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Recovery CD & Restore Disks (do you want to make your own!!)

Odds are your PC came with a recovery disc, a CD with all the programs and drivers that were installed on its hard drive when it was new. The odds are also that you have absolutely no idea where that disc is.

 

The good news is that it probably doesn't matter. First, the recovery discs provided by most PC manufacturers are designed for a single purpose: to restore your computer to the state it was in when you bought it. This process typically involves wiping your hard drive clean and then reinstalling Microsoft Windows and the handful of programs originally included with your PC. Unless you're preparing the whole kit and caboodle to sell on eBay, this is probably not something you'll ever need.

 

Second, the hardware drivers on your recovery CD are probably out of date, either made obsolete by newer and better versions available online, or simply irrelevant because of new hardware you've installed. So, instead of fretting about the old recovery CD, why not take a few minutes and make one of your own?

 

Ideally, a recovery disc should act as a safety net should anything disagreeable (hard drive crash, virus, spyware attack, driver corruption, etc.) happen to your hard drive or its data. A good recovery disc will let you reinstall Windows or a required driver to fix a minor problem, or restore all your backed-up data if need be.

 

To prepare a recovery CD, you'll need: (1) an original Windows XP CD, (2) a valid Windows product key, (3) a collection of your most essential hardware drivers, and (4) a copy of your backup software so you can access your archived data.

 

The first ingredient, the Windows XP CD, may prove the most troublesome, simply because many manufacturers omit it in lieu of some sort of customized "express install" recovery disc. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC but the manufacturer didn't provide a full Windows XP CD, contact the company and ask for one (you did pay for it, after all). In most cases, you'll get one for free, no questions asked.

 

But you're not out of the woods yet. Now that Service Pack 2 is out and has been force-fed to most of the Windows XP machines on the planet, your pre-SP2 Windows XP disc may not do what you need it to. (This next step isn't necessary if you already have an SP2 installation CD.)

 

Here's the problem: Once you upgrade to SP2, you won't ever be able to install the original version of Windows XP over it; you have thus rendered the ancient practice of reinstalling the operating system impossible.

 

The solution is to create a new hybrid installation CD from your original Windows XP CD and a special version of SP2, a process known as slipstreaming.

 

To create a slipstreamed Windows XP-SP2 CD, first create a new folder called "xp" in the root folder of your hard drive. (You'll need about a gigabyte of free space.) Insert your original Windows XP CD, start Windows Explorer, and then navigate to your CD drive (usually D:\). Highlight everything in the root folder of the CD and copy it all to the C:\xp folder you just created.

 

Next, go to Microsoft's Web site and search for the "Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers." Download the 272MB file, WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2 -ENU.exe, and save it to a new folder on your hard drive, C:\sp2.

 

Open a Command Prompt window (Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt), and then type this command at the prompt:

 

c:\sp2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU /integrate:c:\xp

 

If all goes well, the process should take a minute or two and then conclude with a simple completed message box. (If it doesn't work, then your copy of Windows XP can't be slipstreamed.)Like it or not, you'll need a valid product key to reinstall Windows XP or install any Microsoft service pack down the road. Without it, your recovery disc will be naught but a coaster for the cup of coffee you're likely to need.

 

 You can find the 25-digit product key on the hologram-laden certificate of authenticity, on the Windows XP CD sleeve, or on the Microsoft sticker on your PC. If you can't locate your key, you can get one from your PC manufacturer or directly from Microsoft (provided that you can prove you own a valid Windows license).

 

Once you have the product key in hand, write it directly on the original Windows XP CD with a soft marker pen (and also on the CD-R you're creating here) so you won't have to scramble for it in a pinch.

 

If you want, you can set up what Microsoft calls an "answer file" to enter your product key automatically so you don't have to type it in later on. On your original Windows XP CD

(Professional Edition only), navigate to the \Support\Tools folder, double-click on

DEPLOY.CAB, and then double-click on Setupmgr.exe to open the Windows Setup Manager wizard.

When prompted, choose Create a new answer file and then Windows Unattended Installation. For the User Interaction Level, choose Provide defaults; when asked about the Distribution Folder, answer No. Finally, you'll see a new window, into which you can specify defaults; select Providing the Product Key on the left, type your product key in the text fields on the right, and then save the unattend.txt file into your C:\xp folder. For more information, open the setupmgr.chm file, also found in DEPLOY.CAB.

 

The Windows XP SP2 setup files should now consume about 600MB , leaving about 100MB free when they are placed on a garden-variety CD-R. Use this space to include drivers for your most important hardware devices. You can download the appropriate drivers from the hardware manufacturers' Web sites.In the C:\xp folder, create a new folder called DRIVERS, and then create a subfolder for each driver. For instance, create a VIDEO folder for your display adapter drivers, a NETWORK

folder for your Ethernet or wireless-network adapter driver, and MODEM for your modem driver

(if needed). Make sure to include all drivers and software you will need to get your PC connected to the Internet. Once your Internet connection is up and running, you'll be able to download the less-vital drivers, such as those for your printer and sound card. To be certain all these drivers will work when you need them, don't use anything you haven't personally tested. And don't forget to expand any ZIP files or self-extracting EXE files now, so that you'll be able to access the individual driver files during Windows setup if needed. Finally, if there's room on your CD-R, make a folder for your backup software so that you'll be able to get your data off your backup media. Likewise, include any SCSI, tape drive, or FireWire drivers you might need to access your backup devices.Next, you make your recovery CD bootable by using IsoBuster () to extract the boot loader from your original Windows XP

CD. In IsoBuster, select your CD drive from the list, highlight the Bootable CD folder on the left, and then drag the BootImage.img file from IsoBuster to your hard drive. Now it's time to burn a new CD. You'll need CD-burning software capable of creating a bootable CD, such as Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, PC Magazine's current Editors' Choice ( www.roxio.com ), or Nero Burning ROM 6 or later ( www.nero.com ). (Sonic Solutions is acquiring Roxio's software division, but there are no plans to change the brand name.) Just drag the entire contents of the C:\xp folder to your CD project, and then use the

BootImage.img file for the boot image data (refer to your CD-burning software manual for details). When you're ready, burn the CD.Your new recovery CD is useless if you don't keep it near your computer. If you have a laptop, stow a copy of the CD in your laptop case; a typical CD-R weighs about half an ounce (15 g).

 

If that's still too much bulk to carry around with your ultra light portable PC, you can cut that weight in half with a 3-inch "pocket" CD-R. These hold only 185MB, so you won't have room for Windows XP, but you'll be able to carry around your most essential drivers.

 

Definition of a true recovery cd is described below

 

A  recovery CD is a CD-ROM (or, more recently, a DVD data disc) that is included with many PC computers manufactured by OEM companies which run under Microsoft Windows. The recovery CD or DVD contains a complete copy of the entire contents of the hard drive in its factory default state. Computer manufacturers provide the recovery CD so that the end user can quickly and easily restore their system to its factory default state without having to worry about installing individual pieces of software or device drivers. However, users must be aware that the recovery process may involve destroying all information they have added to the hard disc.

 

For most recovery CDs, the user needs to configure their system to boot from CD-ROM. In the early days of recovery CDs, before computers were able to boot from CD, manufacturers included a floppy disk containing the software used during the recovery as well as device drivers to access the CD-ROM drive. Today, all recovery CDs use the bootable CD method to start the process.Most often, after booting, the user is presented with a welcome screen with copyright information. Upon continuing, the user may be presented with one or more license agreements for the various software that is bundled onto the CD.

 

After license acceptance, the user is warned that the contents of the hard disk will be erased and that the original factory contents of the disk will be restored. Once the user confirms this (some setups may require two or even more confirmations to make absolute certain this is what the user wants) the process begins. From here on, it is mostly automatic.

 

Typically, if the disc uses an imaging program, the user will see a progress indicator showing approximately how much of the image has been restored. On modern CD-ROM and hard disk systems, recovery can take only minutes, restoring a few GB

After the image has been restored, the system will reboot.

 

Some systems at this point are finished, and will boot into Windows first start-up, requiring the same user actions as when the machine was first set up (for example, Windows XP's

 

Advantages

The primary advantage of a recovery CD is ease of use. Since most typical users will not wish to go through the process of reformatting the hard disk manually, installing Windows, installing any necessary drivers, then installing software applications one by one, the recovery CD allows all of this to be taken care of automatically. The CDs that use a hard disk image are by far the simplest; the end result is essentially an exact copy of the contents of the hard disk as they were when the computer shipped.

 

Another advantage to recovery CDs from the point of view of the manufacturers and software authors is distribution control and license compliance. Since many CDs contain simply an image of a hard disk filesystem, it is usually not feasible to extract individual software applications from the image for installation onto other computers. On top of this, most recovery CD's are software-locked to run only on a machine of a specific type. Since there is no copy of an actual setup program for the various software on the system, it is very difficult to transfer that software to another machine. Due to this, many manufacturers are omitting copies of product CD's in favour of the single recovery CD to prevent unauthorized distribution of preloaded software.

 

Disadvantages

The most notable problem with the use of recovery CDs is the lack of actual software discs with the machine. Some systems come with merely a recovery CD or DVD, and no other media whatsoever. While the recovery CD is convenient, it does not allow any latitude for power users and experienced technicians to customize the installation process. One common complaint among power users of OEM systems is the very fact that they can come loaded with so much software. Some users wish to begin with a fresh install of Windows and, from there, install only those applications they need to install. A recovery CD prevents this type of activity since, as stated above, actual copies of the software installation CDs are not typically included with systems using a recovery CD. For these users to perform such activities, they would need to purchase new licenses for any software which came bundled with their system,

just so that they could obtain an installation disc for that software. Another potential problem with a recovery CD is hardware changes. If a user purchases a system, then over time replaces or upgrades components in the system, the recovery CD may fail to install drivers for the new hardware.

 

Recovery to a former state

The advantages of an OEM recovery CD can be had, without the disadvantages, by using disk imaging software such as Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image, or others to create a bootable image of the machine in the desired initial state. For example, a user can install their own licensed copy of Windows XP, install all device drivers for their hardware, install other desired software, and possibly most useful, configuring the system with all the users settings for email accounts, passwords, etc. This does require the purchase of software, and the limited expertise necessary to install and run it. It has the advantage that the process is not dependent upon Microsoft Windows; a machine running almost any operating system can be imaged. The disadvantage is if you make changes to your system or settings in any way (i.e. you change e-mail accounts, you replace some hardware, and so on) you'll either have to produce a new recovery disc, or remember to re-perform all those steps after using the recovery disc.

 

Storage

As of 2007, the size of the recovery image of a machine with significant installed software is becoming too large for a CD; even a DVD may be too small. Hard disks are so big that a recovery image will take up only a small fraction of available space. An alternative recovery procedure that is used increasingly is to store a recovery partition, with exactly the same image as would be stored on a CD, on the hard disk. This has the major disadvantage that, while it will recover from a data corruption problem, the recovery partition will be lost in the case of a hard drive failure.

 

This tutorial covers:

 

Create a Windows XP SP2 Recovery CD

 

In the event that something should go wrong with your Windows XP installation, are you prepared to deal with the issue quickly and effectively? Most people will answer "No" to this question. Having an XP Recovery CD will help with any of the following situations:

 

Hard Drive Crash

Virus Attack

Malware Attack

Driver Corruption

Accidental Data Deletion

The reason that it is necessary to create a Windows XP Recovery CD is due to the fact that using your original Windows XP CD will only restore your system back to original factory settings. Your original Windows XP CD will not have updated drivers, previously installed software and will wipe your hard drive clean of all your data when a complete reinstallation is chosen.

 

With a good Recovery CD, you can restore your computer back to a current installation. You can use it to reinstall a corrupt driver or even restore all of your dat that you have backed up.

 

The Preparation:

 

Listed below are the items needed to create a good working Restore CD:

 

Original Windows XP CD

 

25 Digit Windows Product Key

 

Essential Hardware Drivers

 

Backup copy of your archived data

 

If your original Windows XP CD does not include SP2, you will need to download a copy of it and save it to a folder on your Hard Drive (Instructions below).

 

The Original Windows XP CD

 

It is common these days for people not to have access to their original Windows XP CD. This is due to many manufacturers pre-installing Windows XP and not including the CD in with the sale. In most cases, you can contact the manufacture and have them send you the CD. But, in other cases, you may have to pay a small fee to obtain it. In any case, it is essential that you have this CD in order to continue with this tutorial. If your original Windows XP CD contains SP2, then skip ahead to the "Valid Windows XP Product Key" section below. You may have a CD that is a pre-SP2 installation in which case you have had to upgrade to

SP2. Once the system contains the SP2 upgrade, you will not be able to reinstall your operating system using this disc. We will need to make your pre-SP2 CD into a new hybrid

Recovery CD using a process known as Slipstreaming. Simply put, Slipstreaming is the process of Integrating a Service Pack into the installation so that the Operation System and the Service Pack are installed at the same time.

 

You can download SP2 from Microsoft. This is a free download and can be downloaded using the link below:

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&displaylang=en

 

Next, you will need to create a folder on your hard drive named: "sp2" (without the quotes)

Here's how:

 

Go to Start>> My Computer>> Double click on your Hard Drive folder (usually C:).

 

Right click an empty area inside this window and select New>> Folder.

 

Click once on your newly created "New Folder" and press F2 on your keyboard (or right click and select rename).

 

Rename this folder from "New Folder" to "sp2" (without the quotes).

 

Place the SP2 download inside this folder.

 

Slipstreaming the Windows XP CD

 

As I had mentioned earlier, this next step is necessary so that your original Windows XP CD contains the SP2 upgrade. When this is accomplished, SP2 will automatically install when you use this Recovery CD to reinstall your Windows XP Operating System.

 

First, you need to create a folder on your hard drive named: "xp" (without the quotes) Here's how:

 

Go to Start>> My Computer>> Double click on your Hard Drive folder (usually C:).

 

Right click an empty area inside this window and select New>> Folder.

 

Click once on your newly created "New Folder" and press F2 on your keyboard (or right click and select rename).

 

Rename this folder from "New Folder" to "xp" (without the quotes).

 

Once this folder is created, insert your original Windows XP CD into your CD Drive. Follow these steps:

 

Go to Start>> My Computer>> Double click on your CD Drive (usually D:)

 

Highlight everything contained in the root folder of the CD and copy the entire contents to your newly created "xp" folder on your Hard Drive.

 

Now, with both new folders created on your Hard Drive ("sp2" and "xp") you are ready to integrate the two. Here's how:

 

Go to Start>> Run. Type in: cmd  [Enter] or click OK.

 

At the Command Prompt, type in:

 

c:\sp2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU /integrate:c:\xp

 

Note: I recommend that you copy and paste the above command for accuracy sake.

 

Press Enter

 

The command above automatically integrates the information held within the "sp2" folder with the "xp" folder. This process could take several moments. Once complete your "xp" folder will now be slipstreamed. If for some reason this process did not work, then your Windows XP Recovery CD cannot be slipstreamed.

 

Valid Windows XP Product Key

 

Make sure that you have a valid Windows XP Product Key. If you do not have this code, then you will not be able to load your Operating System using this CD. The Key Code is usually located on the Certificate of Authenticity on the CD case. Or, some manufactures place the

Key Code on a Microsoft sticker commonly found on your PC.

 

If you cannot find this code, you will need to contact your computer manufacture or Microsoft direct.

 

Adding Drivers to the mix

 

You will need to add your essential drivers to your "xp" folder on your Hard Drive. All of the essential drivers that you require can be found at the manufactures web sites. Here's how to place them in your "xp" folder:

 

Navigate back to your "xp" folder on your Hard Drive.

 

Double click the folder to open it.

 

Right click an empty area within this folder and select New>> Folder.

 

Rename this "New Folder" to "DRIVERS" (without the quotes).

 

Once the "DRIVERS" folder is created, using the same method above, create DRIVERS sub-folders

called:

 

VIDEO (for your display adapter drivers)

 

NETWORK (for Ethernet or network adapter driver)

 

MODEM (if applicable)

 

BACKUP (include any drivers necessary to access any backup devices)

 

Be sure to include all of the pre-tested drivers and software necessary to gain a connection to the Internet. Once you are connected, you can always go out and get the non-essential drivers later. Do not place ZIP files within these folders. Be sure that they are expanded so they are readily accessible.

 

Add your backup data

 

Lastly, create a folder within your "xp" folder called: SOFTWARE

 

Add any backup software needed to pull your data off of your backup media.

 

Make your CD Bootable

 

Now, we have to make this a bootable CD. To do this, you will need a utility that burs iso like iso buster (can be found free)

 

IsoBuster is used to extract the boot loader from your original Windows XP CD. Here's how:

 

Open IsoBuster

 

With your original Windows XP CD loaded in your CD Drive, select your CD Drive from the list.

 

Highlight the bootable CD folder from the menu on the left.

 

Now, drag the BootImage.img file (or Microsoft Corporation.img file should work fine) from

IsoBuster to your Hard Drive.

 

Time to burn your Windows XP Recovery CD

 

Be sure that you will be using CD burning software capable of creating a bootable CD. The most common burning software are:

Roxio Easy Media Creator 7

Nero Burning ROM 6 or later

 

Depending on the program you are using for burning your Recovery CD, the steps will vary. Refer to your instruction manual for proper burning instructions. Basically, what you are going to accomplish is:

 

Copy the entire contents of the C:\xp folder to the CD project.

Use the BootImage.img file for the boot image data.

 

Your done J a recovery cd resource