Create Your System Recovery Disks Before You *Need* Computer Repair Help
A few years ago a new computer would come with a pile of disks or CDs for all the various programs that were pre-installed. You would get Windows, Antivirus, possibly Office and all the program disks that went along with them. If you ever had a problem where the computer had to be reloaded, you would need expert computer repair help to get it back up and running.
Then the brand name computers started to include what they called recovery disks, or system restore disks. These data recovery disks included all of the pre-loaded software on the system, in an easy-to-install format that made it much easier for the average user to restore their computer if problems arose, without having to get expert computer repair help.
Most of these companies have gone one step further now, and they don’t even include the disks with the computer. A copy of all the original software is stored on the hard drive where it can be accessed if it’s necessary to reload the computer.
The problem with this method is if the hard drive itself "crashes" then the copy of the software is lost along with everything else. As unlikely as this is, these kind of computer problems do happen from time to time. If this happens, the manufacturer will ship you a set of disks but there is normally a charge for this, not to mention the time it takes to get them shipped. By the time you get the disks, you could have been without a working computer for a week or more.
How Can You Avoid This Problem?
Most new computers – brand-name computer in particular – come with a program that will create a set of recovery disks for you to use if you should ever need them. The trouble is, most new users never bother to make these disks and don’t realize how important they are until it’s too late.
==========SIDEBAR============
This is really not as much of an issue
with "house" brand computers. If you
bought your computer from a smaller
dealer or it’s a brand that is built by
the store where you bought it, you
might not have an option to create
these disks. If that is the case, you
should make sure you have a set of
disks for all the software on your
computer or check with the store you
bought it from as to how they deal
with system reloads.
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If your system has the ability to make a set of recovery disks for you, this should be one of the first things you do after you set it up.
Normally, this program will be listed in your Start menu. On a Hewlett Packard system, for example, there is a folder called "PC Recovery Tools" on the Start menu. Inside this folder is the HP PC Recovery CD-DVD Creator. This is the program you need to run to make your disks.
Other brands may call it something different, but it will be a similar name. If you can't find it anywhere in the menus, I would recommend you call either the store you bought it from or the manufacturer's computer repair help line to find out where it is.
On most computers, this program will only let you make one set of CD’s – they don’t want someone making a bunch of copies for all their friends. When you run this program, it’s best to make sure you have enough time to see it through to completion. Depending on the system, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours so plan accordingly.
You will need some blank CD’s or DVD’s to make the disks (you did buy some with your new computer didn’t you?) When you run the program, it will normally tell you how many disks you will need.
If you have a DVD writer in your computer, the recovery disk program may give you the option of using CD’s or DVD’s, since you can record either format with a DVD writer. I recommend using blank DVD’s if you have them, because a DVD will hold a lot more information (between 7 and 15 times as much as a CD) and you won’t have to swap nearly as many disks.
The process of making the disks is automated – all you will have to do is put in a new disk whenever it asks you to. Once the disks are all made, put them away somewhere safe – that you won’t forget – in case you ever need them.
If you ever have a problem with your computer – such as a virus or spyware – that messes up the programs too seriously, you can use these disks to reload it back to the way it was when you first bought it. In some cases, even if you take your computer to a PC repair shop, they will still need these disks to get it back to working order.