[ale] [OT] Help with burning recovery disks from HP

[Robert Reese~]

> On Nov 25, 2008, at 11:52 PM, Robert Reese~ wrote:
>
>>> I'm trying to help someone restore an HP Vista box to what
>>> passes for functionality. I don't really know what happened,
>>> but the box won't boot (even in safe mode) and won't "recover."
>>> I used a live CD to boot the box and can mount the recovery
>>> partition.
>>>
>>> Is there a way to use data from the boot partition to burn the
>>> recovery CD?
>>>
>>
>> Have you tried tapping F11 repeatedly during and after POST?  I'm
>> assuming yes, though trying to be thorough.
>>
>
> Yes, we got to recovery mode, but it failed. That seems like it
> should be an ominous sign, but I don't know enough about Windows to
> know. The partition looks intact, so I was hoping to recover the
> recovery disks.

One of the things an HP/Compaq first prompts the new owner to do is to create 
recovery disks using CDs, DVDs, or a single dual-layer DVD.  She may have done 
that.

My recommendation is to go purchase another harddrive on which to recover and 
install windows.  You might even be able to image the new harddrive from the old 
and use the recovery process on the new harddrive successfully.  Even if the 
recovery process fails and she ends up needing to order a rush delivery set of 
recovery disks, if the system is restored/recovered on the new harddrive then 
getting her data will likely be very easy.

Harddrives are ridiculously cheap these days.  Surely spending less then a Benny 
is worthwhile to save data!


>> Also, what model HP?
>>
> Sorry, that's not available to me at the moment.

Get that model number from her and I'll see if there's something I might be able 
to do to assist you both.

And for her future, I recommend Acronis True Image Echo Workstation with 
Universal Restore and a decent backup harddrive (Staples is selling a 2.5" 400GB 
external drive for $99 on Friday)

Cheers,
Robert~