If the original D: recovery partition still exists, and you have the Dell Vista DVD, you can boot from it and  try to either repair or restore that way: <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell> Otherwise, you'll need to do a manual reinstall.   Link on the above page isn't right - actual instructions here, including all the drivers.  
Hi,   I wonder if anyone could help me. I am trying to do a full system restore, to put my Vista 1545 laptop back to when it was shipped to me. I am following the Dell instructions ([URL]#Issue3).    I do as it says: As the computer starts, press on the keyboard until the  Advanced Boot Options menu appears on the screen. Then i t tells me to Press the on the keyboard to select  Repair Your Computer on the  Advanced Boot Options menu , and then press .    The problem I am having is that there is not a Repair Your Computer option. How else can I restore the laptop to the factory settings?   Any help would be very gratefully received!    Thank you
No 'Repair Your Computer' under F8 menu