Owner's Manual

CHAPTER 3: Recovering Your System
34
System recovery options
Most computer problems can be solved by
following the information in “Troubleshooting”
on page 195 or at support.gateway.com
.
Problem-solving may also involve re-installing
some or all of the notebook’s software (also
called recovering or restoring your system).
Gateway provides everything you need to
recover your system under most conditions.
A backup copy of your operating system is
provided on a CD or DVD, and a backup copy of
your factory-installed drivers and applications is
saved on a hidden area of your hard drive.
We recommend that you make a backup of your
factory-installed software as soon as you get
your new Gateway system.
■ “Drivers and applications recovery” on
page 35 tells you how to record (or burn)
the Drivers and Applications Recovery discs.
Using a recovery disc that you have
recorded is only one of several ways you
can restore your system to working order.
Recovery discs let you recover your device
drivers and software that came
pre-installed on your notebook.
If you are still having problems even after you
follow troubleshooting steps, you can use
Microsoft System Restore to roll back your
system to a previous condition when drivers and
programs worked correctly.
■ “Recovering your system using Microsoft
System Restore” on page 43 describes how
to return your system to a previous
working condition.
If you are still experiencing problems, you may
need to reinstall specific software, such as a
device driver.
■ “Recovering specific files and software” on
page 42 describes how to install specific,
factory-installed software and device
drivers.