vista recovery partition that required me to use this download last weekend when nothing else would work.

    Well… on the “Sony Updates” site for this model, they have just released “by popular demand” an XP downgrade DVD for those who want to escape Vista. I ordered it “just incase” (only had to pay for shipping). I’m not sure if it will let me do a “dual boot” (Sony tends to modify things to only work “their way”) … but I’ll probably give it a try when the disk arrives knowing I have my Vista Recovery Disk for an emergency.

    Anyway… back to the Nero discussion… it is curious that Nero does not work with this ISO … when it worked fine with the UltimateBootDisk ISO (which booted fine) …. which I tried JUST before the Vista Recovery Disk. Seems like with 300,000 downloads that it would be unusual for only 2 of us to use Nero. If I get some extra time, I’ll do some experimenting and report back.

    -John

41. We created the ISO with MagicISO (CD to ISO image conversion), if that helps any…

42. Excelente… muchas gracias.

43. Thank You
    downloaded and tested work great here

44. won’t boot from it. still says:
    WINDOWS FAILED TO START

    it says you need the installation disc but i don’t have it
    (FILE: \boot\bcd)
    THIS IS VISTA, BY THE WAY

45. helo
    I had preinstalled vista on my laptop

    ltr on i have installed WINDOWS XP ..
    now its not booting vista at the startup

    i hav recovery disk of vista with me

    but wen boot using that..

    IT shows only

    1:computer chkup
    2: system restore
    3 : file backup prgm
    4: system recovery -> it recovers computer to its original factory condition..all user created files will b lost

    SO PLZ TELL ME WAT TO DO

46. Hi guys,
    Thanks for this,
    However, I am wondering,
    I have virus’ in my system, if I run this, will this cure them?

    Thanks

47. Hi Mark,

    No, it won’t. For any support-related issues, please start a thread in our support forums at http://neosmart.net/forums/ and you’ll be sure to find the friendly help you need 🙂

48. Downloaded ISO in 5 minutes ….works fine 1st time as stated using Easy Media Creator 10

49. i booted it and everything went well until during the installation it said it was missing a file of some sort but i looked every where in the download to see if it was corupted but didnt find it at all

50. Check the MD5 of the ISO image that you downloaded and use a program like ImgBurn that can verify the contents of a burned CD against the original content on your hard disk.