About six years ago my evil sister-in-law bought a HP computer and I set it up for her. Now she is getting a windows drivers pci sys error, windows won’t open, so I told her to run the recovery system on her computer, which is to press the F10 button upon startup and go through the system recovery process. She said it was starting the recovery process but she never let me know what happened. I don’t know what’s going on (she won’t let me look at the computer itself), but now she is driving me nuts looking for a recovery disk, which I never took. She’s calling me a thief and that I stole it from her. I recall that the computer never came with a recovery disk, that you had the option to make one but no one ever did it. I think that there is partition of the computer that takes over the recovery if there ever is a problem with windows. She is going berserk over this, someone (her ex-husband) told her that all computers come with recovery disks, and that I hid it somewhere on purpose!!!
HP computers USED TO always come with a recovery disk, but they started issuing PCs with a recovery partition a few years ago. You are correct that they are given an option to create their own recovery CD when they first set up the PC, but the age of her computer puts it in that grey area that may or may not have a recovery CD. If you can find out the model number, then you might be able to find out whether or not it came with a recovery CD.
Even if it did not come with one, you may still be able to get a recovery CD from HP, but they would likely charge you for it. I heard of one case where someone threw a fit and got a recovery CD sent for free.
Good luck sorting all that out!
I know nothing about computers.
But I *do* know a guy who knows a guy in Jersey who may be able to help you deal with the Evil sister in law.
I missed the part where this is your problem. If she’s not willing to let you help her properly, then let her take it to someone else.
There should be a way to start the recovery from the partition that HP loads for recovery.
Recovering the system without using Windows
1.
Disconnect all peripherals and internal non preinstalled devices from the PC, except the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
2.
Turn on the computer.
3.
When the initial blue HP screen appears, press the F10 key repeatedly until a recovery menu appears. The progress indicator that first appears does not indicate that a recovery is taking place. The progress indicator represents the time before the recovery process is started.
4.
When the Recovery screen appears, click Next, and then click Yes to perform a normal, non-destructive recovery.
5.
To perform a destructive recovery, click Advanced, and then click Yes.
6.
After the System Recovery is complete, and the computer starts successfully, update the computer software as follows:
True, 10 years ago, computers did all come with a set of recovery disks, but you don’t need them to do a system recovery. All you need is a Windows XP upgrade or full version disk. Once the Operating System is installed all you have to do is go to the HP site, go to drivers and downloads, enter your particular model number and all of the drivers required will be listed. Most likely, that long ago it was more like 5-10 disks, not just one. If you want me to help you all the way through the system recovery you can e-mail me at therapetandy@yahoo.com. All you need is the computer you want to recover and a disk (any disk that contains Windows XP or the XP upgrade)
Why are you even dealing with her? Tell her to figure it out for herself.. and that you don’t know why she would steal her own stuff.. change your phone number and tell her to eat dirt.. goodness gracious..
Tell her you are very sorry but she is going to have to reformat the hard drive and install windows again. And that you do not plan to help her since she doesn’t trust you.
She may be able to purchase from HP. Newer computers, don’t come with recovery disks. You have to follow the instructions and make your own. She may never have had the disk. In this case, there isn’t anything to do except contact HP.
One thing you can say to defend yourself is that you could not have taken the recorvery disks if they had come with them, because they wont work on another computer.
But let her know that most system now prompt you to make your own.
She can contact HP, and they can send her some, but it will cost a few bucks.
Or tell her she could just format the drive, if she has or can get or is willing to pay for a full version of windows XP.
Thats all that can be done.
But forward this to her, if you want – BECAUSE MOST NEWER COMPUTERS FOR A FEW YEARS NOW HAVE NOT COME WITH RECOVERY DISKS – plain and simple.
i dont know what you should do sorry
She probably didn’t select the advanced option at the beggining of her recovery, then she needed to select distructive as well….This will fix her ills.
What on Earth would be your motivation for stealing HP recovery discs? Is this a new form of kleptomania I haven’t heard of?
Oh, yeah man I broke into that new house on the corner, lifted me some Gateway software recovery discs. Score!
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/stati…
This is HP’s page to order recovery disks, just enter the pc’s product no. (model no), click her os , it’ll take you right there. Had to do it once myself.