Repair Install (in place upgrade) question

sportsfan148 said:

Hi mate. I saw a link on Dell website where you download drivers to an OS Recovery tool. Im just a bit unclear what the difference is between using that or using Dell Backup and Recovery to create what theyre calling a reinstall disk. I dont know if it does exactly the same thing or not

The reinstall disk would take the laptop back to factory new.

Winuser said:

The reinstall disk would take the laptop back to factory new.

Im presuming that the OS Recovery tool would do the exact same thing

Try3 said:

I've always thought that the Dell OS Recovery tool included Dell drivers & Dell utilities so that it would be a true restore to factory. I never found an explicit statement to that effect though. I know that their Windows 7 equivalent claimed to do that [but it omitted a few things anyway].
How to create and use the Dell Windows recovery image - Dell UK

Windows 10 ISOs from MS [and hence InstallUSBs made from them] will not include the drivers & utilities that Dell would install. Windows update would include many of the drivers afterwards.

You can use the normal InstallUSB made from a Windows 10 ISO for a clean install and then get your Dell drivers by going to Dell support, entering your Dell service tag, downloading all the relevant items then installing them. You'll find most or all Dell utilities in their list as well, it's not just confined to drivers.
How to reinstall drivers in the correct order - Dell UK

You could also protect yourself by backing up your existing drivers before you start considering anything else at all
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials
- This should give you confidence that you could get the hardware back to its current state.
- This backup will not include Dell utilities.

Somebody else has already mentioned Macrium reflect system images.

All the best,
Denis

Hi Denis. Ive used a MCT created flash drive to clean install for the last few years but as Im getting a new laptop I want to give it a try sticking to their factory image and see how it goes. Im also curious to see what happens when using Reset PC from Settings/Recovery...thats an option I quite like using. I always select to Remove everything and Im curious to see if that will reinstall the Factory Image complete with all the Dell software. When Ive used Reset PC in the past Ive found that it reinstalls the currently installed Windows 10 version not the version that came preinstalled when the PC was first purchased. I dont know if that will happen with a Dell OEM with factory image though