where is my Recovery Environment?

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peejayw

1825 posts

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#157551 4-Dec-2014 16:22

Acer Aspire V5 w Windows 8.1

I decided I needed to re-install Windows on my laptop but when I went to Update and Recovery/ Refresh Your PC I got the message "Could not find the recovery environment. Insert the windows Install disk."
Of course the laptop never came with any Windows disks :-(
Partition Manager shows the following partitions on the drive...

How can I get it to reinstall Windows?

Thanks in advance.

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Brumfondl

1182 posts

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#1188778 4-Dec-2014 16:27

Check for a Utility on the machine from Acer to make backup disks. Generally after you make the disks and restart using them it then decides that there was a partition all along.

Brumfondl

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garvani

1873 posts

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#1188783 4-Dec-2014 16:40

Try this

Recovering from within Windows

Click Startscreen, Acer eRecovery Management.
Click the Restore tab, then Restore Operating System to Factory Defaults to open the Confirm Restoration dialog box.
Click Yes, then Start. A dialog box will display information about the hard drive that the operating system will be recovered to.
Click OK. The recovery process begins by restarting your computer, then continues by copying files to your hard drive. This process may take a while, the Acer eRecovery Management screen displays the progress. When the recovery has finished, a dialog box prompts you to restart your computer.
Click OK to restart your computer. Follow the onscreen prompts for first-time system setup.

Recovering from the hard drive during startup

Turn on your computer, then press <Alt> + <F10> during startup to open Acer
eRecovery Management.
Click Restore Operating System to Factory Defaults.
Click Next. Your hard drive’s original, factory-loaded contents will be recovered. This process will take several minutes.

Good luck

peejayw

1825 posts

Uber Geek

#1188786 4-Dec-2014 16:58

When I click on Restore Operating System it says "Hard drive configuration is not set to factory default, restore aborted."

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

nathan

5695 posts

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Inactive user

#1188803 4-Dec-2014 17:24

the Push Button Reset recovery partition is there

Was the machine shipped with Windows 8.0 and then upgraded to Windows 8.1 maybe?

peejayw

1825 posts

Uber Geek

#1188873 4-Dec-2014 20:36

Yes, shipped with 8 then upgraded, why?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Brumfondl

1182 posts

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#1188925 4-Dec-2014 21:29

Recovery will be for Windows 8, not 8.1. It is an issue with Windows 8 that has only been seolved within the last few weeks.

peejayw

1825 posts

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#1189065 5-Dec-2014 05:26

So can I recover back to 8? How would I do that?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

garvani

1873 posts

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#1189108 5-Dec-2014 08:34

peejayw: So can I recover back to 8? How would I do that?

Installing 8.1 will have corrupted the recovery. Yes thats as retarded as it sounds. I don't know of any way to get around this except for finding some windows 8 media and starting from scratch, you will have the key embedded into the bios and is easy enough to get out once you have the disc.

nathan

5695 posts

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#1189111 5-Dec-2014 08:38

peejayw: So can I recover back to 8? How would I do that?

Have you tried creating a recovery key from inside Windows, then booting off that?

peejayw

1825 posts

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#1189115 5-Dec-2014 08:47

What Windows 8 media would I need, a complete install disk?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

garvani

1873 posts

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#1189117 5-Dec-2014 08:52

If its not booting and you can't create a recovery set then yes you will need to find a windows 8/8.1 install disc.

nathan

5695 posts

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#1189120 5-Dec-2014 08:59

you can download the media here

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media?woldogcb=0

nathan

5695 posts

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Inactive user

#1189121 5-Dec-2014 09:00

garvani:
peejayw: So can I recover back to 8? How would I do that?

Installing 8.1 will have corrupted the recovery. Yes thats as retarded as it sounds. I don't know of any way to get around this except for finding some windows 8 media and starting from scratch, you will have the key embedded into the bios and is easy enough to get out once you have the disc.

Installing 8.1 won't upgrade the recovery partition from 8 to 8.1, but it should still recover to 8.0

garvani

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#1189125 5-Dec-2014 09:05

Unfortunately Ive seen the 8.1 update break the link to the recovery partition several times now and I havn't been able to resurrect the recovery on these machines. If there's a way im really keen to hear about it, as reloading from scratch is rather time consuming :)

nathan

5695 posts

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#1189127 5-Dec-2014 09:13

garvani: Unfortunately Ive seen the 8.1 update break the link to the recovery partition several times now and I havn't been able to resurrect the recovery on these machines. If there's a way im really keen to hear about it, as reloading from scratch is rather time consuming :)

not something I've seen myself :|

did it break copying the Recovery partition to bootable USB key, and booting off that too?