Dad said:
Thanks. Good answer.
Then the recovery disks are a bootable version of the recovery partition
and can also be used for a restore or reinstallation. That preempts the
question: "What is on the recovery disks?"
Thanks again,
Gary
That's correct, and here is the original HP answer:
What is a recovery partition?
Your notebook PC hard disk drive contains a partition of space dedicated to
recovery. The HP Recovery Partition contains a system image with all the
operating system and application software files originally installed on your
computer at the factory.
If you can launch Windows Vista and run HP Recovery Manager, you can recover
the system from the partition. If not, you must use your recovery discs.
Remember to use Recovery Manager to create a set of recovery CDs or DVDs
when you first set up your notebook PC.
Where can I get a set of recovery discs?
Use Recovery Manager to create your own set of system recovery discs either
when your notebook PC is new or immediately after installing your critical
software programs. Later, if a system failure occurs and you cannot launch
Windows Vista, you can boot the system from these discs. Label the discs and
store them in a safe place.
If you forget to create the recovery discs when the system is new, you can
still create them later, as long as you can run Recovery Manager and the
recovery partition is not corrupted.
You may have seen a "paper disc" similar to the one below among your
computer setup materials. This is a reminder to create your recovery discs.
(The disc label will be either orange or blue, depending on your model.)
What types of CDs or DVDs can I use to create my recovery discs?
Use only CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R discs. Do not use CD-RW or DVD-RW discs.
Rewritable discs will cause the creation process to fail.
The disc creation process may require 10 or more CD-R discs or up to 3
DVD-R/DVD+R discs.
Can I use my recovery discs to restore any computer?
You can create only one set of recovery discs, and the discs are unique
to your HP notebook PC.
The discs will not restore the operating system to any other computer.
How do I perform a system recovery from my recovery discs?
If you can launch Windows Vista and run HP Recovery Manager,
you can recover the system from the partition. If not, follow the steps
below to restore your system from your recovery discs.
Open the disc drive door, and then shut down your notebook PC.
Insert the first recovery disc into the drive, and then close the drive
door.
Press the power button to turn on the notebook PC.
Press F11 repeatedly as the computer starts up.
The HP Backup and Recovery Manager window will appear.
Follow the instructions provided.
What should I do before performing a complete system recovery?
A complete system recovery will completely erase and reformat the hard disk
drive.
Attempt every other option available to repair your system before running a
system recovery.
Here are some suggestions:
Click above to print this page before proceeding.
Restart your notebook PC in safe mode to launch Windows in a limited state,
with only basic services and functionality. In safe mode, you can use the
process
of elimination to identify problems. For more information, see What is safe
mode?
Complete performance and maintenance activities and troubleshooting tasks.
See Performance and Maintenance Learning Center .
Use HP Backup and Recovery Manager to do the following:
Run the Computer Checkup tasks and follow any resulting recommendations.
Use Microsoft System Restore to return the notebook PC to a previous good
configuration.
Run the software program and hardware driver recovery procedures.
When should I perform a complete system recovery?
Perform a system recovery when you want to return your notebook PC to its
original
factory-shipped state. Some reasons you might decide to perform a system
recovery include:
The Windows Vista operating system files were accidentally moved, deleted or
corrupted,
and cannot be repaired.
Your notebook PC has a virus (or other malicious software) that cannot be
removed by antivirus software.
Your hard disk drive is damaged, blank, or not responding. If this happens,
you can boot the notebook PC using the system recovery discs you created
during the initial setup of your computer.
You are giving your notebook PC to someone else. You can perform a system
recovery to ensure that the computer is in a usable state and that all of
your personal files are removed.
What happens to my data during a system recovery?
A complete system recovery will completely erase and reformat the hard disk
drive. All personal data files and any software programs you installed
yourself will be deleted. Use Microsoft Backup and Restore Center to back up
your data files before performing a system recovery. For more information,
see Back up your files .
See Also
More topics for backup and recovery
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