Acer aspire s3 recovery partition (alt f10) doesn't work

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WellBeyond3

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Jul 26, 2013
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I have had my ultrabook as a dual boot, windows 8 upgraded from windows 7 and Linux on another partition, I deleted the partion to remove Linux, but every time I turn my ultrabook on it asks me to say what os I want to use, only windows 8 is listed. I am wanting to restore my laptop, but when I try to bring up acer recovery management (<alt> <f10>) it brings up a black screen like a command prompt almost and it says:

Edit windows boot options for: windows 8
Path: \windows\systems32\winload.exe

Partition: 3
Hard Disk: 4267dc47

[ /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN ]

Any suggestions on how to get this to bring up my acer recovery management so that I can restore my ultrabook. Please let me know. And also if there is a better forum for this question, let me know. Thank you for everyone's help! :)
 
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yes i found a solution to it.
1.
you have to download hirens boot CD, scroll down the page till you see the green box that says download as .zip (http://www.hirensbootcd.org/files/Hirens.BootCD.15.2.zip) copy and paste into browser if clicking doesn't work.
2.
burn the iso image to a usb drive. using iso2usb (http://www.softsea.com/download.php?id=834266351) copy and paste into browser if clicking doesn't work.
3.
go into your bios settings by pressing F2.
4.
change the boot priority order so that the usb drive will boot up first.
5.
exit saving changes.
6.
select the first option "Boot From Hard Drive (windows Vista/7/2008 or XP)
7.
use arrow keys to highlight the choice you want, press enter.
8.
this will open up Acer recovery tool, and allow you to restore your computer to factory settings.
9.
please let me know if this helps!

-Teigen
 
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You really are awsome!!! i did that by mistake and when i wanted to do it again i couldn't remember how!!
Thank you very very much!!!



 
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Forum after forum all gave me Alt+F10 or go to xyz website and create a disc but with Vista or Windows 7 - F8 is the key to the recovery. Choose Repair Computer then you'll find "Recovery Management"
 
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thanks you are a life saver ..

 
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This is for people who try and get the noexecute optin thing and have the PQService partition (My case, if you can't find it check Disk Management, if it doesn't show up there, loldunno):

1- Turn the computer on and press F2 at boot, the BIOS menu should show up
2- Go to Boot, if the Hard Drive isn't first in the priority list, highlight it and press the + key until it is
3- Press F10 to save changes, restart the PC, and press ALT+F10 when the Acer logo shows up (I actually just held down the ALT key while tapping the F10 key)
4- Follow the instructions
5-???
6-Profit.
 
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I gave up after many hours of trying to use the Acer Recovery Manager. I couldn't get it to start until I installed Ubuntu to backup files and enable boot options, then Recovery Manager tried to restore to the wrong partition, gave errors and had no option to select the partition. I gave up and downloaded a Vista MSDN ISO image from rutracker.org. The install is now proceeding with no problem. Microsoft should make the necessary software available for users to reinstall Windows if they have the COA.
 
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yes it works. i am currently working on an aspireE15 (recovery procedure only). i recommend you doing the sequence in a hard boot and check if the F10 key is main or 2nd function you might be doing some key strokes if it is before you can use the F10 key. here is what i've done (quickly after you hit power, press and hold alt key, then quickly start tapping the F10 key till it brings you to the recovery console) if it goes to windows you just have to power it down again and do the sequence again. i got mine after the 3rd try...good luck...
 
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yes it works. i am currently working on an aspireE15 (recovery procedure only). i recommend you doing the sequence in a hard boot and check if the F10 key is main or 2nd function you might be doing some key strokes if it is before you can use the F10 key. here is what i've done (quickly after you hit power, press and hold alt key, then quickly start tapping the F10 key till it brings you to the recovery console) if it goes to windows you just have to power it down again and do the sequence again. i got mine after the 3rd try...good luck...
 
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i am in the process of trying this. hopefully it will help.... my version started acting funky so i want to restore to factory out the box and cant seem to do that with out help for some resaon... they are doing win 10 fre full upgrade offer and right now im not able to do it for some reason but taking back to out of box will surly do what i need lol...
 
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Worked like a champ!

Nothing else would get me into the restore partition, but this did!

 
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How to restore to factory, a Gateway or Acer laptop when Alt-F10 will not work.

This is a tutorial on how to deal with SWM files, WIM files, and the IMAGEX command.

The Gateway brand is now owned by Acer. These instructions should work for either brand.

I acquired a Gateway laptop. Model NV55C. Also known as model PEW91. There was already factory installed Win 7 Home Premium plus software and personal data of the original owner. I wanted to do a factor restore.

Normally on the Gateway laptop, Recovery Mode is entered at startup by pressing Alt-F10. Unfortunately it did not work on this laptop. I do not know why. I would get the [/NOEXECUTE=OPTIN] thing.
I remove the disc drive from the laptop and connect it to a desktop computer as a secondary drive. This way I have the power of Window and other tools. It makes things much easier. I use Partition Magic to view and alter disc partitions. It is from Easeus software. It is very powerful and also free. Highly recommended.
Partition Magic shows the drive is partitioned into 3. All 3 are primary (not extended) partitions. The first is the restore partition, labeled "PQService", 13 GB. Next is a small partition labeled "System Reserved", only 100 MB. Last is the main (primary) partition, no label. This takes up the rest of the disc drive. None of the partitions have drive letters, and therefore they are invisible to Windows. With Partition Magic, I arbitrarily assign the restore partition drive letter P: and the main partition the drive letter Q: Once the partitions have drive letters, you can examine their contents with Windows Explorer.

The Restore Partitions on some other brands will contained a large WIM file. It will be several gigabytes. The big WIM file contains the entire factory set up in compressed form. On Dell computers, the restore partition contains FACTORY.WIM. On HP computers, there is BASE.WIM. The may be some small WIM files to make other things, like WinPE discs. Ignore those. On this Gateway laptop, there was no big WIM file.
There is a directory call D2D. In that directory the were 2 sub directories called Images and Patch. In the D2D\Images directory, there are 130 files that started with the name, POP010BY0OX01C21, and had the extension of SWM. All of the SWM files have to be merged to create the all important WIM file. I believe the SWM file names are specific for this model. Different models will have different SWM file names.

IMAGEX.EXE is a program from Microsoft that is used for both merging SWM files into WIM files and for decompressing WIM files into factory restore partitions.
IMAGEX.EXE can be downloaded from several places, including Microsoft. It is also present on the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) disc. There is both a 32 bit and a 64 bit versions of IMAGEX, but sure to use the correct one. In this case, it was the 64 bit version.
When IMAGEX merges all of the SWM files in a big WIM file. You need a big space to put the WIM file. It will be around 6.5 GB. You could use a thumb drive. I decided to use the computer disc drive. I used Partition Magic to shrink the size of the primary partition about 20 GB (actually 10 GB would have worked). I then created a 20 GB extended partition in that free space and assigned it letter R: . I copied IMAGEX.EXE to drive R and create a target directory called INSTALL.

To review: We have Partition 1, the restore partition, letter P. Partition 2, the tiny "System Reserve" partition. Partition 3, the primary partition, letter Q. The extended partition, letter R, to hold IMAGEX.EXE and the yet to be created WIM file.

I want to merge all the SWM files into a single WIM file called INSTALL.WIM and store that WIM file in the E:\Install directory on the extended partition. From Accessories, Launch "Command Prompt" as administrator. At the DOS command line. Type:

R:\imagex.exe /ref p:\d2d\images\POP010BY0OX01C21*.swm /check /export p:\d2d\images\POP010BY0OX01C21.swm * R:\install\install.wim

The * is a wild card. Your SWM files may have a different name. Change the command accordingly. Syntax is critical. If all goes will, it takes about 20 minutes. It produced R:\Install\INSTALL.WIM. The file size was 6.5 GB.

Now the WIM file has to be decompressed to create the factory setup on the primary drive. Again, IMAGEX is used.
I removed the disc drive from the desk top computer and placed it back into the NV55C laptop. I start the laptop with the Microsoft Repair CD. It takes a while to load. First screen asks what type of keyboard you use. Select and hit next. Next, "System Recovery Options". Select "Use Recovery Tools that can Help Fix Problems..." and hit next. Select "Command Prompt". You will get a DOS window.

When the disc drive in placed back in the laptop and the computer is started with the Windows Repair CD, the drive letters change. In my case "System Reserved" is now C:\, the extended partition is D:\, the main partition is E:\ and recovery partition "PQService" is F:\. Yours drive letters might be different. Check the drive letter and adjust the following command accordingly before launching the command.

At the DOS prompt. Enter a command like this.
[source drive]:\imagex /apply [source drive]:\[WIM file] 1 [target drive]:\
Source is where the imagex and WIM reside. Target is the drive where the factory partition is going to be built.

In my case, the command looked like this:
D:\imagex /apply D:\install\install.wim 1 E:\

If you did everything correctly, a factory partition will be rebuilt on E:\. It takes about 20 minutes to complete.

When it is complete, remove the Windows Repair Disc and restart the computer.
If all went well, you should be a Windows 7 first start up. It takes about 20 minutes and several automatic restarts to get everything installed.
The drive letters will change again. The primary partition will be C:\ and the Recovery Partition and System Reserve Partition will have no drive letter and will not be visible to Windows Explorer. If you want to remove the extended partition created earlier, you can do it with Partition Magic. I would suggest saving the INSTALL.WIN file in case you need to do a factory restore again in the future.

If the new setup will not start, try to fix the partition with the "Windows Repair CD". At the "System Recovery Options", select "System Repair". When it is complete, remove the CD and restart. Hopefully that did the trick. If not, the next step is the FIXBOOT command. If it comes to that, please refer to the many online explanations of how to use it.

As a courtesy to the original owner, I wiped the main partition to removed all of the prior personal data prior to installing the factory reset.
 
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This is a wild goose chase, does not work. After creating the bootable usb drive and changing the boot order to boot from the usb it displays an operating system was not found. Try disconnecting any drive that do not contain an operating system. Now I wonder what I downloaded and if it was even safe.,
 
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Left Alt-F10 didn't work after installing windows 10, though the recovery partition was still there. Used a windows 7 iso to install over windows 10. At the 1st reboot, tried Left Alt-F10, success. Acer Recovery program ran like normal.
 
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I was trying this and it wont work for me, but i succeed to boot hiden partition with my windows by smart bootmanager that is included in hirens menu. So i opened it and choose from the lis partition that i thought is the one with my recovery files ( for me it was those with "unknown" name) then i press "tab" to open up menu and press boot it.

Sory for my English im writing from Poland you can correct my grammar if you want :)
 
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