In some Dell models there is also the "F10" (If I'm not mistaken) key to access the recovery partition. But most times this is a question of timming with the Crt+F11 shortcut. here is a good guide for the multiple options of recover you might won't to try, and also pros and cons of each : http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell/453164-dell-system-recovery-guide.html#post5768224 Turn on the computer, at the "Dell" splash screen hold down CTRL and press F11. Let go of both keys. I think the trick is to hold CTRL just after you turn it on and then press F11 a few times... eventually you'll get it :) Hope this helps. MikeC