# [SOLVED] Samsung R780 Factory Reset



## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

How do I perform a factory reset on the a Samsung R780 Laptop. When I run the Samsung Recovery solution 4, it only looks for backups to restore - even when I run it from the Support Center, selecting "I want to restore the computer to the date of purchase". Unfortunately I have changed my data backup to use Memeo Backup on an external HDD therefore I thought I no longer needed the Samsung backup and deleted it (OK I now know this was a mistake).

If I format the windows partition and set the boot flag on the recovery partition, will the recovery do a "Day 1 install" then?


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

If you read your user manual you'll know how to boot from recovery partition and make a fresh factory install. Some Samsung laptops is F4, read your manual to know which key in yours.

Oh, and in last resort, you can also use the dvd that came with it.


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Learn2day said:


> If you read your user manual you'll know how to boot from recovery partition and make a fresh factory install. Some Samsung laptops is F4, read your manual to know which key in yours.
> 
> Oh, and in last resort, you can also use the dvd that came with it.


Thanks for the reply, BUT if you read my problem, I have tried using the "Samsung Recovery Solution 4" software (both from an F4 and running from Windows), but when it runs it only gives an option to restore a backup - which I don't have. I guess that it is detecting that there is a valid Win 7 partition and not giving the option to do a factory reset. Please can you (or someone else) confirm my "guess" and confirm that if I format the Win 7 partition and then boot from the recovery partition, then it will do a "Day 1 install". If not can you tell me how to get a "Day 1 install" option on the Recovery solution 4 software.

Oh, and Samsung didn't provide a DVD with the machine - just the recovery partition - So this is not an option.


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Maninfrontofpc said:


> Thanks for the reply, BUT if you read my problem, I have tried using the "Samsung Recovery Solution 4" software (both from an F4 and running from Windows), but when it runs it only gives an option to restore a backup - which I don't have. I guess that it is detecting that there is a valid Win 7 partition and not giving the option to do a factory reset. Please can you (or someone else) confirm my "guess" and confirm that if I format the Win 7 partition and then boot from the recovery partition, then it will do a "Day 1 install". If not can you tell me how to get a "Day 1 install" option on the Recovery solution 4 software.
> 
> Oh, and Samsung didn't provide a DVD with the machine - just the recovery partition - So this is not an option.


You will see in the screen-shot that the Recovery solution 4 does not have the Initial State option to select that it should have. In fact there is nothin to select!!!


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

If you've deleted the contents of the Recovery partition, then it doesn't matter what you do, there's nothing to restore from - you may just as well as put a blank DVD in and expect to load something from it.

If you had created backup disks when you first got the computer, then you could have recovered from that as it will have contained all of the drivers etc for your system.

Suggest you contact Samsung tech support for advice as the only way I know that it could now be taken to an out of the box condition, is for it to be re-OEM imaged which would mean taking it in.

If it's still under warranty they may do it FOC but normally unless there's been a hardware failure under warranty, software is chargeable.

If it's still under warranty, then it will be up to you what you compose to tell them in the hope of a FOC.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

You can buy them on eBay, I found that easier than how to purchase from Samsung actually:
New Samsung OS Recovery Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit SP1 BA46-12517A20 | eBay
Evertything I read says that restore dvd's come with every Samsung laptop though, something most other makers seldom do any more.


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Tomken15 said:


> If you've deleted the contents of the Recovery partition, then it doesn't matter what you do, there's nothing to restore from - you may just as well as put a blank DVD in and expect to load something from it.
> 
> If you had created backup disks when you first got the computer, then you could have recovered from that as it will have contained all of the drivers etc for your system.
> 
> ...


I Don't believe that I have deleted the recovery partition - I can still boot that partition, but it currently just runs the same Recovery solution with the same options.


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Maninfrontofpc said:


> Oh, and Samsung didn't provide a DVD with the machine - just the recovery partition - So this is not an option.


I have 2 Samsung laptops (check my signature), and even although one of them doesn't even have a DVD drive, *both *of them came with Recovery DVD's.. So, forgive me to find that odd..

Anyway, without any recovery backups or fresh install options available, i think your best option to buy or get a windows dvd to perform a fresh install.

Good luck!


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Maninfrontofpc said:


> I Don't believe that I have deleted the recovery partition - I can still boot that partition, but it currently just runs the same Recovery solution with the same options.


You are the one that said you'd deleted the *data* from that partition.

That wouldn't remove the partition, only a reformat would do that.

To confirm if there's anything in the recovery D: drive (?) from Start type *diskmgmt.msc* > Enter and you should get something like mine on this Tosh laptop - if there's about 8GB used then your Recovery partition is still intact and then you have another problem if you can't access it.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

On the off chance when you started using Memeo, check the external HDD to see if you backed up your system files as well as your personal ones - or did you just choose the personal ones to backup ?


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

Problem solved - I have used the procedure here:
How to Install Windows 7 Without the Disc | PCWorld

To download and burn a Win 7 iso. I created a Drivers disc when I had the PC so I am sorted - thanks for the suggestions anyway.


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Tomken15 said:


> You are the one that said you'd deleted the *data* from that partition.
> 
> That wouldn't remove the partition, only a reformat would do that.
> 
> ...


Perhaps there is no point in replying to this now - I have solved the problem (Thanks Microsoft). What I said I had deleted was the system backup I had made on day 1 - NOT the data in the recovery partition. This is still there and YES it does have some data in it - just that the Samsung tool won't access it for some reason - perhaps corruption - although I hope not. The good thing about all this is that I have a system that has not had loads of additional applications installed/deinstalled that I don't want - It is probably the cleanest PC I have ever had! I have recovered data back to the day of the failure.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*

I think that the general concensus was that you had deleted the data in the recovery partition - so you did have another problem with your system.

I have previously used that PC World ISO to recover one of my laptops, but it's the forum's policy not to promote it (already had posts deleted by Mods) because of some legal wrangle between MS and Digital River, but glad you were able to sort it.

If you come back then you can use the Thread Tools to mark as Solved.


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## Maninfrontofpc (Sep 2, 2012)

*Re: Samsung R780 Factory Reset*



Tomken15 said:


> I think that the general concensus was that you had deleted the data in the recovery partition - so you did have another problem with your system.
> 
> I have previously used that PC World ISO to recover one of my laptops, but it's the forum's policy not to promote it (already had posts deleted by Mods) because of some legal wrangle between MS and Digital River, but glad you were able to sort it.
> 
> If you come back then you can use the Thread Tools to mark as Solved.


 If I have deleted it in error I do not know how - the recovery partition is not mounted/accessible via windows - so how could I without really "trying". As I say, when set to boot from that partition it did say "startuing Windows" and run the recovery tool - so there is data there to boot from. Anyway I dont need it now.


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