Do I Use Recovery Discs to Reinstall the OS? 1

[flasher40]

Hi, I have an HP Pavillion zd7000 laptop computer that's a few years old. It came with XP Home edition installed, and I bought XP Pro upgrade to upgrade.

The computer has died, and I suspect it's the hard drive. My question is this: As far as I can tell, I received recovery discs with the computer but not any disc identified as "XP Home Edition." If I replace the hard drive, should I be able to reinstall the original operating system off of one of the recovery discs? In other words, years ago one would receive a copy of the operating system itself, but now do the recovery discs take the place of that?

Thanks for any light you can shed on this issue.

Bill

 

[vacunita]

It depends.

Some Recovery discs are just the software needed to perform the repair, but the actual Operating system files are placed in a hidden partition on the hard drive in the machine.

While other types of recovery CD's do contain the Operating system files in them.

To make sure try browsing the recovery CD's. And Look for an i386 folder in them. If its there then it means the CD's have the Operating system files in them.

If not, then the Operating system files are most likely in the hidden partition.





----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[edfair]

Your recovery cd set is the goto stuff when the hard drive dies. It will put everything back on the new hard drive, including the recovery partition.
Then you do the upgrade as there is nothing on the recover disks to flag the upgrade that they are an earlier version.
If yours is anything like mine, you'll want to spend some time deleting all the preloaded junk before you do the upgrade.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[wahnula]

Ed,

Someone's created a tool for that:

http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

I've used it in the past, very handy.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[acewarlock]

What makes you think the HD died? What do you get if anything?

My Dell laptop has a Recovery CD that put the laptop back the way it was the day i bought it.

My HP and Compaq both have a recovery Partion on the HD, not much if the HD dies but i think I could have created restore disks when I first got it.




This is a Signature and not part of the answer, it appears on every reply.

This is an Analogy so don't take it personally as some have.

Why change the engine if all you need is to change the spark plugs.

 

[edfair]

Your Compaq has the capability to create the recover CD 1 time. You can make it at any time. Better to make before you need it.

when you use it, it will create the recovery partition and allow you to make another one if you need it.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[flasher40]

Some Recovery discs are just the software needed to perform the repair, but the actual Operating system files are placed in a hidden partition on the hard drive in the machine.

It looks like my recovery discs do NOT contain the operating system. If in fact my hard drive has died, does that mean I have to purchase a copy of a Windows operating system? The computer has a Windows XP Home Edition label on the underside that has a product key and another number. If I provide that information to the manufacturer (HP), are they obligated to provide me with the operating system software, or am I out of luck.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[edfair]

You might not know if your recovery disk contains the OS. It probably contains an image of the hidden recovery partition which it creates and then runs the recovery from there.

Or it has images of the drive itself and doesn't create a hidden recovery partition. Without hands on time it is speculation to all except those with the exact same system.

Since you have multiple recovery CDs you boot with the first recovery CD and follow the instructions until it finishes and you have a new installation. The OS or recovery stuff is buried in the image.

You shouldn't have to get anything else. They have provided every thing you need. Actually, when you get done, probably more than you need. You'll probably find a large number of demo programs and some games. Enough so that the program Tony linked might be useful to you.



Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[acewarlock]

Repeat: "What makes you think the HD died? What do you get if anything?"




This is a Signature and not part of the answer, it appears on every reply.

This is an Analogy so don't take it personally as some have.

Why change the engine if all you need is to change the spark plugs.

 

[vacunita]

Your recovery cd set is the goto stuff when the hard drive dies. It will put everything back on the new hard drive, including the recovery partition.

If the CD's do not contain the OS files because they are in the hidden partition how do they reinstall. The most they'll do is create an empty hidden partition.

If indeed the hard drive died, and the Os files were in the hidden partition, theres not much to be done. Most new machines just contain software to initiate the repair, but everything else is in the hidden partition. If the drive has failed then the partition is gone.

Anyway,

You should be able to call HP and have them send a set of OS files, or if the machine is still under warranty send it in for repair.

You should also be able to borrow a set of Operating system discs and install using the code on the label on your machine. The Discs mus be of the same type as the code on yur machine. Most likely OEM.



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[edfair]

I can only speak for the last 2 I restored with multiple recovery CDs, both HP. When it was over I had XP and junk reinstalled and a recovery partition loaded. Both were with smaller drives than original so there is some intelligence built in.
The recovery CDs for the machine this is being typed on show "HP Pavilion Home PC", "System Recovery", and elsewhere on the label, WinXP, Home Edition, and the disk number from 1 to 8.
The second (in a customer's office) was also Pavilion but only had 5 disks IIRC. Had to order from HP because they had lost their originals. I also don't remember it having as much junk cluttering the desktop.
In both cases, there was not an direct OS install. It had to come through the restore operation.


I didn't pay attention to the Compaq. Once the XP was up I put it on the shelf. The previous owner had never created the restore, so after the PS was replaced I created it, wiped the hard drive, and restored.

All three were not laptops but I would suspect laptops are prepared the same way.

You ask how the OS can install if there are no files. An image of a part of a hard drive has no files. But when it is laid down in the precise location the data that is written there is the same as what would be written to files. So it becomes files.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[vanka25]

It looks like my recovery discs do NOT contain the operating system. If in fact my hard drive has died, does that mean I have to purchase a copy of a Windows operating system?[\quote]

If you are sure that it is the hard drive that failed; replace the hard drive and boot off of your XP Pro Upgrade CD. If it asks you for a prior version of Windows - just pop in a Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP Home CD. If you don't have one of said CDs, ask a buddy or I'm sure you can find some of those older versions (98, ME, 2000) for dirt cheap somewhere.