Unfortunately, because all manufacturers create custom discs, it can be difficult for third-party support companies, such as Computer Hope, to troubleshoot a restore disc problem. Below are common problems encountered while trying to restore a computer.
Don’t have a restore disc
If you don’t have your system restore/recovery disc or didn’t create one when you first got the computer, you can try restoring your system using the hidden system restore partition.
Unable to boot to restore disc
If you have a disc, but cannot boot from the disc, there may a problem with your boot options. Verify the proper boot device order is set in the Boot Menu. See the page below for further information about this issue.
Today, most computer manufacturers are using a hidden partition instead of a restore disc.
- How to boot from a CD or DVD in a computer.
Error during restore process
If you get an error during the restore process try searching for the error message. The error message may be related to the computer or its hardware (e.g., hard drive) that may require different troubleshooting steps.
Other problems
If you tried the suggestions above and still encounter problems after multiple tries, we suggest you contact your computer manufacturer.
Related information
- How to erase my hard drive and start over?
- How to fix an invalid or Non-System disk error.
- See the restore disc definition for further information and related terms.
- Computer boot disk help and support.
