[LaptoniC]

My computer is under warranty but don't want to deal with them. I thought it was easy. I just wanted to have some insurance. Anyway, thanks for reply.

[Frankie99]

Hi, I'm using the HP Pavilion dv6508tx. Last two days i have do a clean install of window 7 in my laptop. After the installation i have found that my f11 recovery not function anymore. However, i have make the recovery disc before doing the clean install of window 7. My question is am i possible to recreate the HP recovery partition using the HP recovery disc that i have created. Advanced thanks to every help!

[submix8c]

Frankie99, on Aug 21 2009, 09:30 AM, said:

My question is am i possible to recreate the HP recovery partition using the HP recovery disc that i have created. Advanced thanks to every help!

Won't swear to this, but I think the answer is yes. Check for any options when booting from the CD or running from Windows. Cancel it if it looks like no options for Complete HDD Restore (?).

Try at you own risk as I am not totally positive...

[Frankie99]

submix8c, on Aug 21 2009, 10:35 PM, said:

Frankie99, on Aug 21 2009, 09:30 AM, said:

My question is am i possible to recreate the HP recovery partition using the HP recovery disc that i have created. Advanced thanks to every help!

Won't swear to this, but I think the answer is yes. Check for any options when booting from the CD or running from Windows. Cancel it if it looks like no options for Complete HDD Restore (?).

Try at you own risk as I am not totally positive...

Inside the recovery when finish loaded the recovery disc, there are no advance option to only install the specific program especially HP recovery manger to recreate or enable the recovery partition. Any other suggestion?

[Tripredacus]

HP has a tool on their site that they say will fix the F11 function, but it won't recreate the partition if you deleted it.

[Frankie99]

Tripredacus, on Aug 22 2009, 12:56 AM, said:

HP has a tool on their site that they say will fix the F11 function, but it won't recreate the partition if you deleted it.

So there is clearly no way for me to create the recovery partition from the recovery disc by any means?

[Tripredacus]

Frankie99, on Aug 21 2009, 02:26 PM, said:

Tripredacus, on Aug 22 2009, 12:56 AM, said:

HP has a tool on their site that they say will fix the F11 function, but it won't recreate the partition if you deleted it.

So there is clearly no way for me to create the recovery partition from the recovery disc by any means?

I can't say for certain. My company makes our own recovery discs and not from the SoftThinks software. Hmmmm but thanks for making me think of that! Alas, as I have never used their software to create a recovery disc (we only use it for HDD based recovery) I do not know what abilities it has.

However, I am going to wager a guess that the CD may actually have the ability to rebuild the partition, but it won't help you at all. See, when the partition (or the CD) boots, it checks for a USB key. If that USB key is present, it unlocks different options.

This USB key is encrypted and contains the licenses to create, recreate, or activate the recovery partition. Without that, even if the CD you have could recreate the partition, you wouldn't ever see that option.

[Frankie99]

Tripredacus, on Aug 23 2009, 09:24 AM, said:

Frankie99, on Aug 21 2009, 02:26 PM, said:

Tripredacus, on Aug 22 2009, 12:56 AM, said:

HP has a tool on their site that they say will fix the F11 function, but it won't recreate the partition if you deleted it.

So there is clearly no way for me to create the recovery partition from the recovery disc by any means?

I can't say for certain. My company makes our own recovery discs and not from the SoftThinks software. Hmmmm but thanks for making me think of that! Alas, as I have never used their software to create a recovery disc (we only use it for HDD based recovery) I do not know what abilities it has.

However, I am going to wager a guess that the CD may actually have the ability to rebuild the partition, but it won't help you at all. See, when the partition (or the CD) boots, it checks for a USB key. If that USB key is present, it unlocks different options.

This USB key is encrypted and contains the licenses to create, recreate, or activate the recovery partition. Without that, even if the CD you have could recreate the partition, you wouldn't ever see that option.

Thanks for the info! but anyway if later u mange to find out a trick to create the partition form the recovery disc please post it over here! Thanks!

[submix8c]

DOH! I will not swear to this either, but past experience (AFAICR) says IF both partitions are "destroyed" (i.e. deleted - must be done with a Win9x boot floppy), then the Recovery Disks will recreate both (seeing that they are "missing").

Try at your own risk. Recommend backing the whole HDD to another HDD.

[Frankie99]

I have found the solution to recreate the HP recovery partition only if u have the recovery disc with u. For me, the HP recovery partition can be created if i choose the restore factory image in the HP recovery manager (which they use softhink). so back up your entire hard disk as it will reformat the hard drive and make it just like the first time u purchase the Laptop. After the recovery done, the HP recovery sector should be there!

Just a small reminder although i think everyone almost know this, once u have fresh install the window ( in my case which i fresh install the window 7 RC) will make ur HP recovery no longer work and DO NOT install the recovery manager that does not identical with ur laptop since the installation will be abort at the half way and ur recovery sector will be deleted together with the non identical HP recovery Manager.

If i have make any wrong statement here, please feel free to correct me as i only write out my personal experience on my HP Pavilion dv6508tx.

[Tripredacus]

You may be correct Frankie. My company does not use the current version of the SoftThinks software, but an older ones. All HPs use the newer version, which makes use of the BCD and the MBR. I only have the beta of the current version but I haven't the time to play with it. My company never did sign up to use the newest version yet. With downsizing and all, it makes me do the job I was hired to do!

[red11]

My dilemma: I own an HP dv41220us laptop. I was setting it up and realized that sfc /scannow was reporting unrepairable errors in regards to settings.ini of Windows Sidebar. I assumed it was because I used a sidebar theming utility, so I did a factory fresh restore using HP's Recovery Manager.

Upon restart, and running sfc /scannow, the problem persisted: could not repair settings.ini. Apparently this is because of the way HP setup their Vista install with autounattend.xml -- it seems like thanks to their auto-add of such wonderful sidebar gadgets like WildTangent Reversi and Weatherbug through the autoattend.xml, sfc /scannow seems like it will report false errors indefinitely. (see here: http://support.micro....com/kb/947595)

I cannot seem to repair it and have tried everything, even taking ownership of these protected folders.

I thought that I would do a CLEAN INSTALL on partition C: without even TOUCHING my recovery partition using an OEM Vista disc I have laying around, but am glad I did my research because it would apparently screw up the MBR and bork my F11 restore functionality. In short, I'd rather live with the SFC errors than have no F11 restore ability on system boot.

I don't want to download 3rd-party MBR hacks, so I suppose I'm stuck, yes?

Tripredacus, on Aug 21 2009, 11:56 AM, said:

HP has a tool on their site that they say will fix the F11 function, but it won't recreate the partition if you deleted it.

1-This seems like it might be my only hope -- can you provide a link?

2-Do you think this would even work to restore the functionality if I do a clean install of Vista, thus wiping the MBR tables?

3-It seems like 'system repair' of Vista also mess up the MBR, even if it could possibly fix the settings.ini issue:

to quote Snack a few pages back:
"Warning:
For lucky owners of HP PC's
If you are not in face with booting problem - use F11 or F8 option to repair your instalation.
Not even try to use above mentioned disc "Startup Repair" in that 100% legal utility from Microsoft to make some repair on HP computers because of those "advanced" HP software developers that don't take into account existence of any other soft (MS !!?) exept of theirs. You will lose the recovery F11 & F8 ability!!! wacko.gif "

Let me know... This frustrates me to the point of looking at Macs ;(

Thanks!!!

This post has been edited by red11: 02 September 2009 - 10:11 AM

[jaclaz]

red11, on Sep 2 2009, 06:08 PM, said:

My dilemma: I own an HP dv41220us laptop. I was setting it up and realized that sfc /scannow was reporting unrepairable errors in regards to settings.ini of Windows Sidebar. I assumed it was because I used a sidebar theming utility, so I did a factory fresh restore using HP's Recovery Manager.

Is this the error/problem?
http://support.micro...kb/947595/en-us
http://www.winvistatips.com/cbs-file-acces...ow-t335892.html


jaclaz

[red11]

jaclaz, on Sep 2 2009, 11:17 AM, said:

red11, on Sep 2 2009, 06:08 PM, said:

My dilemma: I own an HP dv41220us laptop. I was setting it up and realized that sfc /scannow was reporting unrepairable errors in regards to settings.ini of Windows Sidebar. I assumed it was because I used a sidebar theming utility, so I did a factory fresh restore using HP's Recovery Manager.

Is this the error/problem?
http://support.micro...kb/947595/en-us
http://www.winvistatips.com/cbs-file-acces...ow-t335892.html


jaclaz

The log is quite similar (but not identical). There are some mentions in mine to 'cannot reproject' also, but the core problem is the same: settings.ini is corrupted and I am unable to repair with SFC /scannow.

Again, I am fairly certain that the problem is that HP's factory restore image was poorly created in regards to sidebar gadgets: the fact that SFC can't complete drives me a bit crazy. I've tried pretty much everything, I think even deleting the aforementioned registry keys (but can try again)

I had thought the only way to fix it is a clean install using Vista media that I already have, but before I pulled the trigger I found out about this MBR nightmare. Obviously /sfc scannow should be able to run through smoothly, but I do not want to cripple my ability to use F11 on POST to restore the system.

I think a clean install of Vista would be better anyway, since it would get rid of all the HP bloatware and let me start from scratch.

Do you know a way to easily fix the settings.ini corruption? Even Microsoft's site only offers the wonderful advice of it can be 'safely ignored.' Or can I do a clean install while retaining the F11 restore functionality?

Please advise!

[red11]

Also, jaclaz, since you have followed this post the whole way through and I am just now finding it, will the MBRINST method of restoring the F11 functionality work if I do a clean install of Vista on C:\ and don't delete the original Recovery partition (D:)? Or is it a crapshoot because of Softthinks protection measures?

[red11]

Sorry for another post, but I had an idea:

Is it possible for me to backup my current MBR (that allows for pressing F11 to initiate system restore on startup), do a clean install of Vista on the C:\ partition (and thus overwriting HP's MBR with Microsoft's), and then restoring the HP MBR following the clean install, in essence making the notebook think that all is the same as previous?

Or would Softthink put the nix on this?

This post has been edited by red11: 02 September 2009 - 02:50 PM

[dencorso]

@red11: Please don't reply to your own posts. Use the edit function instead.

[jaclaz]

red11, on Sep 2 2009, 07:57 PM, said:

Also, jaclaz, since you have followed this post the whole way through and I am just now finding it, will the MBRINST method of restoring the F11 functionality work if I do a clean install of Vista on C:\ and don't delete the original Recovery partition (D:)? Or is it a crapshoot because of Softthinks protection measures?

red11, on Sep 2 2009, 10:50 PM, said:

Sorry for another post, but I had an idea:

Is it possible for me to backup my current MBR (that allows for pressing F11 to initiate system restore on startup), do a clean install of Vista on the C:\ partition (and thus overwriting HP's MBR with Microsoft's), and then restoring the HP MBR following the clean install, in essence making the notebook think that all is the same as previous?

Or would Softthink put the nix on this?

VERY good.

Those are EXACTLY the two points for which we don't (yet) know for certain WHAT consequences they may carry.

Theoretically the second idea should work, but there is NO guarantee of it.

I would advise you to make a "dd-like" i.e. a "forensically sound" image of your entire hard disk "as is" BEFORE attempting to go along the path you sketched, in the worst of cases, you can always restore the disk exactly asd it is now, and try another method, if that one fails.

Better be safe than sorry.

I mean, you have a GREAT advantage over the other people that posted their problems in this thread, you have a WORKING F11 and Recovery partition, why risking forfaiting this advantage?

Always keep an emergency way out open, whenever possible.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 03 September 2009 - 06:40 PM

[jjawm]

I am currently working on the same problem, with exception that the contents of the recovery partition was deleted. Found out this, first have hp total care installed, then install the hp backup & recovery software, create entire drive backup and create recovery discs usually two or three dvds, then recover using the dvds. From what I've gathered recovering will reload the partition with the necessary software and bootable partition. If it works you'll see me do this, , jja

Should get back to you in about a couple of hours, if it works like it is supposed to I'll post links to the software locations, good luck all, jja

Well, bad news, this will not work for a number of reasons, discovered that there are a number of problems with the soft-think (soft-id***) software, the worst being you could lose most of the data backed up with it. Best case you could recover most but not worth the chance. I have a second hp to steal some files & programs from and will approach from another angle.

How ever you have the error screen from some updates (black with the error: winload.exe missing or corrupt in windows/system32/...) you can copy the winload.exe & winloadresume.exe from the windows/system32/boot/ to windows/system32/ folder and it will boot and configure the updates and run.

One problem down and more to go, onward & upward....jja

This post has been edited by jjawm: 13 October 2009 - 03:44 PM

[Tripredacus]

red11, on Sep 2 2009, 04:50 PM, said:

Sorry for another post, but I had an idea:

Is it possible for me to backup my current MBR (that allows for pressing F11 to initiate system restore on startup), do a clean install of Vista on the C:\ partition (and thus overwriting HP's MBR with Microsoft's), and then restoring the HP MBR following the clean install, in essence making the notebook think that all is the same as previous?

Or would Softthink put the nix on this?

It is possible to backup the MBR but reapplying it won't re-activate the partition. Its because their MBRinst.exe does not capture the license string which is put someplace else in the boot sector. Although there are tools that may let you capture the entire boot sector, and this may work. However the problem is that the particular license installed in the recovery partition must match up or identify that string and if it doesn't, then you won't be able to use the partition.