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| Windows 7 |
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| Install/Remove |
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| Backup - Restore -
Recovery |
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Create A Windows 7 System Repair Disk
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| The question is,
what's a System Repair Disk? Basically it's nothing
more than a CD that can be used to boot the computer
and allows access to the System Recovery Options
user interface. It isn't the only method available
to achieve this result. You can get to the same
place by booting from a Windows 7 installation DVD
or in some cases by using a recovery disk supplied
by the computer manufacturer, but I still keep one
tucked away if for no other reason than as a backup
in case of emergency. If you've ever powered on a
system and seen a "NTLDR is damaged or missing" or
similar message, you may just be glad you have one
of these disks. |
| It's worth noting that
these disks are 32 and 64 bit specific. If you are
running a 32 bit version of Windows 7, a 32 bit
System Repair Disk is required. The same holds true
for 64 bit versions. If you're the family computer
'guru', one of each is handy for your toolkit. |
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| Create the System
Repair Disk |
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1 - Open
[Backup and Restore] by clicking Start > Control
Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore
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2 - In the
left side pane, click [Create A System Repair Disk].
Depending on how the system is configured it may or
may not be necessary to provide administrative
credentials at the UAC prompt.
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3- The [Create A System Repair Disk] dialog box
opens. Select the CD/DVD drive location and insert a
blank CD into the drive. Click [Create Disk] to
continue.
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4 - It won't
take long to create the disk. There's just a bit
over 150MB of data to be written.
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5 - When the
burning is complete, take the advice and label the
disk, including whether it's for a 32 or 64 bit
system.
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Booting the System
with System Repair Disk
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There's nothing special
about booting from a System Repair Disk. Just make
sure the CD is in the CD/DVD drive, power on the
system, and watch for the [Press Any Key...] prompt
to appear. When it does, strike a key and the system
will go ahead and boot to the [System Recovery
Options] screen as shown in the screen capture
below. Select the language (if option is available)
and the Keyboard Input Method then click [Next] and
you're on your way.
If you don't see the
[Press Any Key...] prompt appear, check the BIOS to
make sure the CD/DVD drive is set as the first boot
device. If you're unfamiliar with the procedure to
set the CD/DVD drive as the first boot device, see
Set BIOS to Boot from CD/DVD Drive
for an overview of the procedure.
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If there is already a
version of Windows 7 installed on the system, the
screen shown below is more than likely what will
appear. There are a number of different tasks that
can be accomplished using the System Repair Disk,
two of them shown here; fixing problems starting
Windows and restoring the system from a previously
created system image. The focus of this tutorial is
Backup, Restore, and Recovery so I'll cover that
later in a section on how to restore a system using
a system image.
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For now, I suggest you
simply check the System Repair Disk to make sure
it's bootable, click the 'X' in the upper right, and
reboot the system back into the primary operating
system. Remove the System Repair Disk, label it if
you haven't already, then store it safely.
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- Important Information -
The Elder Geek sites contain many articles and suggestions for
modifying the Windows operating system. I've tried these
tweaks and tips on many systems. Sometimes they work,
sometimes not. The point is, ensure you have a current,
tested backup of all system and data files and understand
how to restore the system in case something goes very wrong.
You can still yell at me, but I assume no responsibility for
your actions and use of the information and disclaim any
legal responsibility for any consequences of such actions. |
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