Re-installation problems

chives84 · 08 Jun 2011

So, a while ago, I decided to try a dual boot with a linux distro (name not important). Not wanting to install alongside windows, I faced an issue: my hp laptop had come preconfigured using all four primary partitions. I had to delete one to make another. Of course I wasn't going to wipe my C drive with my data, or the SYSTEM, which i figured HAD to be important, or the HP_TOOLS one, which I found to be BIOS tools, and the recovery, which, i figured, wasn't quite as important. All went well until I tried to reboot in windows. It stopped me, saying it couldn't boot because of a recent hardware or software change.

Now, I'm trying to reinstall 7 home premium, and it isn't recognizing my hard drive, nor can I find the driver files online, nor will it recognize any of the drivers I attempt to load. suggestions? willing to answer any questions,

theog · 08 Jun 2011

Do you make your HP Recovery Disks?

How to make HP Recovery DVD disks:
Recover Windows Vista Operating System Using HP Recovery - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

How to make HP Recovery USB disk:
Creating a Recovery Disk on a USB Flash Disk HP Pavilion dv6700z CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

or
You can Order HP Recovery Disks from here:
Compaq Mini CQ10-500 PC series - HP Notebook PCs - Order Recovery Discs for Windows 7, Vista, or XP - c00810334 - HP Business Support Center

Bare Foot Kid · 08 Jun 2011

Hello chives84, welcome to Seven Forums!

If you deleted the "HP Recovery" partition, you selected the wrong one to remove, that's where all the files are stored that are required to do a "Factory Restore" and to create the set of "Recovery" disks, theog has listed your only option now to reset to factory.

If you have Windows 7 installation media that matches the COA sticker attached to the PC, you may need to wipe the entire Hard Disk Drive and do a clean install but you need to copy out any data you need to save first.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

chives84 · 08 Jun 2011

I'm not trying to restore, but rather just get back into windows. Quite frankly, I don't want a recovery, I just want windows back, without completely wiping anything. It should be easy, but it's not proving to be. I've come to the conclusion that windows now mandates a recovery partition, yeah? I wouldn't mind, except now 4 of 6 major computer manufacturers come with all four primary partitions used, which is ridiculous. I figured the recovery would be less dangerous than bios tools or a system partition, but i guess not.

also: it wasn't specifically the HP recovery partition, but simply "Recovery", not the "HP_TOOLS" or "SYSTEM" or "C:"

theog · 08 Jun 2011

Windodws is not the problem, Linux is.

You can try this:
MBR - Restore Windows 7 Master Boot Record

Bare Foot Kid · 08 Jun 2011

chives84 said:

I've come to the conclusion that windows now mandates a recovery partition, yeah? I wouldn't mind, except now 4 of 6 major computer manufacturers come with all four primary partitions used, which is ridiculous.

That is not a Windows thing, it is a pre-installed manufactured thing, like HP and Dell.

This Method Two in this tutorial may have worked for what you want, I'm not 100% sure on that.

Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

chives84 said:

I figured the recovery would be less dangerous than bios tools or a system partition, but i guess not.

The files needed to boot/start the PC were probably stored there and they were deleted when you deleted the "Recovery" partition.

chives84 said:

also: it wasn't specifically the HP recovery partition, but simply "Recovery", not the "HP_TOOLS" or "SYSTEM" or "C:"

I knew which partition you meant.

Have a go at the method theog has posted, it may be your only chance to recover the system.

gregrocker · 08 Jun 2011

Burn a Win7 Repair CD, boot it to Mark Win7 partition Active, then run Startup Repair
up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts.

You can also mark 7 Active using a graphical interface with bootable Partition Wizard CD: rightclick Win7 to Modify>Set to Active, then click on Win7 HD, from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR which may preclude the need to run the Repairs.

If problems persist post back a camera snap of the drive map with listings, or type the listings out.