Boot 64 bit Vista PC from Vista 32 bit Install CD

Yes - that should be possible as long as you are not trying to do a repair...

roybridge,

Regarding
> Yes - that should be possible as long as you are not trying to do a repair...

But, as I mentioned, I may try Startup Repair....

Also what is the answer to Question (2)

roybridge and other EE experts

In the circumstances described in my Question, please answer the questions below indivdually.

Will Sys Restore work

Will System Recovery work  (if there is a recovery partiion on the HD)?

Will Startup Repair work ?

And what is the answer to Question (2) (install CD not same version of Vista as installed OS).

Mike

Question 1

Will Sys Restore work <- NO

Will System Recovery work  (if there is a recovery partiion on the HD)? <- NO

Will Startup Repair work ? < - NO

32 bit Vista OS needs 32 bit Vista Recovery Disc

64 bit Vista OS needs 64 bit Vista Recovery Disc

In short, you will receive the message below when you try to do the reverse.

This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows.

Question 2

32 bit Vista Receovery Disk can fix all (Vista Ultimate / Vista Business / Vista Home Premium / Vista Basic)

64 bit Vista Receovery Disk can fix all (Vista Ultimate / Vista Business / Vista Home Premium)

There is no 64 bit Vista Basic.

So, the rule is 32 bit Vista OS needs 32 bit Vista Recovery Disc and 64 bit Vista OS needs 64 bit Vista Recovery Disc; and there is no difference among (Vista Ultimate / Vista Business / Vista Home Premium / Vista Basic) when it comes to the use of vista recovery disc.

The only exception for the above is that you recovery from a backup of Complete PC Restore in an external drive (and NOT a recovery partiion on the HD).

jackieman:,

You did NOT read my Question. I said 32 bit Vista **INSTALL** CD, not Recovery CD. THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. Please reply again accordingly if you know the answers to the questions in my reply to roybridge.

Mike

Exactly, you need the 32 bit disc for 32 bit repair. If you can't get it to work, I know ERD commander for Vista x86 have some utilities to make a system restore and it works very well.

good luck !

In my routine, a vista recovery disc works the same way to launch vista recovery environment from a vista setup dvd.

32 bit setup disc for 32 bit os.

64 bit setup disc for 64 bit os.

Just checked it in my computer..so 100% sure about this info..after you boot from windows vista 32 bit disc...you can go to command prompt and run bcd command and dos commands to restore the operating system.


If having boot issue can try rebuilding the bootconfig.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

So the answer to your question is you can access the command prompt to rund bcd, notepad and other command to recover data and restore the operating system from cmd.



Ded9

Dos commands will work the rest wont work


Ded9

Thanks for replies. However I am still confused. It appears that Startup repair will not work from replies above. But that is not my #1 reason to do this kind of thing (because Startup repair exits if the PC started Ok at last boot and hance cannot be used to fix problems that occur after a good boot).

SOOOO...will System Restore AND System Recovery (from Recovery Partition) ) work in the context of my question above. With CD being an Install CD. SOME Recovery CDs will do some of the things in the F8 menu but this is manufacturer dependent. All you can be sure of is it will reformat the HD and return PC to state it was originally in. (In some cases it will save personal files or give you an opportunity to do that). And some will offer to run diagnostics. And once one offered to run System restore BUT all that is not the main purpose of Recovery and varies from PC manufacturer to PC manufacturer.

But the Vista install CD will allow ALL the Repair-type options above (and several more) IF the CD matches the OS (32-BIT OR 64-BIT os).

Please reply for Vista Install CD and for System restore and System Recovery. NOTE; It is not called System Recovery in f8 menu but there is an option that does it.

Mike

Okay the f8 option that your taking about is called repair my computer....You get Repair my computer option when u tap F8...if u have that option then u do not require any dvd ..you can do system restore as well as full system recovery from there.

First would recommend system restore.

Post all the options that u see after tapping F8 key without inserting the win7 dvd in th drive...can also post the screenshot from your cellphone if possible.\


Ded9

i am sorry its not Win7 i mean vista....post recovery options that you see.


Ded9

jackieman:

If Complete PC Restore works in the 32 bit Install CD and 64 bit Vista OS case, then why would Systerm Recovery not work too as basically what is in the Recovery Media is the same (or same structure) as a in the backup media? I mean the backup media AND the Recovery Partition include a Program that does the recovery. Once that program starts what is on the 32 bit CD is not used.

Mike

As I mentioned before, there will be no vista installation detected if you use a 32bit install DVD to repair a 64 bit OS (and vice versa), system restore is not allowed as the system does not know where to restore back the system files. System restore is a pre-designed GUI, and you cannot manually tell the system where to place back the system files as it is not a dos command (you just cannot launch system restore if no vista installation is detected and there is no workaround). For windows complete pc back, it is just like a ghost based image recovery program if you can locate a valid image backup (not a factory.wim inside a hidden recovery partition), no matter you use a 32 bit or 64 bit install DVD, the system will just try to recovery the windows complete pc backup file (in vhd format) to the first active primary HDD, not partition) and the process can continue.

I am not the one who write the OS and we cannot change what we can do and what we cannot and it is your question which leads MD to read a few pages of ms documentation for windows complete pc backup and restore. With my prior knowledge and understanding of how vista works, I can give you a firm answer for your question.

If you want to recovery from the factory.wim file in recovery partition, Assuming that the Windows Vista factory image is located in the folder d:\dell\image\ , try the following:-

You need to start the computer with a WinPE CD (which has imagex tools) and run the following command in command prompt.

imagex /apply d:\dell\image\factory.wim 1 c:\

Then, use Bcdedit,exe commands below to configure the boot store.

Bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=c:

Bcdedit /set {default} device partition=c:

Bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=c:

Finally, type exit at command prompt to restart computer and your computer will be brought back to the factory condition.

Source: https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/26702221/DELL-Insprion-E1405.html?sfQueryTermInfo=1+10+30+factory.wim+jackieman

For vista, win pe 2.0 is required and for win 7, win pe 3.0 is required.

Win pe stands for windows reinstallation environment which are used for deployment but it can also be used for recovery if the deployment wim file is for exactly the same model and brand of the computer.

Do not ask me where to download win pe cd as EE rules prohibits that. You need to create your own win pe cd from waik. If you want to ask about win pe, close this question and ask a new question.

A typo for the above, it should read:

Win pe stands for windows preinstallation environment which are used for deployment but it can also be used for recovery if the deployment wim file is for exactly the same model and brand of the computer.