If you get macrium version 6 home edition, not free, but good, you can backup to another drive and make a recovery media and with some eyeballs, re-install from bare netal -- I have done this and it works.
Christopher-Mark Gilland via Talk <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm such a neurotic idiot! I can't freaking believe I did this! As you all > know by now, I have a laptop which is running Windows 8.1. The problem is, > back when I initially bought this machine, I went through the control panel > and made a set of recovery discs. Once they were burned, I electic, and here > is my r'really! stupid move! To erase the recovery partition off my drive, > to reclame a few gigs of space. I figured, what the heck. I have the DVD's > now that I burned, so big freaking deal. If the system ever crashes, I > simply just need to boot to the first DVD, and go. > > Well, this would be great, except for one problem. During my last move, I've > seemed to have misplaced those DVD's. I've turned the house totally upside > down, and rightside up! They're gone! I dono what happened, but they have > totally vannished, and believe you me, I looked. The issue is, with Windows > 7 and 8/8.1, once you make these discs, that's it. It only gives you that > one chance apparently. After that, the option is no longer available. So, > now, I have two issues. Firstly, I've wiped the recovery partition, so > that's not an option anymore, plus I've lost my DVD's. > > Secondly, I've put the make and model of the laptop, which I don't recall off > the top of my head into Google, it's an Asus, but don't recall the model. I > went to see if there was an updated bios as apparently, I need to update it > to get access to the option needed to be able to get the thing to boot to the > DVD optycal or the USB ports. So, it's not like I now can boot to either. I > looked and it doesn't appear that there is a key to get to the boot menu. > F12 isn't doing anything, and neither is F8. Apparently, a friend of mine > told me it has to do with in Windows 8, they no longer have a bios, but now, > most systems have what's called a UEFI which you have to go into and disable > things like secure boot, and a few other settings which off hand I'm failing > to recall, before you can even think of selecting to boot to DVD. So, the > thing is, right now, my system is working perfectly, but, if God forbid, it > ever crashes, I don't have a way of installing an OS back on to it. I > spoke to Geeksquad, and even they! won't help me. Not even for pay. The > lady who was the magnolia specialist was like, Sir, it's honestly not my > problem that you pulled a stupid is, as stupid duzz. > > So, does this mean, if the system ever crashes, I'm just S O L until I can > get a new laptop? You'd think as incredibly advanced of a techy I am, I'd > know not to a done this, and you know, in retrospect, looking back on it, I > gotta say, this was one a the stupidest! moves I've ever made! I literally > just wanna crawl in a hole and freaking die! I'm usually darn good at this > type thing, but in this case, I'm really frightened to use the system, > honestly. I don't wanna do anything that could risk it later crashing down > the line from wear and tear/use. > > I can't pay right this second, and when I can, it couldn't be probably more > than $50 max at most, but if someone could help with this or could at least > on or off list offer me some suggestions, I'd be willing come this Wednesday > on the 3rd to PayPal you $50 for your time in researching things, and for > your effort to help me. If we could get the unit booting to DVD, I'd be 100% > satisfied. > > Also as for recoverring, I do have a copy of Terrabyte Unlimited's Image for > Windows, but it doesn't seem to be working with Win 8.1. The story of my > life! Apparently the version is way too old, seeing I bought it back in > 2004, I think, and haven't updated it since. I just haven't really been able > to afford it, with other bills, and such. > > Anyway, this mail has gotten way longer than I intended, and to save you > all's sanity therefore, I'm gonna close. Please help, though, if you can. > > Chris. > _______________________________________________ > Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author > and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > > For membership options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/covici%40ccs.covici.com. > For subscription options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > List archives can be found at > http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com -- Your life is like a penny. You're going to lose it. The question is: How do you spend it? John Covici [email protected] _______________________________________________ Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. For membership options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/archive%40mail-archive.com. For subscription options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com List archives can be found at http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com
