How to restore recovery partition

50Twuncle

I had considerable problems re-installing Windows 7 on my HP laptop and to make things easier for me, should I need to carry out the procedure again - I need to restore the rebuild partition (after it was inadvertently deleted by yours truly in a mad attempt to try Ubuntu) anyway, I have now reinstalled Windows 7 64 bit premium and am trying to restore the recovery partition to it's former state....
However - what format should the image be in IMG or a normal EXE ?
I have had a look at MS own back up which only backs up the data to a DVD - Despite having the C: drive as an option - it is greyed out and unselectable..
I have an IMG file from the reinstallation of Windows - but if I use this - will it be "runable" from the boot stage, should my OS become corrupt ?

closed

not totally clear what you are trying to do

if you've got windows7, you can create a system image to an external drive, and a boot disc, and then you can restore.

if you've got an empty partition, you could format and backup to that.

ChiefGrasscutter

I can't help you HP computers.....but

On other computers with a factory restore option the rebuild/hidden partition is extremely complex and contains multiple programs to run the "factory restore" option as well as an image file specific to the computer and in a format specific to the factory restore program.
These computers also usually also have a special OEM written MBR sequence on the hard disk to enable a particular key sequence to divert off from the normal boot up routines and transfer control into the hidden partition.

As others have discovered intalling linux overwites the manufacturer's special MBR and renders the users control access to the restore partition unavailabl. Even if it still existed as a partition with all the file in it - it was still inaccessible.

Personally I'd use a disk image program like Acronis to take a complete image of the disk as it is at the moment onto an external drive. Problem with replying on restore partitions is if the disk itself goes pop then the restore image is not going to be a lot of use.....

TakeThis

21Twinkle wrote: »

I had considerable problems re-installing Windows 7 on my HP laptop and to make things easier for me, should I need to carry out the procedure again - I need to restore the rebuild partition (after it was inadvertently deleted by yours truly in a mad attempt to try Ubuntu) anyway, I have now reinstalled Windows 7 64 bit premium and am trying to restore the recovery partition to it's former state....
However - what format should the image be in IMG or a normal EXE ?
I have had a look at MS own back up which only backs up the data to a DVD - Despite having the C: drive as an option - it is greyed out and unselectable..
I have an IMG file from the reinstallation of Windows - but if I use this - will it be "runable" from the boot stage, should my OS become corrupt ?

It only offers backup to DVD as you either, only created a single partition whilst installing(therefore you need an external destination) or the partition is too small.

50Twuncle

TakeThis wrote: »

It only offers backup to DVD as you either, only created a single partition whilst installing(therefore you need an external destination) or the partition is too small.

So - if I create a 10Gb partition (plenty of room) - that should create an image to the partition ?
Would that simply be an IMG file ?
If so - I can copy my installation file straight to it......

TakeThis

21Twinkle wrote: »

So - if I create a 10Gb partition (plenty of room) - that should create an image to the partition ?
Would that simply be an IMG file ?
If so - I can copy my installation file straight to it......

10GB is not enough. Perhaps quadruple that.

IMG file from the re-installation of Windows? From where?

50Twuncle

TakeThis wrote: »

10GB is not enough. Perhaps quadruple that.

IMG file from the re-installation of Windows? From where?

An IMG file downloaded from digitalriver - that I used to restore my laptop .....

50Twuncle

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

I can't help you HP computers.....but

On other computers with a factory restore option the rebuild/hidden partition is extremely complex and contains multiple programs to run the "factory restore" option as well as an image file specific to the computer and in a format specific to the factory restore program.
These computers also usually also have a special OEM written MBR sequence on the hard disk to enable a particular key sequence to divert off from the normal boot up routines and transfer control into the hidden partition.

As others have discovered intalling linux overwites the manufacturer's special MBR and renders the users control access to the restore partition unavailabl. Even if it still existed as a partition with all the file in it - it was still inaccessible.

Personally I'd use a disk image program like Acronis to take a complete image of the disk as it is at the moment onto an external drive. Problem with replying on restore partitions is if the disk itself goes pop then the restore image is not going to be a lot of use.....

You may be correct - why then do some manufacturers supply a restore partition ?

ChiefGrasscutter

21Twinkle wrote: »

You may be correct - why then do some manufacturers supply a restore partition ?

I can only imagine that it's because some users have an amazing ability to "muck up" their computers with equally amazing regularity. Especially when they download dodgy software and the dreaded registry cleaners.
So the manfacturers' provide an easy method of restoring computer to its pristine clean original factory condition rather than leave it to the users to get all the restore discs out - which again with amazing regularity the users will have lost.
It all means less time spent on users via their call centres so overall is cheaper.

I've used on my Dell, simply because over 5 years the computer had got more and more clogged up - and so I simply copied all my stuff off and did a factory restore. That's the easy bit, re-installing all your software, re-doing all the bug fixes, re-setting your settings & preferences plus all the MS updates.....that's the bit that takes the time.
It did run a lot fast afterwards though.

A side effect of this facility is that it becomes easier to sell an old computer as you advertise it as having had "a factory restore plus full MS update" so the new users knows they are not getting something that will require a total re-installation but inevitiably without any discs to do it.

TakeThis

21Twinkle wrote: »

An IMG file downloaded from digitalriver - that I used to restore my laptop .....

So that not an " an IMG file from the re-installation of Windows", that's an image file from Digital River.

Anyway, the disc that you have is more up to date that your original Restore Partition/discs. So all that you need to do is to create a Drivers and Applications disc from the files on the HP website, if your don't already have one.