backing up my files and taking my laptop back to factory condition

[c194659]

hi guys, i am new to this and am not normally stumped. i have taken many computers back to factory condition and never had any problems. this time, after backing up all my files to disc (15), in total, i have taken this HP laptop back to factory condition. there is no problem there. the restore is fine but i cant seem to load the discs i created. i have turned off the laptop completely, as directed and started it again with the alt f10 keys, which should automatically load my back up but nothing is happening and if i try to open the discs on their own, i get an error message saying that the path isn't there. what am i doing wrong and can some-body assist me please. i have already re-installed my various purchased software but it is the photos and personal files that i particularly want to get back. i am in your hands guys, i have my own photos safely in a box but these photos belonged to someone else and i have a feeling she is not going to be very happy about this. i will wait patiently for any assistance or guidance you may be able to give me. cheers, cathy

 

[zigzag3143]

hi guys, i am new to this and am not normally stumped. i have taken many computers back to factory condition and never had any problems. this time, after backing up all my files to disc (15), in total, i have taken this HP laptop back to factory condition. there is no problem there. the restore is fine but i cant seem to load the discs i created. i have turned off the laptop completely, as directed and started it again with the alt f10 keys, which should automatically load my back up but nothing is happening and if i try to open the discs on their own, i get an error message saying that the path isn't there. what am i doing wrong and can some-body assist me please. i have already re-installed my various purchased software but it is the photos and personal files that i particularly want to get back. i am in your hands guys, i have my own photos safely in a box but these photos belonged to someone else and i have a feeling she is not going to be very happy about this. i will wait patiently for any assistance or guidance you may be able to give me. cheers, cathy

Hi and welcome.


Did you use the built in win 7 backup or something else?

If something else it may need to be re-installed in order to automatically restore.

We need more info to help

Thanks

Ken

 

[seavixen32]

Have you created any HP recovery discs?

I'm concerned you mention 15 discs for your backup-creating system recovery discs shouldn't take any more than 4 DVDs.

What type of disc did you use? They should have been DVD-R discs.

Have a look at Page 241 in the guide I've posted this link for.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01035677.pdf

 

[c194659]

unable to load backup discs

yes i did use the windows/HP backup program, as i always do and because i had a large amount of files belonging to others, i did a complete backup of the laptop, hence, the 15 discs. i have never had any problems before with other desktops and laptops when creating full back up to discs so i dont know why this has happened this time. perhaps this might assist you in advising me

 

[whs]

Isn't there a way to open the diss from the CD reader. I kow that windows packages them into a funny format (that's why I would never use it), but there must be some way to get at them.

 

[c194659]

no it will not load up the discs at all. when i restart it, i am supposed to get an option to boot from disc but it doesnt give me that option

 

[zigzag3143]

yes i did use the windows/HP backup program, as i always do and because i had a large amount of files belonging to others, i did a complete backup of the laptop, hence, the 15 discs. i have never had any problems before with other desktops and laptops when creating full back up to discs so i dont know why this has happened this time. perhaps this might assist you in advising me

Winidows/HP backup program? What is its name?

It may be a damaged disk or just a DVD player that needs cleaning.


We need more information.

 

[c194659]

unable to load backup discs

this laptop has windows recovery and HP system restore

 

[seavixen32]

Have a look at this information: How to troubleshoot common problems that occur when a Windows XP-based computer cannot read a CD or a DVD

I realise it relates to Windows XP, but it may be of help.

It also appears that HP computers are prone to this problem so you may need to consider replacing the optical drive.

Computer does not recognize CD/DVD drive - HP Support Forum

As an afterthought, have you tried the discs in another computer just to check the contents are still readable?

 

[c194659]

unable to load backup discs

thank you to everyone for their support. i have finally worked out the problem and everything is now working properly. i inserted the discs into my lenovo laptop, which is made by HP but is the top of the range and opened them in the sandbox. i have managed to extract the photos from the discs which is the main thing that i was trying to do. the laptop is now working properly and i have managed to recover her photos. from now on i will send any files like this in the future to one of my external drives, which is what i should have done in the first place. i really appreciate your input guys and your suggestions. In relation to HP computers, i have never had a problem with them or their upmarket Lenovo and will continue using them. they are my computer of choice and i find them very easy to use. it turned out her files were infected, which is why i had so much trouble with them. however, everything has worked out for the best and i repeat, thank you very much for your help, advice and assistance. cheers, cathy

 

[Qdos]

Would suggest you partition your HDD into two sections for OS Data and Archivage.

Making a backup image which contains both is onerous and unnecessarily cumbersome!

Image backup your OS Data partition, but use a straightforward cloud service or external HDD for making a 2nd copy of your personal archives

 

[c194659]

unable to load backup discs

thank you for your suggestions. my hard drive is already partitioned. thats why i like Lenovo and HP. most of them come with a split drive but i regularly do backups of my files. this laptop was a friends, which is why i backed up the whole computer and not just the files on the desktop. i really appreciate your input though. cheers