Backup And Recovery of Windows 7

[Richie Rich]

I'm using windows7 home premium 64bit on hp laptop. I've C: drive for 100GB and now wants to backup and use recovery disc to install fresh windows.
Tell me the procedure and what should I backup in portable HDD?

What is the work of recovery discs? Do this reinstall windows or install limited things?

 

[Zangetsu]

^just take the backup of music/videos/photos/docs/games save file/all exe setups/iso.

yeah recovery disc will install the factory loaded settings of windows 7.

 

[Richie Rich]

so what things will be deleted through recover disc? Is there any affect on other drives with recovery discs?

I called hp call centre and they said all other partitions like F: G: will get deleted and laptop will completely will change to factory reset.
Is there any option to reinstall windows without harming other disk drives?

And how to backup windows updates?

 

[Zangetsu]

I called hp call centre and they said all other partitions like F: G: will get deleted and laptop will completely will change to factory reset.

if they say all drives will be deleted then there will be settings which does that while doing recovery.

for the safer side take all the backup in a separate Harddrive.

& then do the recovery.

 

[Richie Rich]

I don't have separate HDD
Can you give me link of windows 7 home premium SP1 64bit ?

 

[s18000rpm]

How to re-use your legit product key - Can an OEM licence key be used to activate a retail disc installation - Microsoft Answers
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads

 

[Tech&ME]

Recovery Disk will basically make your laptop the way it was when you had purchased it from HP.

All your documents / user account files / will be deleted/ including the structure of your hdd partitions.

Take backup on DVD media if you do not have separate hdd. OR buy an external hdd.

 

[whitestar_999]

do not use windows 7 retail iso to install windows unless you know how to manually install oem certificate & key & even before that confirm that your laptop bios has SLIC 2.1.

using COA sticker key for activation may or may not be successful & will most probably require phone activation.better to avoid all this hassle & simply use recovery disc else spend some time learning.