Well; "restore to original factory settings" has been around for years.............only the other day I found a Compaq 3.5" floppy and CD that will put one of their 486s back to its Windows 95 original state.

Ever since Win ME, I have seen OEM stuff shipping with "restore disks" or "restore partitions", rather than a full M$ Windows CD.

Personally, I don't see the leopards changing their spots, so OEM kit will still have the partition? They don't have a full, regular Windows install anyways. All part of their licencing deal with M$.

The really interesting question (to me at least) is what are Microsoft's intentions?

Will they create their own form of restore partition?

The big problem, as I see it, is what we face right now. I build a machine with Windows XP Pro, for example..............it goes to SP3..............what will the "original factory condition" restore be............? SP Zero?????????

Not a problem for me as I have it slipstreamed up to SP3, but even then it is a couple of hours to load the subsequent updates.

If M$ create a partition and update it with their SPs AND patches, then this would be a real step forwards IMO. You would still have to make sure that you backed up your recovery partition to a DVD on a regular basis though. This could really help small repairers, as they would be able to have up-to-the-minute DVDs.

Basically the problem with recovery partitions is that when the HDD goes south, it takes the partition with it.

I don't see any problem for small repair operations..........Users will still be "lusers" They will be as protective of a recovery partition as they are of their "vital" personal files and they will still need someone to replace the defective components.

But this is a "restore install". In other words it probably replaces tools gateway/toshiba already puts into the install disks. This way no matter what brand you own, you'll still have that option available.
Only if the OEMs include it in their preloaded installations, and recovery disks, which I very much doubt. This will help people who build their own kit, and small, independent repairers, if M$ get it right.

I really cannot be arsed to slipstream every Goddamn patch that M$ pukes out.............this could save a lot of time? If the HDD is dead, then the OEM crap dies with it, if you bring it to me............otherwise send it to the OEM, or buy a new PC.

I guess that by the time Win 8 comes out, solid state drives will be much more reasonable, which could open up a whole new avenue in recovery possibilities. Now that I would see as more of a threat to the smaller repairer, and even some of the bigger ones.

The saving grace, as I see it, is that even if you have "one click recovery"......what are you going to recover to, if your HDD is hosed? And if you are savvy enough to buy and replace a hard drive, you can certainly install an OS the long-hand way.

The retaining of personal files is certainly interesting though, as I have spent many a happy hour backing stuff up for people before fixing their kit. If you simplify that process, then you could make repairing rather than replacing more attractive.

I await further details with great interest.

Just a few disjointed thoughts