How do I create Win 7 re-installation disk?

[ecbritz]

I have a Lenovo Y560p 64-bit i7 machine sold without a recovery or re-installation Win 7 disk. It has a so-called OneKey Recovery button which will in theory recover or re-install Windows 7 from the O/S info stored on a special HD partition. But I would like a DVD-Rom that boots the computer and does a re-installation of Win 7 should Windows break down. How do I create such a disk?

 

[Vipervgts]

To create a installation DVD, go here:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/windows-7-iso-x86-and-x64-official-direct-download-links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

Download the ISO image of the version of windows 7 of your choice. Burn it to a CD with a program like Daemon Tools.

 

[RetiredChief]

Goto the control panel, select backup. On the left pane you will see create a system image. It will look for location to put this image, so unless you have a backup HDD attached to the usb port probably will select DVDs. Once the image is completed you will be prompted to make a repair disk, it creates a bootable DVD.

Need to re-install - pop in repair disk, boot to dvd, select repair, then restore from Image. Have done this many times and for SSDs it takes about 10->15 Min and when done you reboot to HDD and the system is EXACTY as it was the day you created the system image. NO reload windows, no reload droivers, no re-install programs, NO re-activation.

PS other directories cn be backed up seperately.

 

[ecbritz]

Thanks. I tried to follow RetiredChief's advice, but the system image was going to be 106 GB. That's about 25 DVD Rom's. Any way around this problem? I do have 106 GB free on externals drives, but it feels as if there should be another solution.

 

[RetiredChief]

1) I prefer placing the image on a HD vs DVD.
2) How is your HDD set-up, I'm betting that "c" drive has OS + Programs + plus all of YOuR GENERATED files - This is not what I recommend but is common on store bought systems.
.. The recommended way is to have a :C: drive that is for ONLY OS and programs and a "D" drive for all the files that you will generate. Typically all of My C drives are only about 35->45 gigs. NOT a gamer, so you would have to add games. to my 35 gigs.
.. You can do this, a little time consuming BUTwell worth it in the long run. Reason. You only need to back-up "C" drive periodically like 6 Monhs, while Your generated Files data) should be backed up much more frequently.

To do this:
.. you would need to first Backup all the data that you generated (Most of it is in "My Doc's folder.
.. Then delete them.
.. Then shrink your "C" drive to a reasonable size. (FROM disk management)
May need to disable hibernation as this sticks a hidden file at the very end of the partition and prevens shrinking volume.
.. This will then result in a "unallocated partition on HDD. Using Diskmanager partiton/formate this as "D drive" NOTE might want to first shift the DVD drive to say E or F - disregaurd the Warning.

Some additional tips that I use to keep C down.
1) Disable Hibernation. For a system with 8 gigs his saves about 8 gigs disk space (Saves 4 gigs if you only have 4 gigs of ram.
2) I always take control of page file Virtual memory. Windows will allocate 1.5 X amount of RAM. So 8 gigs of Ram = 12 gigs HDD space (6 gigs for 4 Gigs of Ram). Set min and max BOTH to 1024 mb. this saves 11 gigs or 5 gigs of space.
3) Restore points - Take controll and set the max space that they can use. By default windows set a size dependen on HDD total space. Each restore point will take 300 mbs, over time this can grow to a very large value. try setting to 10 (which would be only require 3 Gigs space. PS I personnally disable altogether.
4) Move "my Docs" folder from C to D drive.
5) Create a "download folder (directory) on D drive and diret ALL down loads to D/downloads/folder (folder named for download).
6 reboot and Run diskclean up
All the above steps are realtively easy, if unsure just google topic and will find easy to follow directions.

OK now should have a more manageabe system and SMALE C drive to create your backup image from.

 

[RetiredChief]

Added:
1) What is the "used" space reported for C drive. Reason; I think windows 7 uses a compression algorthium to compress the files so image size should be less than "used" size.

2) Reason I do NOT like DVDs for storing the image.
.. While DVDs supplied with programs on them seem to last a long time, this is NOT always true for DVDs that you create. The only DVDs that should be used for long term backup are called M-Disk, and NOT all dvd writers can write to them.
.. If you ever checked dik that you create you will find that they may cntain anywheres from several THOUSAND correctable error upto a 100 thousand correctable error. While it is the "UNcorrectable errors that get you, these Correctable errors can easily turn into UNcorrectable. In the case of a stored copy of a Movie not a real big issue, but for a data disk that can equate to a "dead" file which means the entire DVD may be unuasable. Use to use Plextools for evaluating My DVDs - some disks (manuf) were really BAD.