Dell pc, windows recovery image and restore issues

Let me clarify things. The screenshots in post #16 are from dell's provided windows recovery image iso file that I downloaded using my service tag. It suppose to recover windows installation image as it was shipped from Dell. Because this pc came only with 32gb ssd there wouldn't enough space to have a regular recovery partition like other Dell's pc have.

This is dell's os recovery tool looks like.


Process 1
Here is what I get by using USB drive created by Dell's recovery tool from Dell's iso.
I insert usb drive into pc and click F12 to get to menu and select my USB drive under UEFI portion of the menu and follow those instruction.

Code:

Using the USB Recovery Media to Install Microsoft Windows

Installing Microsoft Windows 10
1.       Connect the USB recovery media that you created to the Dell PC where you want to install Microsoft Windows 10.
2.       Restart the PC and when the Dell logo appears, tap F12 key until you see ‘Preparing one time boot menu’ in the top-right corner of the screen.
3.       On the boot menu, under UEFI boot, select your USB drive and press Enter.
4.       Select the language and keyboard layout.
5.       On the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot, and then click Recover from a drive.
6.       Follow the on-screen instructions to finish installing Microsoft Windows. The installation process will take some time and your PC may restart several times.

The process takes about 40 minutes to go throw, then pc reboots and I assume it tries to boot for the first time. This is where it hangs on the Dell's logo.


Process 2

Now, when I try to install windows 10 but using USB drive I created using MS USB creation tool, I get the same thing. It goes throw the normal installation process and still gets stuck on the Dell's logo.

After either processes
If I reboot and use either Dell's created USB or MS created USB and go into Troubleshooting and command line. I can use diskpart to see what partitions were created. This is what volumes look like.


It seems that everything is there, but I still can't get to the 1st boot where I would setup windows 10

I hope this make sense.

Please help.

Kyhi said:

Dell puts the OEM Recovery Image on a partition within the SSD...
So where you download the Recovery Image ??? Dell does not provide that as a service....

Kyhi said:

There is a BIG difference between INSTALL and BOOTING...

You say both Win10 and Dell Recovery USB's are Bootable...
And it also appears you are saying that you can INSTALL windows..

So does one now have to assume that after installation - the OS is not bootable???
Or does the OS bsod upon booting???

You have the Dell Images - the Install*.swm files are the OS and the Boot.wim is actually the winRE.wim
Those Images a designed to work with recovery media... But I also see you are missing certain files in that directory..

Did your Dell come with Win8, 8.1 or 10 ??

And what are the actual messages you are getting...

In post #16 Dell pc, windows recovery image and restore issues, those are screenshots you requested. Top one is from "sources" folder and bottom one is the root folder of iso file. I just used 7zip to look inside.

Still don't understand why Windows 10 iso on USB wouldn't install. Does it make any difference uefi-csm vs uefi?

Here is another screenshot. May be it can help


Thank you very much for trying to help me.

ps. I have been doing IT for the last 25 year and have never seen this kind of issue.

Kyhi said:

Please post a pic of the files/folders on the Dell Recovery Drive

Attachment 120162

And a pic of the files in the \Sources Folder ( Note: UnHide System Files via View Tab > Options)

Attachment 120163

Here is the screenshot of the sources folder.

If I may ask. What you are saying if I have clean brand new drive I can't use USB created MS Windows 10 iso to install windows. Right? I think I have done it couple times before, I think.

As for creating recovery drive within original ssd and use it as restoring source. Tried it and it din't work. Same outcome as 2 other processes explained above. May be because the new drive and old one are different in size. Also when I compare recovery drive created from old ssd to dell's windows recovery image they seem to be the same.

Here is what else I tried. I installed back original ssd and use Dell's windows recovery image on USB and it did work and restored ssd to state when it was shipped from Dell. So I think Dell's windows recovery image works.

This is what inside of ResetConfig.xml in Sources folder.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Reset>
<Run Phase="BasicReset_BeforeImageApply">
<Path>OEM\PrepareCustomizations.cmd</Path>
<Duration>1</Duration>
</Run>
<Run Phase="BasicReset_AfterImageApply">
<Path>OEM\ApplyCustomizations.cmd</Path>
<Param></Param>
<Duration>2</Duration>
</Run>
<Run Phase="FactoryReset_AfterDiskFormat">
<Path>OEM\PrepareCustomizations.cmd</Path>
<Duration>1</Duration>
</Run>
<Run Phase="FactoryReset_AfterImageApply">
<Path>OEM\ApplyCustomizations.cmd</Path>
<Param></Param>
<Duration>2</Duration>
</Run>


<SystemDisk>
<MinSize>12000</MinSize>
<DiskpartScriptPath>ResetPartitions.txt</DiskpartScriptPath>
<OSPartition>3</OSPartition>
<RestoreFromIndex>1</RestoreFromIndex>
<WindowsREPartition>4</WindowsREPartition>
<WindowsREPath>Recovery\WindowsRE</WindowsREPath>
<Compact>True</Compact>
</SystemDisk>
</Reset>



This is ResetPartitions.txt I believe this what creates partitions
rem == ResetPartitions.txt ==


convert gpt


rem == 1. System partition =========================
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter="S"




rem == 2. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition =======
create partition msr size=16




rem == 3. Windows partition ========================
rem == a. Create the Windows partition ==========
create partition primary
shrink minimum=450
format quick fs=ntfs
assign letter="W"




rem == 4. Windows RE tools partition ===============
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows RE tools"
assign letter="T"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001


list volume
exit

Inside ApplyCustomizations.CMD
@echo off
if not exist w:\recovery mkdir w:\recovery
if not exist w:\recovery\OEM mkdir w:\recovery\OEM
if not exist w:\windows\panther mkdir w:\windows\panther


set mediapath=""
if exist c:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="c:"
if exist d:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="d:"
if exist e:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="e:"
if exist f:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="f:"
if exist g:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="g:"
if exist h:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="h:"
if exist i:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="i:"
if exist j:\sources\oem\unattend.xml set mediapath="j:"


xcopy %mediapath%\sources\oem\* w:\recovery\OEM /cherkys
xcopy %mediapath%\sources\oem\unattend.xml w:\windows\panther /cherkys
start /wait reg.exe LOAD HKLM\temp w:\windows\system32\config\SOFTWARE
regedit /s %mediapath%\sources\oem\oeminfo.reg
start /wait reg.exe UNLOAD HKLM\temp


attrib +h w:\recovery


:FINISHED
exit 0

Kyhi said:

Post a picture of the \sources folder...
Not \Sources\OEM
So far you are missing the OEM Image Files (Install.wim - Install*.swm - Boot.wim)
Windows 10 Rebuilds itself from within the installed version > Which you do not have on that drive........

Windows 10 Customizes itself with the OEM Customizations.ppkg stored in the \Recovery folder on drive C: > which you do not have on that drive......
Basically from what I see so far - that Dell Media will do you no good.. Pretty Much Useless...
Install your OLD drive (If still has OEM OS) go into control Panel > Recovery > Create a Recovery Drive...
Install your NEW drive - boot from the recovery drive you just created - and Restore the OEM OS

Or download the windows 10 iso from MS or Techbench > Download Helper > https://www.heidoc.net/php/Windows%2...Downloader.exe
when you go to install - delete every partition and allows windows to install to the unallocated space.... (it will create all the required partitions as needed)

This is what I did in process 2. I downloaded MS USB creatition tool which downloaded Windows 10 iso from MS and burn it into USB. Am I missing something?

Install*.swm(s) and Boot.wim files are already in Sources folder. Am I missing something?

I will copy ResetPartitions.txt and will change ResetConfig.xml as you said.

btw this is what I tried http://www.dell.com/support/Article/us/en/4/SLN300987/EN with no success.