OT - HP Recovery Partition

[Menno Hershberger]

I really don't know where to go with this, so I'll post it here and maybe
someone can recommend a better place to post it.
I have an HP Pavilion a405n here on which the operating system is pretty
well trashed. Will boot in Safe Mode or Normal Mode with all services
turned off. Most anything you try to open complains about missing dll
files. The Start Menu is empty. Was able to run msconfig and the only
checked items were "ntuser.*" items which I've never seen in a startup
configuration before.
But I can get into Windows Explorer by running "explorer" and although
there's a lot of "Found" folders, most everything appears to be there.
There's nothing on the machine the guy wants to save. I just want to
restore it to the original factory installation. The recovery partition is
there and if I put the drive in another computer I can see all the files in
it.
F10 is supposed to take you to the recovery partition, but it doesn't work.
I've run into this before, but was able to start the recovery from within
windows. I think when you do it that way, it modifies boot.ini so that it
automatically goes to the recovery partition on reboot.
I *might* be able to start it in Windows if I knew the name and location of
the exe file that starts the recovery. If it is still there that is.
What it boils down to is I need to know how I can access The %&$# recovery
partiton. Could I "manufacture" a fake boot.ini that would do it?

 

[Ron Sommer]

My HP has this line in boot.ini.
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

--
Ronald Sommer

:I really don't know where to go with this, so I'll post it here and maybe
: someone can recommend a better place to post it.
: I have an HP Pavilion a405n here on which the operating system is pretty
: well trashed. Will boot in Safe Mode or Normal Mode with all services
: turned off. Most anything you try to open complains about missing dll
: files. The Start Menu is empty. Was able to run msconfig and the only
: checked items were "ntuser.*" items which I've never seen in a startup
: configuration before.
: But I can get into Windows Explorer by running "explorer" and although
: there's a lot of "Found" folders, most everything appears to be there.
: There's nothing on the machine the guy wants to save. I just want to
: restore it to the original factory installation. The recovery partition is
: there and if I put the drive in another computer I can see all the files
in
: it.
: F10 is supposed to take you to the recovery partition, but it doesn't
work.
: I've run into this before, but was able to start the recovery from within
: windows. I think when you do it that way, it modifies boot.ini so that it
: automatically goes to the recovery partition on reboot.
: I *might* be able to start it in Windows if I knew the name and location
of
: the exe file that starts the recovery. If it is still there that is.
: What it boils down to is I need to know how I can access The %&$# recovery
: partiton. Could I "manufacture" a fake boot.ini that would do it?
:
: --
: --- A dyslexic man walks into a bra ---

 

[Menno Hershberger]

Yeah, this one does too. But that just takes you into the recovery console,
not the recovery *partition".
I also noted...
-------------------
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
-------------------
The "2" would indicate that the actual operating system is on the second
partition. I made a clone of the drive earlier and also noted there that
the recovery partition is the first partition.
I've experimented a bit by changing the "2" to "1" and leaving out the
"WINDOWS".
But that just makes it keep rebooting intself.
I will probably wind up having to order restore CDs for it. It just seems a
waste having everything I need right in front of me and not being able to
access it.

 

[Menno Hershberger]

I can't believe how simple it was.
I used a Windows 98 startup disk and FDISK to set the recovery partition
as the active partition.
Rebooted and "Voila"... the HP System Recovery screen came up!
Now surely the Live Chat guy that told me I'd need a recovery CD could
have told me that!
I got the idea from a hit on Google about someone who had a similar
experience with Windows ME.