There are a number of ways to backup and restore the operating system on the Venue 8 Pro, 10 Pro and 11 Pro tablet. Refer to each section for help.
To reinstall Windows 8.1:
- Swipe from the right and touch Settings and then Change PC Settings at the bottom of the screen.
- Under PC Settings touch or click Update and Recovery.
- Touch or click Recovery.
- From this screen, you may choose to Refresh your PC without affecting your files which will refresh the operating system without losing photos, videos, music, or other personal files. This should fix problems with an unstable operating system. You may choose to Remove everything and reinstall Windows. This option will erase all your personal files and restore the operating system to factory settings. You may also choose Advanced startup which will allow you to start up from a USB drive or DVD drive, change your PCs firmware settings, or change your Windows startup settings. It can also let you install a specific Windows system image.
Dell Backup and Recovery
Your tablet came with the Dell Backup and Recovery software installed. Using this software, you can create a backup of your system files, restore a backup you made previously, or reinstall your operating system.
To backup your system or data files:
- From the Dell Backup and Recovery screen, touch or click Backup.
- Choose whether to make a System Backup, a Data Backup (which only saves your personal files), or a Cloud Backup (which stores your information in the Dell cloud).
- System Backup - Performs a complete backup of the operating system. Dell Backup and Recovery will display the date of your latest system backup, the next scheduled backup, the current backup frequency, and the location of your current system backup. You can also change the schedule of backups from this page.
- Data Backup - Performs a backup of your personal data files. Dell Backup and Recovery allows you to specify which data files to save and you can set up Continuous Data Protection which will protect selected files between scheduled backups. You can also change the schedule of backups, specify which files are to be backed up, and specify the location of your backup.
- Cloud Backup - Lets you back up your data to the Dell Cloud. You will need to create a storage account. Dell offers Continuous Data Protection as well as the same range of options as on a Data Backup.
To recover your system or data files:
- From the Dell Backup and Recovery screen, touch or click Recover.
- Choose whether to make a System Recovery, or a Data Recovery.
- System Recovery - Restores your system from a system backup. You will see a list of backup images from which you can choose the one you wish to recover.
- Data Backup - Restores personal files from a data backup. You can select which backup to restore as well as which files you wish to restore within a backup.
Windows automatic recovery
If the operating system is damaged and cannot start, Windows will attempt to automatically recover itself and fix the problem.
During startup, you will see the words: Preparing Automatic Repair followed by the words Diagnosing Your PC. If Windows is able to recover operating system, you will start the operating system normally. You may need to recover your data files from a backup. If you are unable to get to start Windows normally, it may be necessary to search for the latest solutions for Windows 8.1 from Microsoft Support.
Check your computer’s health in a few short minutes. Run the Dell PC Diagnostics quick test.