Way to get around buying HP recovery discs?

[Leros]

My friends computer won't boot and has no recovery discs. I tried using repair off my Vista installation disc but the Windows installation is not found. Its a Compaq computer, owned by HP now. They want $20 to get recovery disks, which will take a week. Is there an easier way?

I don't suppose I can just install Vista off my disk with the key from her computer?

 

[boomerang]

There is a very good likelihood that there is a hidden partition you can boot from. You usually have to press a function key to access it, but I can't recall which one. F10 or F12 maybe.

Search the help at HP for the specific model she has. It will outline the procedure.

If they don't provide disks, this is usually how it's handled.

 

[Saint Nick]

I contacted HP over their instant messaging support a year and a half ago to get a drivers disc and an operating system disc. They sent them both to me at no charge.

I bought directly from them, though. Not sure if that has much to do with it.

 

[Gooberlx2]

If you wanted to do a clean install, you should be able to find downloadable isos of the vista discs for free...and legally.

Check out this link. It's a method/giude to backup/restore your current activation key/state. Dunno how you might do it with a non-bootable system...maybe use UBCD4Win.

I successfully used the method to switch my HP m9077c from the pre-installed x86 Vista to the x64 version. So, at the least, you should be able to use the sticker-key and do a clean install; which might be best anyway...the pre-installed HP software is all garbage.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: boomerang
There is a very good likelihood that there is a hidden partition you can boot from. You usually have to press a function key to access it, but I can't recall which one. F10 or F12 maybe.

Search the help at HP for the specific model she has. It will outline the procedure.

If they don't provide disks, this is usually how it's handled.

This is what I was trying to do that made the computer unbootable. We wanted to return the computer to its factory conditions. We started running the recovery off the hidden partition from the boot menu. We got an error within a few seconds of it formatting. It formatted enough that the Windows partition became unusable.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: boomerang
There is a very good likelihood that there is a hidden partition you can boot from. You usually have to press a function key to access it, but I can't recall which one. F10 or F12 maybe.

Search the help at HP for the specific model she has. It will outline the procedure.

If they don't provide disks, this is usually how it's handled.

This is what I was trying to do that made the computer unbootable. We wanted to return the computer to its factory conditions. We started running the recovery off the hidden partition from the boot menu. We got an error within a few seconds of it formatting. It formatted enough that the Windows partition became unusable.

I wasn't certain, but from the beginning it sounded like a hardware problem.

My best guess it that's either HD, motherboard or memory. First open it up and unplug and replug every module, board and connector. Everything in there should be disconnected and reconnected.

While you're in there, see who manufactured the HD and go here for the diagnostic and run it. Testing the memory is simple. Go here for that. If none of this works, I would suspect the motherboard. But ......... why the need for the restore?

My hardware problem diagnosis may be a wild goose chase. Give us all the information you can. Do you remember the error?