Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager
V1.2
Users Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 1
Notes and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer and software.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of
data if instructions are not followed.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is
strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft, Windows, and
Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and
trade names other than its own.
April 2010 Rev. A01
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 2
Table of Contents
1 Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Overview ........................... 4
2 Overview Screen ................................................................................................... 5
2.1 If you have created a system backup ................................................... 6
2.2 If you have not created a system backup ........................................... 6
3 File Backup and Restore ..................................................................................... 7
3.1 Backing up your data files ......................................................................... 7
3.2 Restoring your data files ............................................................................. 9
4 Backing up your system ................................................................................... 11
5 Restoring your system ...................................................................................... 15
5.1 Restoring from within Windows ............................................................. 15
5.2 Restoring from a bootable backup ........................................................ 17
5.3 Restoring your system from the Windows Recovery
Environment ............................................................................................................. 19
6 Managing your system backups .................................................................... 20
6.1 Exporting a system backup ..................................................................... 20
6.2 Deleting a system backup ........................................................................ 21
6.3 Renaming a system backup .................................................................... 22
7 Dell Recovery Tools ............................................................................................ 23
7.1 Dell Recovery Media (Not available in Windows XP) ..................... 23
7.2 OS Media (Available only if installed on your system) ................. 26
8 Windows Recovery Environment .................................................................. 29
9 Operating Systems Supported ....................................................................... 31
10 Supported Optical Media .............................................................................. 32
11 Other information you need to know ...................................................... 33
12 Major differences between the versions ................................................ 35
13 Why do I need to back up? ......................................................................... 36
14 Backup Options Summary ........................................................................... 37
15 Restore Options Summary .......................................................................... 38
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 3
1 Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Overview
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 is a basic and easy to use tool that helps
you create and manage your file and system backups, and recover your computer
and data in the event of a failure. Using the program, you will also be able to:
1. Create a bootable Recovery DVD or external storage device that includes
the Windows Recovery Environment and can include your Dell Factory Image
(user choice). Your Dell Factory Image includes your operating system, and
any drivers and applications installed when your system was built in the Dell
factory (Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 only - not available in
Windows XP).
How does this benefit me? The Windows Recovery Environment allows you
to automatically fix problems that are preventing Windows from starting. It
also allows you to restore Windows to an earlier point in time, access a
command prompt and among other things, launch Dell Backup and
Recovery Manager and restore your system from a previously saved system
backup image, all without having to be in Windows.
NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you include your Dell Factory Image
on your Recovery disk.
2. Create a single legal backup copy of your Microsoft Windows
Operating System on a DVD (all OS versions), or an external storage device
(Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 only). The copy also includes your
Dell factory-installed drivers.
How does this benefit me? This allows you to create a one-time DVD
backup copy of your original Microsoft Windows operating system. DBRM also
includes all your Dell system drivers separately in their own Drivers folder on
the DVD or external storage device. This allows you to get back to your
original Windows operating system state and re-install your factory-installed
Dell system drivers. It’s another tool great in your arsenal.
CAUTION: Reformatting your primary hard drive or deleting its
Recovery partition will delete your Dell Factory Image. As a result,
the image will no longer be available as a Restore option.
CAUTION: For desktops and notebooks, it is recommended that you
temporarily disable your Power Management settings to avoid
potential interruption to the backup and recovery process.
Interrupting the backup and recovery process can result in potential
data loss.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 4
2 Overview Screen
The System Backup Status screen is the first screen displayed when you launch
Dell Backup and Recovery Manager. You can also access it from other screens in the
Dell Backup and Recovery Manager by clicking the Overview button.
The System Backup Status screen displays information about the last system
backup image made. For Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems that
include a copy of your Dell Factory Image on the Recovery partition, it will be your
initial system backup image shown until you back up your system.
For Windows XP systems that do not have a Recovery partition and a Dell Factory
Image, the backup status information is replaced with a message informing you that
a backup has not been made and advises you to create a backup now by clicking
Backup System Now …. For more information, go to 2.2 If you have not created
a system backup.
NOTE: It is recommended that you make frequent and regular system
backups as a safeguard against possible future software or hardware failures
that may occur unexpectedly. For more information, go to 13 Why do I
need to back up?
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 5
NOTE: It is recommended that you backup your system before and after
downloading any security updates and installing any applications.
2.1 If you have created a system backup
If you have created a system backup, the System Backup Status screen displays
the following information about the last successful backup:
Name of the backup, which you choose when creating a backup (for example,
Dell Factory Image)
Date and time the backup occurred
The screen also provides the link
Backup System Now …. For
information about backing up the
system, go to 4 Backing up your
system.
To back up specified files on a
system, go to 3 File Backup and
Restore.
NOTE: For Microsoft
Windows Vista and Windows 7
systems, your Dell Factory Image is
your initial system backup.
2.2 If you have not created a system backup
If you have a Windows XP system and have not created a backup, or if your Dell
Factory Image was removed, the System Backup Status screen displays the
following message:
You have not created a
backup. It is
recommended that you
create at least one backup
to use to enable your
recovery in the event of
catastrophic failure.
The screen also provides the
link Backup System Now ….
For information about backing
up your system, go to 4
Backing up your system.
To back up specified files on a
system, go to 3 File Backup and Restore.
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3 File Backup and Restore
The File Backup and Restore
screen provides links that execute
Microsoft® Windows data backup and
recovery functions for specific file
types.
You can access the File Backup and
Restore screen from other screens in
the Dell Backup and Recovery
Manager by clicking the File Backup
and Restore button.
If you need additional help with the
following screens, refer to Microsoft’s
Help system regarding backing up
and restoring files.
3.1 Backing up your data files
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for backup or recovery,
it is strongly recommended that you run the computer on AC power
rather than battery power to avoid potential interruption to the backup
and recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can
result in potential data loss.
1. Click Backup files....
The Where do you want to save your backup? screen appears.
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2. Specify the location where you
want to save the backup file.
You can save the backup to a
hard drive, CD, DVD, or network
location.
3. Click Next.
The Which disks do you want to include in the backup? screen appears,
displaying a list of disks.
4. Select all of the disks you want to
back up by selecting the check
box beside each disk.
NOTE: The disk on which the
Windows operating system is
installed is always automatically
included in the backup. However
you cannot include the disk
where the backup image will be
stored.
5. Click Next.
The Which type of files do you
want to back up? screen
appears, displaying a list of file
types.
6. Select the check box for each file
type you want to back up.
7. Click Next.
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The How often do you want to
create a backup? screen appears.
8. Using the drop-down menus, select
the time increment, day of the
week, and the time of day you want
to run the backup.
9. Click Save settings and start
backup to begin the backup
process.
A progress bar displays as Windows
creates the backup. When the
backup is complete, Windows
displays a balloon message above
the system tray indicating the
backup was successful.
3.2 Restoring your data files
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for backup or recovery,
it is strongly recommended that you run the computer on AC power
rather than battery power to avoid potential interruption to the backup
and recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can
result in potential data loss.
NOTE: The Restore files… link will be inactive if you have not previously backed
up any files.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 9
1. Click Restore files....
2. Select the backup from
which you want to restore
files: Files from the
latest backup, or Files
from an older backup.
3. Click Next.
The Select the files and
folders to restore screen
appears.
4. Select files and folders to
restore:
a. To add individual
files, click the Add
files... button,
browse to the
location of each file,
and then select the
file to add it to the
list. Repeat for each
file you want to
restore.
b. To add folders and
their contents, click
the Add folders...
button, browse to
the location of each
file, and select the
file to add it to the list. Repeat for each folder you want to restore.
c. To search rather
than browse for files
and folders, click
Search....
5. Click Next.
The Where do you want
to save the restored
files? screen appears.
6. Select where you want the
files restored.
7. Click Start restore.
8. When complete, click Finish.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 10
4 Backing up your system
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for backup or recovery,
it is strongly recommended that you run computer on AC power rather
than battery power to avoid the potential interruption to the backup and
recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can result
in potential data loss.
NOTE: To use the Dell Backup and Recovery Manager, you must have
Administrator log-in rights or be listed in the Windows® Administrators Group.
NOTE: When you perform a system backup, only your primary partition where
your operating system is stored (commonly labeled C:) will be backed up. Other
content that resides on this partition will also be included in the system backup.
However if you have information stored on external drives, other internal drives,
or on other hard disk partitions, you must use the File Backup and Restore tool
in the Dell Backup and Recovery Manager to back up this information. This tool is
accessed by clicking the File Backup and Restore button.
NOTE: Store your DVD backup media in a cool dark place and handle it with care
using protective sleeves or cases. USB Flash media is not recommended for long
term storage. External hard drives offer the greatest ease of use, best
performance, stability, and value. However they are subject to damage from
heat, physical shock, electromagnetic pulse, and files can be deleted by other
users in a non-secure environment.
CAUTION: To create a backup in Windows 7, your primary hard drive
must be set as the first boot device. Please enter your BIOS System
Setup and change the device boot order if necessary.
1. Click Backup System.
The Specify Details screen
appears.
2. Type a name for the backup.
3. Select the location where you
want to save the backup
(DVD or External Storage
Device) and then select the
device from the drop-down
menu.
Use the Refresh button
adjacent to the drop-down
menu to clear your selection or to add a new external storage device attached
after the drop-down was populated.
NOTE: For external storage devices, clicking Refresh will de-select a device
from the drop-down menu and refresh the list of available devices. If the
Start button was enabled, it will be disabled until you select a new device.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 11
If you select a DVD RW device from the drop-down menu and a blank disk
was found in the device, the Start button will be enabled. Otherwise you will
be asked to insert a blank DVD in the drive. Click Refresh after the drive
spins up to enable the Start > button.
Click Start >.
If you select DVD or insert a small USB flash drive, the backup will
automatically be made bootable and you will go straight to the Confirm
screen shown in step 4. If you select a large External Storage Device and it is
not already bootable, a new screen with a check box labeled Make Backup
Bootable? will appear.
CAUTION: The process of making a bootable backup will erase all
content on the external storage device.
The default state of this check
box is unchecked because the
drive may contain content you
do not want erased.
Select the Make Backup
Bootable? check box only if
you want to make the
External Storage Device
bootable. (This is strongly
recommended. A bootable
backup is necessary to restore
to a new or replacement hard
drive in the event of a primary
hard drive failure.)
When you select the Make
Backup Bootable? check
box, a Caution statement will
appear. Read it carefully and
then select the Remove all
my data and reformat my
External Storage Device
check box.
4. Click Next >
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The Confirm screen appears.
CAUTION: The following
step starts the process of
creating the backup. When
you start the process, your
system automatically
reboots into the Windows
Recovery Environment to
create the backup. When
the process is complete,
your system automatically
reboots the Windows
operating system, after
which you may resume
your normal activities. To avoid potential data loss, close any open
files and applications before proceeding to the next step.
5. Click Start.
You will be logged off and your
system will reboot into the Windows
Recovery Environment (Microsoft
Windows Vista and Windows 7 only).
Windows XP will boot directly into its
backup system executable.
A window appears
displaying a progress
bar during the backup
creation process. If you
selected your external
storage device as the
location for your backup,
the backup will be
written directly to the
drive and when finished,
your system will reboot
automatically into
Windows to your desktop. You’re done!
If you selected DVD for your backup, the backup file image will be created on
your primary hard drive. When finished, your system will automatically reboot
into Windows to a Dell Backup and Recovery Manager DVD Burner screen.
If blank media was already in the DVD drive, the process will begin
automatically. Otherwise you will be asked to insert a blank disk into the DVD
drive and click Continue.
NOTE: If your DVD is blank and the correct type, the drive will automatically
spin up and the burn process will begin or continue on its own. It will not be
necessary to click Continue.
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If the backup image size
exceeds the size of a single
DVD, the image file will be
split up so it can span
multiple DVDs. The message
Splitting the image file …
will be displayed above the
progress bar until this part of
the process completes. Once
complete, the message
Writing data to your drive
… will be displayed.
Dell Backup and Recovery
Manager will tell you how
many disks you will need for
your backup set. Usually this
information will be displayed
on the screen after the 1st
DVD is written and ejected.
When the final DVD is written
and ejected, click Finish and
you will be returned directly
to your Windows desktop.
You’re done!
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5 Restoring your system
5.1 Restoring from within Windows
NOTE: To use Dell Backup and Recovery Manager, you must have Administrator
log-in rights or be listed in the Windows® Administrators Group.
From the Restore System screen, you can restore your system using a saved
backup file.
You can access the Restore System screen from other screens in the Dell Backup
and Recovery Manager by clicking the Restore System button.
CAUTION: To avoid losing the ability to create your OS Media backup, it
is strongly recommended that you create your OS Media backup before
your first attempt to restore from a system backup. Once you restore
from a system backup, the OS Media option will no longer be available on
the Dell Recovery Tools screen.
NOTE: When you perform a system restore, only your primary partition where
your operating system is stored (commonly labeled C:) will be overwritten. Other
partitions you may have created on the primary drive will not be overwritten or
changed in any way.
NOTE: If you backed up your system using the Backup System tool, and your
files from other drives and/or partitions using the File Backup and Restore
tool, you will be able to restore your system to the exact state when your
backups were made, even after a catastrophic hard disk failure. System backups
made on an external storage device are bootable and can be used to completely
restore your primary partition including your applications and data that are
stored there. Once restored, use your file backup to restore your applications
and data to other drives and partitions.
CAUTION: Restoring your system using a previously created backup,
your system and its data will be overwritten. It is strongly recommended
that you back up current data that you want to keep before proceeding
with the restore process.
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for backup or recovery,
it is strongly recommended that you run the computer on AC power
rather than battery power to avoid potential interruption to the backup
and recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can
result in potential data loss.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 15
1. Click Restore System.
2. Select the backup file
(also called "backup
image") you want to use
to restore your system
from the drop-down
menu.
NOTE: The drop-down
menu retains the names
of previously created
backup images even
though they may not be
currently available on
your system. This is
normal. If their names
were not retained, you would not be able to restore from a backup image that
resides on DVD or an external storage device that may not be presently
attached to your system. By retaining their names, you will not lose your
ability to restore them in the future.
3. Click Next >.
The Confirm screen appears.
CAUTION: The following step starts the process of restoring your system.
This process reboots your system into the Windows Recovery
Environment, erases your hard drive, and then installs data from the
selected backup file. Once you start this process, it cannot be stopped or
interrupted. If you attempt to interrupt the restore process by turning off
the system, the system will not reboot.
4. Read the Caution on the
screen, and then select
the check boxes to
confirm that you want to
overwrite your system
with the selected backup
file and that you
understand that the
restore process cannot be
interrupted or undone.
5. Click Start.
A window appears
displaying a progress bar
as the restore operation
completes.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 16
6. The congratulatory screen appears
when the process completes.
Click Finish.
5.2 Restoring from a bootable backup
CAUTION: It is strongly recommended that you review the NOTE and
CAUTIONS in the preceding section before continuing in this section.
1. You may boot from either DVD or an external storage device, depending on which
media you used to make your system backup.
Insert DVD #1 of your set into your DVD drive or attach your external storage
device, and boot your system. If you primary hard drive is the first boot drive in
your system BIOS, press F12 during boot to bring up the Boot Options screen
and select either your optical disk drive (e.g. CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive) or your
external storage device (e.g. USB Storage Device).
If you selected your optical drive as the drive to boot from, you will be asked to
Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …. If you do not press a key, your
system will skip your optical drive and attempt to boot from your internal hard
drive. Should this happen, immediately press CTRL + ALT + DELETE to reboot
and during the boot, press F12. Select your optical drive and when the message
appears, press a key to boot from your optical drive.
When your system boots from the bootable backup image, you will boot into the
Windows Recovery Environment (Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 only).
Since Windows XP does not have a Windows Recovery Environment, it will boot
directly into its restore system executable and display a screen similar to the one
shown in step 5 below.
2. Within the Windows Recovery Environment, a screen appears listing the
operating system language and keyboard layout. These should be your defaults.
Click Next.
3. The tool begins searching your system for the Windows installation to repair.
When the search completes, it typically highlights your operating system on your
internal hard drive. For restore purposes, this is irrelevant. Click Next.
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4. The Choose a recovery tool screen
appears listing all the available tools
you can use to recover your system.
These options are provided to allow
you to troubleshoot and repair your
operating system on your primary
hard drive.
To restore your system from a system
backup created using Dell Backup and
Recovery Manager, click Dell Backup
and Recovery Manager at the
bottom of the menu.
5. A Dell Backup and Recovery Manager
Restore System screen appears with a
drop-down menu listing the backups
currently available on your system. Select
the backup you want to restore and click
Next >.
If you do not see the backup you want to
restore, verify that you have the correct
external storage device attached or the
correct DVD inserted in the drive.
6. A Restore System screen appears with a
Warning message. Read the message
carefully and then click the check box to
confirm you want to restore and click
Next > to begin the restoration process.
If you are restoring from a multiple DVD
set, you will be asked at some point to
insert DVD #2 and so on in sequence
until the restoration is complete.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 18
7. When the restoration process completes,
a Congratulations screen will appear.
Click Finish.
5.3 Restoring your system from the Windows Recovery
Environment
1. In Microsoft Windows Vista
or Windows 7, initiate a
reboot of your system and
press F8 during the boot to
bring up the Advanced Boot
Options screen.
2. The first highlighted menu
item is Repair Your
Computer. Press Enter to
select it. This launches the
Windows Recovery
Environment.
3. At the first System Recovery
Options screen, click Next to
select the default keyboard choice
shown.
4. A log-on screen may appear. After
you log on, the System Recovery
Options Choose a recovery tool
screen appears.
Click the Dell Backup and
Recovery Manager link at the
bottom of the screen.
5. From here, the steps to restore a
system image are identical to
those in the preceding section
beginning at step 5. Refer to steps 5 through 7 the preceding section to
restore your system.
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6 Managing your system backups
6.1 Exporting a system backup
1. From the Backup System
screen, click Manage
backups ….
2. Select the backup you want
to export from the drop-down
menu, and then click Export.
NOTE: You cannot export an
image to DVD that is larger
than the capacity of a single
DVD. Nor can you export an
image from a DVD that spans
more than one DVD.
A Windows Save As dialog
box appears. Select the
location where you want to
save the exported image if
other than the default DBRM
folder.
3. Type a new file name or select
an existing file to export, and
then click Save.
o If you typed a new file
name, the Export
Backup screen
appears. Proceed to
step 4.
o If you selected an
existing file, the
Append to File
Confirm dialog box
appears. Click Add to
append the exported
file to the existing file.
The Export Backup
screen appears.
4. Type a Friendly name and
then click Save.
A Friendly name is just an alternate name you can give an image when you
export it. You should make it descriptive for easy identification.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 20
A progress bar appears at the bottom of the Export Backup screen. When
this function completes, the Manage Backups screen appears.
6.2 Deleting a system backup
1. From the Backup System
screen, click Manage
backups ….
2. Select the backup you want
to delete from the drop-down
menu, and then click Delete.
The Delete Backup screen
appears, displaying in red the
name of the file you want to
delete.
3. To confirm deletion, select
the check box by Yes, I
want to delete the above
system backup. I
understand this action is
permanent and cannot be
undone.
CAUTION: Backup deletion
cannot be undone. Before
proceeding to the next step,
ensure that you have selected
the correct backup for
deletion.
4. Click Delete Backup.
A progress bar appears at the
bottom of the Delete Backup
screen. When this function
completes, the Manage
Backups screen appears.
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6.3 Renaming a system backup
1. From the Backup System
screen, click Manage
backups ….
2. Select the backup you want
to rename from the dropdown menu, and then click
Rename.
The Rename Backup screen
appears, displaying in red the
name of the file you want to
rename.
3. Type a new name for the
backup.
4. Click Save.
When this function
completes, the Manage
Backups screen appears.
NOTE: Your original Dell
Factory Image stored on the Recovery partition cannot be renamed. If you
select it, the Rename link will not be active. However you can rename any
Dell Factory Image copies on your Recovery DVD or external storage device.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 22
7 Dell Recovery Tools
NOTE: To use the Dell Backup and Recovery Manager, you must have
Administrator log-in rights or be listed in the Windows® Administrators Group.
The Dell Recovery Tools provides the following recovery tools for creating bootable
media:
Dell Recovery Media
(Microsoft Windows
Vista and Windows 7
only): Use this tool to
create a bootable recovery
DVD or External Storage
Device that includes the
Windows Recovery
Environment, and can
include your Dell factoryinstalled image. The
recovery disk is used to
restore a backup, including
your Dell factory image (if
included), or repair your
operating system. For
information on recovering
in Windows XP, see 8 Windows Recovery Environment.
NOTE: Dell Recovery Media does not contain any drivers, applications, files or
folders, or settings you have added since receiving your system from the Dell
factory.
OS Media: Use this Windows tool to create a bootable DVD or a bootable
External Storage Device (Windows Vista and Windows 7 only) for reinstalling
the operating system and Dell factory-installed drivers.
NOTE: This option appears only if the OS Media directory is installed on your
system and you have not already created your one-time OS Media backup copy.
You can access the Dell Recovery Tools screen from other screens in the Dell
Backup and Recovery Manager by clicking the Dell Recovery Tools button.
7.1 Dell Recovery Media (Not available in Windows XP)
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for backup or recovery,
it is strongly recommended that you run the computer on AC power
rather than battery power to avoid potential interruption to the backup
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 23
and recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can
result in potential data loss.
1. Click Create a recovery disk or device....
The Choose Media screen
appears.
2. Select the type of media (DVD
or External Storage Device)
where you want to save your
backup.
Options for using a factory
image appear on the screen.
3. Select whether you want to
include the factory image
(recommended).
4. Click Next >.
The Specify Details screen appears.
5. If you selected DVD in step 2:
a. Select the recording
device from the dropdown menu.
b. If there is no disk in the
recording device, insert
a blank DVD in the
selected drive and click
Refresh.
The Specify Details
screen refreshes,
displaying the media
capacity of the DVD and
the number of DVDs
required.
c. Click Next >.
The Progress screen appears displaying a progress bar. If necessary,
you will be asked to insert the next DVD.
When the recording is complete, a message appears indicating that
your recovery media has been created.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 24
d. Click Finish.
Label your DVD and store it in a safe place.
NOTE: The Dell Factory Image stored on your Recovery DVD will be
automatically named Dell Factory Image DVD for Microsoft Windows
Vista systems, or Recovery DVD – xxxxxxxxxxxxxx for Windows 7
systems where a date and time code will be substituted for “xxxx …”.
6. If you selected an External
Storage Device in step 2:
a. Select the External
Storage Device you
want to use from the
drop-down menu. If
only one device is
attached to your
system, you may also
select it by clicking
the Refresh button.
If you attach a 2nd
External Storage
Device after the dropdown menu is
populated, click the Refresh button to add it to the menu. Clicking
Refresh will also clear any previous selection. Select the new device
from the drop-down menu you want to use.
The Specify Details screen refreshes, displaying the capacity of the
selected External Storage Device.
NOTE: If the selected device has insufficient total space, insufficient free
space, or if the device is not of the required NTFS format, a message will
display indicating the problem.
If the device has insufficient total space, you must select another device.
If the device has insufficient free space, you may select another device or
choose to reformat the current device. Reformatting the device erases all
existing data on the device. To reformat the device, click Reformat my
device.... On the next screen, confirm by selecting the Remove all my data
and reformat my External Storage Device check box, and click Next >.
If the device is not of the required NTFS format, you may select another
device or choose to reformat the device to the required NFTS format.
Reformatting the device erases all existing data on the device. To reformat
the device, click Reformat My External Storage Device to NTFS...,
confirm by selecting the Remove all my data and reformat my External
Storage Device check box, and click Next >.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 25
b. Click Next >.
The Progress screen appears, displaying a progress bar. When the
recording is complete, a message appears indicating that your
recovery media has been created.
c. Click Finish.
NOTE: The Dell Factory Image stored on your External Storage Device will
be automatically named Dell Factory Image Ext for Microsoft Windows
Vista systems, or Recovery External – xxxxxxxxxxxxxx for Windows 7
systems where a date and time code will be substituted for “xxx …”.
7.2 OS Media (Available only if installed on your system)
CAUTION: In accordance with your Microsoft
Agreement, you can make only one legal backup copy of the operating
system media. When you create a backup copy of the operating system
media following the steps below, the OS Media option is no longer
available on the Dell Recovery Tools screen.
CAUTION: To avoid losing the ability to create an OS Media backup, it is
strongly recommended that you create your OS Media backup before
your first attempt to restore from a system backup. Once you restore
from a system backup including a Dell Factory or Recovery Image, the
OS Media option will no longer be available.
CAUTION: If you are using a notebook computer for this operation, it is
strongly recommended that you run the computer on AC power rather
than battery power to avoid potential interruption to the backup and
recovery process. Interrupting a backup and recovery process can result
in potential data loss.
®
End User Licensing
CAUTION: To avoid losing the
ability to create an operating
system media backup copy, it is
strongly recommended that you
do not abort or interrupt the
operating system media backup
process once it has started.
1. Click Create OS Media....
The OS Media screen appears.
2. Select the type of media (DVD or
External Storage Device) to
which you want to save your backup and then select the device from the dropdown menu.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 26
NOTE: Windows XP is only able to
create OS Media on DVD. Only
Microsoft Windows Vista and
Windows 7 are able create OS Media
on an external storage device
If you selected DVD, place a blank
DVD in the drive selected.
3. Click Create your OS Media…
The Create Image screen appears.
A Progress bar is displayed
along the bottom of the screen.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 27
When the recording is complete, a message appears indicating that your OS
media has been created.
4. Click Finish.
Label your OS Media and store it in
a safe place.
NOTE: The operating system on
the OS Media disk is the backup
copy of your original licensed
Microsoft operating system. It will
not automatically install your Dell
system drivers. Your Dell system
drivers are located in a separate
folder named Drivers on your OS
Media disk and must be installed
manually following the instructions
for your particular version of Windows.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 28
8 Windows Recovery Environment
Microsoft Windows Vista and
Windows 7 operating systems
include a Recovery Environment
to assist users in troubleshooting
their system. A user can access
the Windows Recovery
Environment by pressing function
key F8 during boot. F8 will
display the Advanced Boot
Options screen. This is a
different screen than the Boot
Options screen where you select
the desired boot device after
pressing F12.
The Advanced Boot Options
screen displays a list of available
troubleshooting options. The first item
listed is Repair Your Computer. When
you select Repair Your Computer, you
will enter the Windows Recovery
Environment.
After logging on, the System Recovery
Options screen displays the various
recovery tools available.
Listed at the bottom is Dell Backup
and Recovery Manager. This tool
allows you to restore your system using
one of your saved backup images
created using Dell Backup and Recovery
Manager.
Windows XP Professional does not
have a Windows Recovery
Environment. However it does have a
Windows Advanced Options Menu
screen. To access the Windows
Advanced Options Menu, press F8
during boot. This directs you to the
Windows Boot Manager screen.
From here, press the Enter key and
repeatedly press F8 again to get to
the Windows Advanced Options
Menu screen.
This menu is very similar to the
Windows Vista or Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options screen. However you do not
have the Repair Your Computer link in Windows XP.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 29
Although Windows XP does not have a Windows Recovery Environment, you may still
restore your Windows XP system using one or more of the following steps:
1. Restore from a bootable system backup created using Dell Backup and
Recovery Manager (this restores only your operating system partition,
including Dell Backup and Recovery Manager and your files that you
stored on that partition. Skip step 2 but you will need to perform step 3.
2. Reinstall your Microsoft Windows operating system from the OS Media disk
you created using Dell Backup and Recovery Manager or the OS media
that may have been provided in your system box (either of these will reinstall your original Microsoft Windows operating system).
a. Manually install your Dell factory-installed drivers. The drivers are
located in the Drivers folder on your OS Media disk. If you received an
RCD or RDVD with your system, you should also find your drivers
there. (This step installs your Dell drivers.)
Perform step 3.
3. Reinstall your files and folders from a recent backup using the File restore…
function in Dell Backup and Recovery Manager (this restores your files
and folders, i.e. you data from other partitions or drives). You will need to
perform this step after performing either step 1 or 2 above. For more
information about restoring your data files, go to 3.2 Restoring your data
files.
These same steps work equally well in Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 30
9 Operating Systems Supported
Windows
Windows 7 Professional 32-bit/64-bit
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit/64-bit
Windows 7 Home Basic 32-bit/64-bit
Windows 7 Starter 32-bit
Microsoft
Packs 1 or 2)
Windows Vista Business 32-bit/64-bit with SP1/SP2
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit/64-bit with SP1/SP2
Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit with SP1/SP2
Windows
®
7 Ultimate 32-bit/64-bit
®
Windows Vista® Ultimate 32-bit/64-bit with SP1/SP2 (Service
XP Professional 32-bit with SP3 (Service Pack 3)
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 31
10 Supported Optical Media
Single-layer DVD media for creating system backup images (dual-layer media
is not supported for this operation)
Single and dual-layer DVD media for creating OS Media disk
NOTE: Most Windows 32-bit operating system images can be created on single-
layer DVD media except some images containing multiple language sets.
Depending on the image, the program may ask for dual-layer media to be
inserted.
Single-layer DVD media for creating Dell Recovery disk (dual-layer media is
not supported for this operation)
Blu-Ray optical drives are not supported
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 32
11 Other information you need to know
1. When using Dell Recovery Tools to create a recovery disk, the close window
icon (red button with white ×) in the upper right corner is disabled. This is
intentional to prevent a user from inadvertently closing the window while
performing a task and avoids potential data corruption. To exit, click the
Cancel button.
2. The date and time stamp on the backup.WIM file differs from the actual time
the backup was made. This occurs because the backup file is actually created
in the Windows Recovery Environment, which does not use the same time
zone information as the Windows user environment. This is normal behavior.
3. When restoring to a blank hard drive, there will be no factory utility partition
on it from which to run the Diagnostic utilities.
4. When making a bootable backup from Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7
to an external storage device and the BIOS boot order is changed to boot
from the external storage device first, the system will boot into the WinRE
environment. To avoid booting into this environment, either unplug the
external storage device after the backup completes before the next boot, or
change the boot order in BIOS so the external storage device is not the first
boot drive.
5. When making a bootable backup from Windows XP to an external storage
device, and the BIOS boot order is changed to boot from the external storage
device first, the .ini file on the drive will automatically initiate the process of
creating the bootable backup. To avoid repeated attempts to make the
backup, either unplug the external storage device after the backup completes
before the next boot, or change the boot order in BIOS so the external
storage device is not the first boot drive.
6. A bootable backup image is required to restore to a blank hard drive.
7. Upon restoring an image to a blank hard drive, at first boot the user will
receive notification that the system needs to be restarted to make the
changes they performed. This is normal and caused by the fact that the
system volume information is included in the backup image. When restored to
a blank HDD, the system volume information is no longer correct so a system
restart is necessary. This restart will reset the System Volume Information.
The system volume information is included in the backup images in order to
maintain the system's restore points.
8. Although external FireWire (1394) drives are supported, the BIOS in Dell
systems will not boot to FireWire drives. Use DVD, or an external USB or
eSATA drive to make a bootable system backup image.
9. External eSATA drives should not be used for OS Media. The operating system
image cannot be installed from the eSATA drive to the primary internal drive
due to the way the eSATA drive enumerates at boot. Use DVD or an external
USB drive for your OS Media backup.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 33
10. A Windows XP system with Dell Backup and Recovery Manager installed will
not have the Windows Recovery Environment containing your Dell Factory
Image, or the Dell Recovery Media option on the Dell Recovery Tools screen.
Go to 8 Windows Recovery Environment for the restore options available
for a Windows XP system.
11. When you restore a backup image from within Windows, you may notice that
the names of previous backups are retained in the drop-down menu of
backups available to restore. While this may seem strange at first, this is
normal behavior. If you created backups previously on other media such as
DVD or an external USB drive and we did not retain the names in the
database for you, you would not be able to restore them. By retaining the
names, you still have the option to restore them should you ever need to do
so.
The behavior is different when you boot from a DVD or External Storage
Device. The only backup images available will be those currently on the
devices attached to your system.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 34
12 Major differences between the versions
Dell Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2.1:
Web-post versions of V1.2 - Allows existing factory-installed versions to be
updated or upgraded via Windows Installer. For example, a customer will be
able to upgrade their system from V1.1 to V1.2.1. The Windows 7 version can
be installed on systems that did not have Dell Backup and Recovery Manager
previously factory-installed. However the functionality is limited to making file
and folder backups, system backups, and creating Diagnostic media. No OS
media image or Dell Factory Image is provided in the web-post versions.
However if a copy of the Dell Factory Image is found on the system, it will be
listed among the available backups to use.
Dell Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2:
Adds a separate pop-up application for customer discovery and reminder
messaging. Otherwise same features and functionality, and performance as
V1.1.
Dell Backup and Recovery Manager V1.1:
Adds support for Windows Vista 64-bit, and Microsoft Windows 7 32-bit and
64-bit operating systems. (V1.0 only supported Windows XP SP3 32-bit and
Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 32-bit. Windows XP 64-bit is not supported in
either version.)
Supports restoring an image from a bootable backup to an unformatted hard
drive. (V1.0 did not support unformatted hard drives.)
Supports RAID configurations 0, 1, 5 and 10.
Fixes a cosmetic issue in the boot manager used with XP.
Corrects minor screen formatting and localization issues in V1.0.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 35
13 Why do I need to back up?
Important files can be unexpectedly lost by accidentally erasing or replacing them.
You can also be victimized by a virus or worm attack, or a software or hardware
failure including a complete hard disk failure. While these events may be rare, they
are unpredictable because they can occur anytime and usually at the worst time.
That is why you need to make regular and frequent backups of your files, programs,
system settings, etc.
It is strongly recommended that you follow these general guidelines:
When you first get your system,
Create your OS Media backup copy.
Create your Dell Recovery media copy with your Dell Factory Image
included.
Back up your business and/or personal files daily. Keep your last 5 backups.
Back up your system weekly and again…
Before updating drivers, making any system registry changes, or
installing a major service pack.
After any system security updates and patches are installed
Before you install any new software (in case the software misbehaves)
After you install any new software
Keep at least your last 3 system backup images.
Keep your anti-virus software up to date
Backup to an external drive or DVDs. External USB drives are reliable,
convenient, commonly available, and a good value.
Do not backup to the same drive or partition where your operating system
resides in case your drive becomes infected by a virus or damaged.
Set up regular restore points in Windows.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 36
14 Backup Options Summary
What do you want to backup?
What do I use?
Notes:
Personal files, e.g. pictures, music,
and documents from any hard drive
partition
1. DBRM File Backup and Restore
2. Windows XP Backup, or
Microsoft Windows Vista or
Windows 7 Back Up Files wizard
Operating System Partition only
including all programs and data
stored there.
1. DBRM Backup System
2. Windows XP Backup or Microsoft
Windows Vista or Windows 7 Back
Up Files wizard
Entire computer including all hard
disk partitions
Windows Complete PC Backup
Windows Complete
PC Backup is not
available in all OS
versions.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 37
15 Restore Options Summary
How do get back to these states?
What do I use?
Notes:
Dell Factory Image including OS,
and all drivers and applications
installed when your system was
built in the Dell factory (Microsoft
Windows Vista and Windows 7
only)
1. DBRM Restore System to restore
Dell Factory Image
2. DBRM Recovery Disk to restore
Dell Factory Image
3. DBRM WinRE to restore Dell
Factory Image
Does not include any
applications or data
you may have added
since your system
was received from
Dell.
Original Windows operating
system image (does not install
your Dell system drivers)
1. DBRM OS Media disk
2. Original Windows OS Media (if
provided in your system box)
Original Windows operating
system and Dell system drivers
DBRM OS Media disk and install
Dell system drivers from Drivers
folder also on DBRM OS Media disk
Most recent backup state for OS
partition
DBRM Restore System to restore
most recent saved image. Then
DBRM File Restore to restore most
recent data file backup.
DBRM restore system
options are also
available from WinRE
(Microsoft Windows
Vista and Windows 7)
if Windows is
corrupted.
Most recent state of entire
computer including all hard disk
partitions
Microsoft's Complete PC Restore
Complete PC Restore
is also available from
WinRE (Microsoft
Windows Vista and
Windows 7) if
Windows is
corrupted.
An earlier point in time when my
system was working well
Microsoft's Restore System
Uses restore points
as a way to undo
system changes that
may have negatively
impacted your
system. It does not
restore personal files
or data. Also
available from WinRE
if Windows is
corrupted.
Dell™ Backup and Recovery Manager V1.2 Page 38
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