Hi everybody today we are going to talk about the different type of recovery disks that are available to get your PC restored to a running state. System recovery disks and original Windows OEM disks are sometimes included with a new computer. There is a big difference in the two disks and what you can do with them if your computer crashes.
A system recovery disk is a disk that is often supplied by your computer manufacturer to get your system back to a factory state if the inevitable ever happens. These disks are great for an inexperienced user as they completely automate the process of getting your computer back to normal. You simply place the disk in the CD drawer and restart the computer. The computer should then boot into the CD and the system will prompt you through the steps. Once the process is started, the disk will reinstall the original operating system with the original installed drivers. Once the process is complete, you will have to run your Windows Update service several times to get your system up to date. You will also have to reinstall your security software and any programs that you need to get back onto the machine. The disadvantage of this type of disk is that it is intended for a full re install and not for repairing errors.
The second type of disk that many computer manufacturers supply with their machines is an original OEM Windows disk. This is a CD (or DVD) of the original operating system that was installed on your computer. It is a full Windows version disk that will only work on the machine that it was originally installed on. This type of re install is not quite as simple and some knowledge of installing Windows will be needed. In addition, there are a number of repairs that can often be done with this disk that often times will get your system going without loosing any data. If you have an OEM recovery disk you will also require a Driver and Utility disk to re install all of your drivers.
The third type of recovery option is a recovery partition. This is a partition that is preinstalled on your system with the operating system and drivers included. It also will bring your system back to operation with just a few clicks. These options are usually automatic and only require minimal interactions from you as it works. Once the reinstall is complete, you will have a factory new install that you will have to add all your programs and data to. The disadvantage is that simple repair operations cannot usually be done with this type of installation.
There is one more type of recovery option is that is a system image. This is basically a complete clone of your operating system and all your data. The clone can be done on DVD’s or an external hard drive. The clone can also be done on an internal second drive installed on the machine. The beauty of this type of recovery is that you can bring your computer back to a useable state without loosing any of your data or programs. You can simply use the boot up disk that was included with the cloning software or if you cloned to a hard drive, simply swap out the drives and you are on your way in no time. Obviously, this is the recovery option of choice.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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