Format and Reinstall Windows Media?

Call the mfg. Period. They will tell you which key to press to access the partition you need to in order to "restore" your Windows O/S.

This is a feature the hardware mfg have come up with to save money on the cost of providing restore discs.

Frankly this sucks because you will have to remove all the trialware they include(and Dell is notorious for this), reinstall any sofware you've added and you will have to install all Windows updates that have been released since you purchased your PC.

regards,

@Harry , I believe its " Ctrl+F11 " and your right it's a shitty way to do business. I always delete the Recovery Partion then install XP pro for friends that go that route , mind you I give them a XP Corp. cd too .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrycary

This is a feature the hardware mfg have come up with to save money on the cost of providing restore discs.

Frankly this sucks because...

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Not only do they save maybe a whole dime on the cost of a disk but you lose several gigs of HDD space to their partition.
Even better (if you are Satan) are the ones where the owner is "encouraged" to burn his/her own restore disks from the recovery partition which then becomes inaccessable (having already performed it's only function in life).
Naturally, these restore disks get lost immediately (joining Amelia Earhart and single socks- wherever it is they went) leaving the owner with no restore options at all.

All in all it's a beancounter's triumph.