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Originally Posted by Paul
Boot into safe mode to see if it is background apps etc? Would also help isolate any problem programs that may be causing the instability.
---------- added 27-11-2005 at 22:08 ----------
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Originally Posted by Stuart C
Generally, the Recovery CD restores the PC to the same condition it was in when it was bought.
Apparently, some even reformat/repartition the hard drive.
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Yep some of them restore to factory condition which means putting the hard drive right back to how it was at the factory wether you like it or not. |
The newer PBs, like 1518, come with >1 HD and even then, if they only use 1 then it's partitioned into C and D with the data files on D. The recovery only wipes C.
They also have problems with system restore (shiiiit) and the Documents and Settings folder but PB are looking into that.
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Originally Posted by atlantis
Best advise, go for the reformat option using the recovery cd.
If you buy a full OEM version of XP (home or Pro) it can be tricky to remove the partition that the recovery CD sometimes uses (I know my Packard Bell Imedia 1517, bought from PC world) came with only a recovery partition, which is supposed to restore to factory levels.
I bought XP home cd, but the way the makers installed the partition, made it very difficult to remove, as the partition was not in NTFS or DOS, and therefore, not recognised by the XP home installation CD.
Removed it the hard way in the end, using FDISK via win.98SE startup floppy.
If you need this approach, I can advise further.
The system runs perfectly now, and is free of the pre-installed rubbish the PC makers think we need.
Once you do this re-installation, the registry will be 100% OK and fresh.
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Why would you want to Fdisk it out? You could always have used smart restore to kill all the crap like AOL, NIS etc and then there's the issue of tattoos and drivers for the PB (branded not OEM) stuff, for an OEM machine then maybe I'd say Fdisking out the recovery is borderline OK but there's no point in doing it on a 1517 where HD space isn't a problem.
---------- added 27-11-2005 at 23:40 ----------
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Originally Posted by Stuart C
Generally, the Recovery CD restores the PC to the same condition it was in when it was bought.
Apparently, some even reformat/repartition the hard drive.
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Course they do. If it's a problem with HD configuration or some form of virus then there's a need to automatically reformat especially seeing as the programs are designed to be noob-proof (ACD of five minutes to take someone through a PB recovery).
You have to understand that most customers buying this type of PC know (in general) naff all about internet security, viruses (well I've got the 3 month trial of NIS that came with the computer but I haven't run a live update or a scan since I got it and my PC's now 18 months old surely I can't have a virus), you know...