No XP CD 6

[kixfan]

I stupidly bought an HP computer and found out after the fact that it comes with no cdrom of WinXP. The operating system files are on a private inaccessable part of the hard drive. Is there anyway to get the files off the hard drive to make a winxp cd for myself or am I forced to buy another copy of WinXP? What am I supposed to do if I need to reformat my drive? Guess HP doesnt care about that!
Kixfan

 

[cdogg]

kixfan,
First of all, your pc should have come with at least a restore disk/CD. It is usually a set containing a boot disk and CD that you would use in the event of needing to reformat. Most OEM vendors like Dell, Gateway, and HP won't give you a personalized copy of XP on CD. This is so they can save money, in turn lowering the price you paid for your pc (due to license restrictions from Microsoft).

However, I'm a bit confused on your statement about the operating system files being on an inaccesible part of the hard drive. Is your hard drive formatted in NTFS? Is this XP Home or Pro? Are you not the only user of this PC?

You should have administrative privileges by default...


~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein

 

[kixfan]

Let me try to clarify this. HP put all the WinXP files that would normally be on a CD on the hard drive. It is a private partition that I cannot access at all. Anytime I need to change XP it loads the needed files from this section of the hard drive. My problem is if I reformat the drive I lose this section and WinXP. I am the only user and administrator on this PC. It is running XP home. Drive is using NTFS filing system.
Kixfan

 

[gadgitman]

kixfan You Can Purchase Drive Image 2002 at

http://www.worldstart.com

for $34.97 Install and make the boot disks two of them Then reboot from the first floopy create Image of D If this is The second partition It should show all partitions Have a blank cdr ready in your Cd Burner It will span (use as many cdrs as it takes to Image Your drive. This will be a Exact copy of your hard drive so make sure you have no viruses or errors before you start. the Program comes with a manual and works great!

 

[linney]

Plenty of reading here from fellow HP Users.

http://www.google.com/search?source...TF-8&q=site:bizforums.itrc.hp.com+recovery+cd

http://bizforums.itrc.hp.com/cm/CategoryHome/1,,405!1!1,00.html

 

[BoyTommy]

Let me see if I can help you. The WinXP (disk) is preloaded on a hidden section of the hard drive. You should be able to access it by using a control key ( F7 or F8) on start-up ) Check your manual. It will reformat the C drive without formatting the preload on the hidden partition. Do not FDisk the drive as it will remove the hidden partition and you will lose the factory pre-load. You will then be able to install WinXp by following the directions on you screen directly from the factory preload without the use of a CD Rom. Hope this will help.

 

[gamelin56]

What you would like to do is restore the machine using HP's utility, then burn an image of the factory setup with no changes whatsoever to CD. Check to make sure your image works. Do a restore. Once this is done you don't care if you lose the image on the hard drive. BTW the image is probably not taking up that much space on the hard drive.

Now you can start playing with the partitions if you want to. You may lose the ability to restore from the HD but you don't care, because you have the image you burned. Its important to have the image made with no changes whatsoever or HP technical support will just throw up their hands and say non-standard install we don't support that.

Of course your image will be of no use on any machine but your own or one that is identical.

I have seen instructions on the web for rolling your own install CD in this type of situation, but you may not end up with anything more useful than I have outlined. Ie. if your carefully crafted CD does a BIOS check to see if its being installed on an HP machine, you're not any further ahead.

Dell has used similar schemes in the past. They did come with a CD but forget about using it on anything but a Dell machine.

 

[dloyd]

I too have an HP 9905 Pavilion, comes with absolutely no xp cd. You can reformat by hitting F10 key upon boot. This takes you into the recovery partition of the disk where your xp is stored. It will automatically go to the recover reformat application.

 

[bullhlms]

I am using a Compaq presario. Due to unexplained problems, I was unable to access (using the "Recovery CD&quot the recovery files. Compaq (now (and then, two weeks ago) HP)sold me a three CD set for about $15 with which I did a complete reinstall of XP Home. I suspect HP help would do the same.
Bull

 

[fluxvoovoo]

H.P went to this grief stricken way of providing system recovery shorly after the merge with Compaq. Of all the ideas they might have gleaned from them...this is the dumbest. Compaq used the same plan with many of their 5000-7000 series as well as all of the 5bw series internet pc. I can't begin to tell yall how many times I supported folks who could not access the system save partition, or had unknowingly fdisked it away. Not to mention the ramifications of what to do when a virus infects your system (you think it won't get on the D: drive for some reason?) Compaq has been sending the PC's with a single disc that contains only the bootcat.bin and bootsec.bin files - no actual O.S. data. Then they carge you for the REAL recovery set. REEEEAL SMART - keep it up H.P and you can go broke too!

 

[ga1oot]

If you tell them the nephews were over for an extended stay and somehow, when they left, you were left with a limping installation of Windows 98 on your Windows XP machine, you can talk them into sending the restore disks free. Don't use any technical terms. Sound unclear about any information given or questions asked. Be indignant about your warranty and the sorry state of the computer you paid for. It is much easier for them to send the restore disks than to teach computer science to Hank Hill over the phone.

If you buy a computer, you should get to choose how to use your drive space. If AOL can send you a zillion cds free, HP can include a few with a new computer.