typically a gold padlock with no restore CD

[iblearnen]

I have worked on a number of Compaq’s that have a small locked partition on the c drive, (typically a gold padlock icon) Most of these machines do not ship with a system restore CD. I would like to format the drive so does not remember anything
(Including all of it’s problems) the only option that I can find is accomplished without using any disks found under all programs in the Compaq’s tools area. The problem with this option is that the system remembers most system settings, user accounts and so on, and often has many of the virus/spyware problems that I was trying to remove in the first place. Any ideas would be most helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

[Frank4d]

Use a zero fill utility available on most drive manufacturer's websites to low level format the drive. That should get rid of everything including the locked partition and any drive overlays. I have also done this on drives that have been corrupted so badly they won't fdisk or format.

 

[iblearnen]

The problem is that I need to create a disk set to reinstall everything on my clients machine. The only option on many Compaq machines is that it recovers the OS and drivers from that locked partition, however the end result is often plagued with its original problems. I would like the kind of format that, say Dell offers. How you get three choices, leave the file system alone, a quick NTFS format, or the best option,
the entire Slo

http://www NTFS

format. But you need a CD to boot from?

 

[garebo]

I know the older compaq machines used a "rompaq" to make that partition. So i think you can download the newest one for your machine, install that one and it will over-ride the old one that is there.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[Frank4d]

HP's website has a support article that explains how to create a set of recovery CDs

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...docname=bph08097&product=89327&dlc=en&lang=en

You can then use the Factory Restore option to reformat the drive. If that still doesn't give you a clean drive that really is clean, then use a zero fill utility (after you have made the recovery CDs).