Hi:

I've been trying to use the eRecovery DVD's from Gateway to restore to factory settings, since I had to replace the HDD due to an accident. The old HDD was 500 gb Seagate, tryingto load up a WD 320 GB I had as an external USB drive...I've "zeroed" the HDD, wiped the MBR, converted the drive to GPT (unsure of why since it is a small drive, but restore disks won't even try if disk is not GPT) and under both "restore COMPUTER to factory settings" and "restore OS to factory settings" i get a "Apply failed-error code 0x2 (ImageX cannot apply image: WIMGAPI failure" error...I've contacted Gateway and all they tell me is to take the unit in for service; I do not have transportation or $$ for who-knows-how-much-it-will-cost repair, and it is just probably a partition or command issue. I've never had so much trouble reloading an image to a disk! Please help! It's been two weeks now tinkering around!

Jd

hi there,

Many times, the image file the restore feature is looking to use is on a partition on your HDD.  If you replaced this HDD, then you do not have the image anymore, and you cannot use the restore feature.  

You should be able to do a fresh install of windows to get the computer back up and running correctly with the DVD's Gateway provided you.

Thanks Scott: The fresh install is what I'm having problems with now... I've chosen to "fresh" restore using the DVD option for it. I'm on the second pass to see if it takes it this time, but if it fails again...I'm running out of options... I tried a complete computer restore using the DVD's and that was my first encounter with the above mentioned error, with the complete above described process ...

What OS is it you are trying to get going?  If you boot to the DVD, do you have an option to do a Custom install?  When you choose custom install, you should be able to format the drive you want to install on, or create a partition.  Once you have done this, the install should proceed.  Are you sure you can install from the disk that was provided to you.  You may have to go back to Gateway and ask for the installation media.

Hi

My suggestion, please make sure your HDD at good condition, go to BIOS to check, some of BIOS has option S.M.A.R.T test

after you make sure your HDD working fine, follow this step installation

http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/7515289/7515289su2.shtml

I think they have phone, email and chat support. You may also try this support

• Edited by britishdhez 8 hours 53 minutes ago

Hi

My suggestion, please make sure your HDD at good condition, go to BIOS to check, some of BIOS has option S.M.A.R.T test

after you make sure your HDD working fine, follow this step installation

http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/7515289/7515289su2.shtml

I think they have phone, email and chat support. You may also try this support

• Edited by britishdhez Thursday, January 09, 2014 2:53 AM

Hi again:

No, the recovery media options do not show a custom install...I got the recovery disks from Gateway themselves, but their support is far from knowledgeable, or all they want is $$ since they kept telling me to take the unit in for service...came out to be a bad memory module and a failing HDD...got both replaced this morning and I'm writing this on my recovered laptop!

I greatly appreciate your efforts in trying to help me resolve this issue...I learned a lot during the process and I don't think this type of problem will ever be this hard again! Now I know what to look for and how...Thanks a million!

• Marked as answer by David WoltersModerator 14 hours 21 minutes ago

Hi guy!

PLease check my reply to Scott...Thanks a zillion for the link, which was very informative...I had used the online chat and phone support but, sorry to say, they need more technical ppl handling the calls and forget about the automated answering hotkeys they have...a bad memory module and a failing hard drive were the culprits...If Gateway had come up with these suggestions, instead of "take your unit to an authorized service center..." I would not have reached out for help here...Thanks again!