A powerful new feature in Windows Vista is the ability to use System Restore while in the Vista Recovery Environment. This allows you to restore your computer to a previous working state even in the event that you can't normally start Windows Vista. Before you can use System Restore to repair Vista, though, System Restore will need to have been enabled and running previously. The reason is because if System Restore was not running, then restore points would not have been created that you can restore. For more information on System Restore, how to make sure it is enabled on your computer, and to see what restore points are available you can read this tutorial: Windows Vista System Restore Guide.
- Windows Vista 64 Bit Recovery Disk
- Windows Vista 64 Bit Install
- Windows Vista 64-bit (x64) Recovery Disc
- Download Windows Vista 64-bit (x64) Recovery Disc
Figure 1. Boot the computer from the CD or DVD
As you want to boot the computer from the Windows Vista DVD you need to press a key, any key will do, on your keyboard when you see this prompt. It is possible that the DVD that came with your computer does not allow you to boot off of it. If that is the case, then your computer manufacturer most likely installed the Windows Recovery Environment directly to a small partition on your hard drive. To access this partition, you would slowly tap the F8 key on your keyboard after the BIOS information clears from your screen until you see the Windows startup menu. From this menu use your arrow keys to select the option for the Windows Recovery Environment and press the enter key on your keyboard. You should now see a black screen with a white status bar at the bottom stating Windows is loading files... After a while, the status bar will turn completely white and you will see a screen stating that Windows is loading. The Windows Setup environment will continue to load and when finished you will be presented with a screen similar to Figure 2 that prompts you for information about your location and language
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Figure 2. Configure language and location options in Vista Setup
At this screen you should configure the Language to install, Time and currency format, and Keyboard or input method options so that they are set correctly. When done, press the Next button. You will now be at the main Windows Vista setup screen where you would normally install Vista on to a computer.