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General discussion

HP pavilion Recovery problem

Dec 1, 2003 8:15PM PST

My machine, HP Pavilion with Windows XP home edition, became unstable after installing an older version of Print Artist. Restore did not solve the problem, so I decided to do an undestructive recovery, using the build in files. Machine told me "Partition cannot be found" . So I tried the full recovery using the 7 Recovery CD's provided by HP. The machine reformatted the hard disk and copied all 7 CD's, but at the end told me again " Partition cannot be found and cannot be created"
Now I am stuck with a formatted Harddrive, and do not know how to get Windows XP back on the C drive and working.
I live overseas and it is kind of difficult to call HP's Helpdesk.
Please help
Leo

Discussion is locked

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Re:HP pavilion Recovery problem
Dec 1, 2003 8:28PM PST

"Now I am stuck with a formatted Harddrive"

That is my only clue here that you may have tried to partition and format the drive with your own method. XP and recovery CD's should create partitions as HP wanted, but some don't like that and subvert the Recovery. For those, they have to go get the full XP CD (chaching) and then go their own way.

Since you don't have any data to recover, just delete all partitions then boot the Recovery CD and see if their system installs. If not, you have a warranty issue.

Bob

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Re:Re:HP pavilion Recovery problem
Dec 1, 2003 8:43PM PST

All I did was:
I restarted pressing F10, with the Recovery CD's from the factory.
I had the choice to select "Undestructive Recovery" or "Full Recovery".
At first I selected "Undestructive" but then I got the message "Partition cannot be found etc."
Then I selected the "FULL Recovery"
The machine Reormatted the C disk and then asked for the the CD"s.
All seven were copied, and then the the same message was shown " Partition cannot be created"

We are walking in a circle.
What now?

Leo

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So try my method?
Dec 1, 2003 8:52PM PST

You may have used partition magic or someone did such to modify partitions. No history on this, but it does not matter.

I offered a suggestion and it's now up to you to try it or disregard.

Best of luck,

Bob

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Re:So try my method?
Dec 1, 2003 9:13PM PST

Bob,
I would very much like to try your method but please explain to me step by step,how to delete the partitions.
Thanks
Leo

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Deleting partitions. My way.
Dec 1, 2003 9:19PM PST

You can use any method you are comfortable with.

-> Warning data on the partitions is goin away.

Get a DOS boot diskette from http://www.bootdisk.com
Get DELPART.EXE from same site

Create the DOS boot diskette and put DELPART.EXE on it.

Use DELPART.EXE to delete the partitions.

Sorry, I wish it was harder than this.

Bob

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Re:HP pavilion Recovery problem
Dec 1, 2003 9:48PM PST

It may also be possible that you have a failing HDD.

Why not buy another HDD and use that to perform the full recovery?

Then add back the old HDD and see if it still works byrunning ChkDsk?

Or if one of your Recovery CDs is the Windows XP CD you can set your BIOS top boot from the CD-Rom Drive and then boot into the Recovery Console.

You will have to use the Administrator user and any password for it to access the Recovery Console.

Once you see the DOS like screen type: DISKPART
This will bring up the FDISK equivalent for XP which will allow you to delete your existing partition and create a new C Drive to reinstall XP.
See these links:

Windows XP Recovery Console

Microsoft Windows XP: Exploring Boot Options and Recovery Console

During the reinstallation of XP there is an option to delete & create partitions. You can also use this method to prepare your HDD.

See this link as a guide:

How to use the Upgrade Version XP CD to Partition & Format a hard drive during Setup.