Couple links below - happened to have them bookmarked for reference, but if you run into trouble I'll need to defer to someone else: 1) Assuming all the original restore files are still there on D:, Dell has an article on doing a recovery by booting from the Vista DVD: [URL]#2 2) A long thread about the recovery option below - note especially TGSmith's and ZRTom's posts: [URL]  
I have an Inspiron 1501 with Vista OS...  I thought I would try Windows 7 and downloaded the ISO and installed it...   Normally a windows old folder is created that you can back out the installed op system and revert back to your old op system...   Well,,,  no windows old folder and found windows 7 beta was to full of bugs and not for me...   I decided to use the PC Restore function and bring it back to scratch system...  I tried the options that I found here on the support page and in the manual...   I had done this once before by hitting Ctrl-F11 and the system restored...  Well,,, It would not work...  Tried F8 to get into the special boot menue ,,,  no go...    I had a copy of Vista Ultimate that I had purchased earlier and loaded that with a format on the C drive...   The D drive is still there but the boot link to get there is gone... Does any one know how to get that option back to restore from that partition... a patch -- OR should I just create a restore dvd and use that???   Is there any good free programs that will create a bootable restore disk??? Thanks Boda 
Reload vista from hidden partition...