Completely Recovering my Notebook VAIO

[ReskelGoldDragon]

there are a few things that i am still unsure about recovering my VAIO, and i wish to remove everything and start again from scratch, like i just bought it new again. now i dont know what i need to do in order to make it that way, i have the recovery CDs that came with it when i bought it new, and have done the standard and advanced recovery, but once its done, not everything is back to how it used to be when i first got the notebook. what must i do?

also, i have thought about formatting the C drive, but im unsure on what might go wrong if i do.

[kee-lo_]

Hi

Put the first CD in the tray, restart your VAIO and do the advanced recovery.

Once you have done that and are in Windows, use the other recovery CDs to put the software and drivers back on.

Once this has been done your VAIO is as good as new

[ReskelGoldDragon]

i said ive tried the advanced recovery, unfortunately it doesnt reset everything to how it used to be.

what about the format of the C drive, is it safe to do so? or will it mess up the whole system even if i use the recovery CDs?

[kee-lo_]

Yes, but ONCE you have done the advanced recovery YOU need to put in the LAST disc of the recovery SET to FINISH off the INSTALLATION.

[Kei]

I've recently wiped clean my VAIO.
I used the 7 CDs I've created from when I got first got the notebook.
Put in System Recovery Disc 1, and restart the PC.
Then what I did was choose the Complete Recovery option, and in Advanced I checked the "reset sectors to zero" I think, whatever the advanced option had it was something about resetting all sectors or bytes (something like that) to 0.

After about 40 mins of swapping discs around, I finally got back to Windows as though it was when I first bought the notebook.

Everything on the C drive was reset to when you first got it. I.e. all preloaded programs installed, all drivers back to default, and also, well for me my 😧 drive formatted, yay!!
The Complete recovery option, does say that only the C: drive will recovered whilst leaving the 😧 drive intact. But that's not true, it'll completely wipe everything clean and put it back to the state when your first bought the notebook.

I don't know if you're notebook has 3 partitions (i.e. hidden Recovery partiion, C: drive partition, and 😧 drive partition), but that's what I have - PCG-K215B.

[ReskelGoldDragon]

i wonder if models have different recovery ways? mine is a PCG-GR214EP

[kee-lo_]

Not really, all that changed was the format. (CD to DVD)

[TygerTyger]

One recovery disc :smileygrin: Goodbye floppy-style disk swapping.