I want to restore my a25-3072 laptop back to factory specs.

Get the original recovery media and install the software.
You must configure the BIOS so that the computer boots from the CD-drive before the hard drive. Then you put the recovery CD in the tray and reboot. Follow instructions.
If you seriously plan on using Windows XP, hurry to install all updates because the support for XP is ending sometime in February 2014.

When you restore your system back to the new factory settings, it will wipe your hard drive clean and do a fresh install of the operating system with the original factory setting.

To start this process, unplug all extra devices from your computer

(printers, external hard drives, etc.) as these can interfere with the system restore.

Starting with Windows XP, most systems with issued a system recovery disk in case of any problems with the factory installation.

Check the documentation and disks that came with your computer to determine if you have one of these system disks.

If you do have a copy of this disk, place it in your CD/DVD drive and restart your computer.

If you do NOT have a copy of this disc, skip to step 3 for further instructions.

Once you restart your computer, a screen will appear with the words.

Press Any Key to Boot From CD. Once you press a key, a screen will come up containing instructions to format your hard drive and restore the original factory settings.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the installation.

Once the restore is complete, remove your Recovery CD from the disk drive so that your computer does not try to boot from the CD again.

Restart your computer to complete the restore.

3. If you do not have a System Restore disk, then your computer should have a recovery partition on your hard drive, separate from the main partition of the disk.

Unplug all external devices and restart your computer.

When the loading screen comes on with the Windows logo, press Alt+F10 together five times.

This will bring up the system restore menu.

Follow the on-screen prompts to restore your computer back to the factory settings

hope this helps

First restart your Toshiba laptop. Press either "F1," "0," or "F8" to be taken to your computer's hard drive utility screen. The key command differs depending on the model Toshiba computer that you own.

Select "Restore Original Factory Image" from the list of options in System Recovery. Verify that you want to continue the process by clicking "Yes," then click "Next".

Restart the Toshiba laptop once the factory restore process has been completed. You will be prompted to enter information such as the date, time and language preferences.

Feel free to get the reliable technical help at http://www.vtechsquad.com/toshiba-support/ for troubleshoot all kind of Toshiba PCs(laptop/desktop).

I don't think that the one touch recovery button will work if you have installed another copy of the OS. The one touch recovery is meant for a single OS (in your case, it might be X.P). To go back to X.P, you will have to format and install X.P again.
Hope this helps. If you need any more assistance, don't hesitate to come back to me. Else, if the problem is solved, please do ACCEPT this solution. Best Wishes. Thanks for using FixYa.

Hi.

If she did not format the hard disk, then the Windows XP startup option will be present in boot option. When computer startup you will get a choice like this:

1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Edition.
2 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2

In that case you can restore XP, starting on XP and editing the file winboot.ini, that is an hidden system file located on C:/ drive.

See:How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP.

If instead Windows XP does not start, or if you do not get the boot option, that means that Windows XP system file had been deleted.

In that case the only way to get back Windows XP is reinstalling the system from scrap, using a Windows XP install disk, and the number listed on the licence sticker.

Regards.

No problem at all. Go ahead.

Do rate this fixya!

Enter BIOS and restore factory default settings.

Try again with the XP install.

Regards B.

Did the drive fail to boot initially and thats why you did a recovery unfortunately the hard drive has either failed and must have a damaged sector,or the recovery partition on the drive is stopping the format, which will more than likely be the problem.

The recovery disc you have won't be a full windows copy only a restore disc for your notebook, and it will look for a backup folder residing on another partition on your drive.

The only way to get a full format is to use a freinds copy of windows to format it and then install windows using your product key code on the underside of your notebook, unless you buy a copy in which case use the code provided

Insert the winxp disk and boot from that, when prompted hit any key to boot from cd.

Win xp will start to install choose to delete the partition, confirm delete.

then press enter to install to that unallocated partition, choose format to NTFS.

Follow the prompts and it has formated the hard drive and will install XP.

buy or download a windows disk. insert it and format the partition and install a fresh copy