Windows 7: Revealing all the contents of the HP recovery partition

hello
i want to do a system restore on a HP pavilion DV7 through the recovery image found in the recovery partition. However i want to be sure if a certain file(software) is included in the recovery image.How can i reveal all the contents?
I've tried my computer tools>view>folder options and changing a couple of setting. Didn't reveal much. I've also tried checking the list of recoverable softwares in the HP recovery manager but its(microsoft office starter 2010) is not listed.

I'm not sure that you can view the contents of the recovery partition. This partition is an image of what your hard drive looked like when it was shipped out from the factory. It also has the bootable files needed to launch the recovery console which mainly just has the ability to wipe the hard drive and begin the restore function. It may also have some other repair options. It's a safety feature so the recovery partition isn't altered (either accidentally or deliberately) to where it won't work at all.

If that "certain file (software)" was a part of the original factory configuration of the hard drive, it will be included as part of the recovery process. But if it's something YOU added after you took possession of the computer it won't be included in the recovery partition.

i've been told(by so many people over at the HP forums who have done system recoveries before deliberately so as to see what happens to MS office starter and some who did the recoveries for other reasons but found that MS starter did not reinstall after recovery) that microsoft office starter is NOT included in the recovery partition..i wanted to be sure..i guess the only way to be sure is to do the actual recovery..

From a Microsoft Answers forum thread, it should be included in the recovery partition. However, as I'm sure you know from personal experience, occasionally "stuff" happens.

does microsoft office starter reinstall after after perfoming a system - Microsoft Answers

am the one who asked that question in the microsoft forums..didn't believe what they told me..and am convinced that thats not what really happens..i've seen a lot of complaints on that issue.
here is what i was told.
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Noteboo...896667#M111463

That's definitely conflicting information. I have a Dell Vostro and a Sony Vaio. Both are laptops and both have Office Starter. I've used the recovery partition on both machines and both machines still had Office Starter when the recovery was finished. Perhaps this is a manufacturer's decision on whether or not Office Starter will be recovered.

Perhaps it would be worthwhile to make a System Image of your hard drive and save it on an external USB drive. That image would include everything that's installed, including Office Starter. Once you have the image, go ahead and restore your machine using the recovery partition. If Office Starter is not included, you'll know for sure that HP was correct and Microsoft was wrong. You could then restore your system image and be exactly the way you were when you made the system image including having Office Starter.

i guess thats the only way i can squash any doubts that i have..i think i wil do it..

just did a system recovery and the MS office is there.

That's really good news! Thanks for posting back.