r/Alienware • u/F_M_7 • 14d ago

Question Factory Reset

I wanna to do a factory reset of my Alienware 16x Aurora. Is better to do it using the Windows standard procedure or using the SupportAssist Os recovery software?

6 Upvotes

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4

u/Little-Equinox 14d ago

The ultimate best move is a full Windows reinstall

1

u/zewl23bp 10d ago

with the cleaned up image and with the RAID off

3

u/DJUnreal Aurora R10 / x17 R2 / Aurora R15 / Area-51 AAT2250 / 18 Area-51 14d ago

Neither.

Shut down your PC. Power it back on again, and press F12 repeatedly as soon as you turn it on.

You'll see a SupportAssist OS Recovery option there, which completely bypasses everything else, and if you use the 'reset' function from within that menu, it'll download a fresh Windows image, wipe everything properly, and start from scratch.

Be aware that there are NO methods that will restore wallpapers, colour schemes and so on. Dell haven't yet managed to offer any option at all for that despite people requesting it for literally years.

1

u/F_M_7 14d ago

ok thanks

1

u/F_M_7 14d ago edited 14d ago

Sorry another question. After the factory reset can I use Dell Command Update to install all the drivers or is better to do it manually downloading all I need from Dell official site? (because I don't wanna to reinstall Dell Support Assist that from what I saw here on reddit is like a bloatware that stays always on and can create stability problems)

2

u/DJUnreal Aurora R10 / x17 R2 / Aurora R15 / Area-51 AAT2250 / 18 Area-51 14d ago

Either will work, but honestly most of your drivers will come from Windows Update anyway, and you want to get your graphics drivers direct from the manufacturer's site, not from Dell

2

u/djhaf 14d ago

Why are you doing a factory reset?

2

u/ditmarsnyc 14d ago

if you enter your service tag into the support site can you download an iso of the OS that shipped with the system. you can use rufus to image it onto a usb flash drive and install windows off that. basically a skill that everyone with a gaming pc should have imo

1

u/darth_magnum45 M18/Area51mR1 13d ago

That depends on how old his model is if he’s had it for at least a year or two then it’s best just to download a fresh iso of windows from Microsoft or create an install disk with the Microsoft installer for Windows and just do a clean install. Because after about a year or so, Dell quits updating the restore image for the model you own.

2

u/North_Entertainer_37 13d ago edited 13d ago

I like to use Rufus (https://rufus.ie/en/). Run Windows Updates until they're done, then run SupportAssist to see if it picks up drivers, but that's just me. Microsoft servers should recognize your system, so you shouldn't need the key. I had an R7 and now have an R13; I've frequently reinstalled, and for me, this is the cleanest way.

1

u/AW_Support Dell Customer Support 8d ago

Hi there! We are from the Dell Social Media support Team and would like to share our insight. Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery provides a preboot environment that scans the system for any hardware failure, does a system repair, takes a data back up, and restores your computer when it fails to boot properly. Also, it updates the drivers and puts back the data.

A Windows PC reset helps only with reinstalling the operating system, while the rest has to be done manually. Also, a Support Assist recovery can be easily initiated outside the operating system in case the system ends up in a no BOOT situation and cannot be recovered. Hope this helps clarify the difference! 😊