How to Create Recovery Disks with Acer eRecovery Management

In the past most laptops and desktops came complete with restore disks, which allowed you to easily restore your system to the factory default settings if anything happened to your system. Since around 2008, restore disks have become a thing of the past. Many systems now include software to allow you to create your own restore or recovery disks. Acer is no exception with their Acer eRecovery Management software.

Ideally, you should create your recovery disks for your Acer as soon as you start the system. This will allow to restore your system to factory defaults, including the operating system and pre-installed applications. You can create recovery disks again once you have your system exactly as you like it later on.

What You Need

Acer requires DVDs in order to create recovery disks of your Windows Vista and later systems. You should plan to have at least four DVDs on hand, though depending on the applications you have installed, you may need more. The software will tell you before hand how many disks you need. You'll also need a disk burner, which may or may not be included with your system. If not, you will need an external optical drive.

Burn Recovery Disks

Go to Start and select All Programs. ChooseAcerand select Acer eRecovery Management from the Acer menu. Select Backup on the left side of the eRecovery window if it's not already selected. Select Create Factory Default Disk to create an image of your operating system and settings as they are currently installed. Choose Create Drivers and Applications Disk to create a restore disk for all installed drivers and applications. Factory default disks are bootable.

The Acer eRecovery Management console tells you how many blank DVDs you need to complete the process. It also tells you the approximate size of the backup. Choose your disk burner. If you only have one, this will be the one displayed. Insert your first blank DVD. Press Start to begin the process. Insert a new disk when prompted. Ensure you label each DVD correctly using a description and disk number, such as Operating System Disk 1. Keep your disks in a safe location, labeled with the date they were created.

Restoring Your System

Use your restore or recovery disks on your Acer at any time by opening the Acer eRecovery Management console. Choose Restore from the option list to the left of the window. Follow the prompts to start the restore. Insert your recovery disks in order when prompted.