Extract Vista from Compaq Recovery Partition

[cumminbk]

Alright here goes. I bought a Compaq laptop on blackfriday. The C717NR to be exact. It comes with a Recovery Partition that contains Vista Home Premium. There are no Vista disks and the user must create a recovery disk by going through a few steps to burn a dvd with the files on the partition so that the laptop can be reformatted if needed. the files in the Recovery Partition cannot be looked at. and the recovery CD is not recognized by my desktop. I am sure there is a way to do this but i would like to know how do i get Vista out of the Recovery Partition. I would like to reformat and put XP Pro on the laptop and at some point put Vista on my Desktop. What method do i use to complete this.

thanks

[cumminbk]

*Bump* come on guys i know there are others who have bought vender PCs that have had recovery partitions.

[Win2k3EE]

An easy way is to use a Knoppix/Kanotix livecd which you can use to delete all the partititions on the HDD of the laptop .Both linux OS'es have a GUI which is very intuitive. All you have to to is take ownership of the respective partition and delete it. Once you deleted the partitions you wanted you need to create new ones and format them FAT32. When you install WinXP you can format them using NTFS.

Another way is to use a WinXP live CD [you need BartPE from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download and a Windows XP CD], but youy still need to take ownership of the folders before beeing able to delete the files&folders you want.

How to take ownership of a file/folder in WinXP:

To take ownership of the file, you'll need to use the takeown command. Here's an example:

takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\en-US\winload.exe.mui

That will give you ownership of the file, but you still have no rights to delete it. Now you can run the cacls command to give yourself full control rights to the file:

cacls C:\Windows\System32\en-US\winload.exe.mui /G geek:F

Note that my username is geek, so you will substitute your username there.

cacls "Program Files" /T /G Administrator:F

cacls "Windows" /T /G Administrator:F

cacls "Users" /T /G Administrator:F

or

"takeown /f C:\*"

and

"cacls C:\* /G USERNAME_HERE:F"

[cumminbk]

thanks for the reply but this is not what i am asking. I am not worried about the partition being there. I want access to the files on the partition and to be able to pull vista out of the partition to create vista install disks.

[Idontwantspam]

Is there a folder in C:\ named i386?

[cumminbk]

no. there are no windows install files on the C: Drive. Everything to insall windows is on the D: Drive which is a recovery partition that cannot be looked at.

[fizban2]

on the recovery partition you will find a install.wim file or a *.wim file, this will be the main installation of vista that came with your computer, it was been customized by the vendor for your PC. you can downlaod the WAIK (windows automated installtion Kit) and trying and use that to recreate a DVD of vista, the required files should all be present on your D drive

[pauluk83]

on the recovery partition you will find a install.wim file or a *.wim file, this will be the main installation of vista that came with your computer, it was been customized by the vendor for your PC. you can downlaod the WAIK (windows automated installtion Kit) and trying and use that to recreate a DVD of vista, the required files should all be present on your D drive

Hi i have a compaq laptop myself i can accsess the.wim files there are 8 wims under e:\preload

my questain is how do i merg the 8 wims into 1 wim, when i try and use WAIK it throws up a message saying

See the end of this message for details on invoking 
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.WimImageInfo.SetImageName(String imageName)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.WimImageInfo..ctor(WimFileHandle wimHandle, Int32 index)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.WimInfo..ctor(String wimPath)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.Cpi.OpenWim(String wimPath)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ImagePicker.GetImageInfoFromPath(String path)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ImagePicker.ValidateImageFileOrFolder(String fileOrFolder)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ImagePicker.ShowDialog(Form owner)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.MainForm.OnFileSelectImage()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct& sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Commands.Command.Invoke()
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Commands.Command.OnClick(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
ImgMgr
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Windows%20AIK/Tools/Image%20Manager/ImgMgr.EXE
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Common
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Windows%20AIK/Tools/Image%20Manager/Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Common.DLL
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Windows%20AIK/Tools/Image%20Manager/Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.DLL
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Command
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Windows%20AIK/Tools/Image%20Manager/Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Command.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Controls
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Windows%20AIK/Tools/Image%20Manager/Microsoft.ComponentStudio.Controls.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
	Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
hwvemksj
	Assembly Version: 6.0.0.0
	Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
	CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
	<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

any ideas?

by the way i just copied the entier backup partion, it then let me go into the troot of e:\ to get to the wim files

[pauluk83]

on the recovery partition you will find a install.wim file or a *.wim file, this will be the main installation of vista that came with your computer, it was been customized by the vendor for your PC. you can downlaod the WAIK (windows automated installtion Kit) and trying and use that to recreate a DVD of vista, the required files should all be present on your D drive

Hi i have a compaq laptop myself i can accsess the.wim files there are 8 wims under e:\preload

my questain is how do i merg the 8 wims into 1 wim, when i try and use WAIK it throws up a message ( see above post)

any ideas?

by the way i just copied the entier backup partion, it then let me go into the troot of e:\ to get to the wim files

hmmm every time i post something the topic dont get any replyes for weeks, is it just me?

LOL

[saturndude]

Forgive me if this advice doesn't help. I think others here may be much smarter or more experienced.

Is the rescue partition marked as hidden? Can you see it (probably as D:) when running the Vista that came on the laptop?

Can you see the partition table with Emergency Boot CD or similar? To this day, my Norton Utilities 2001 CD is still useful for tasks like simple undeletes, even on XP's version of NTFS (5.0?). Changing the partition type (or un-hiding it) may pave the way for other software tools to back it up (or otherwise build a disc to reinstall Vista).

A couple of notes here.

First, some rescue schemes may put some weird numbers in the "partition type" field, don't let this scare you.

Second, the limitations I grew up with may no longer apply [only four partitions allowed, only one could be the "extended" type, and the extended can only have 4 partitions inside it]. Finding the partition table for the extended partition may be difficult, but laptops are not known for weird partition schemes so hopefully this will not apply to you.

I worked on a friend's laptop some time ago. I spent US $10 to get an adapter that let me take the drive out (4 screws held the cover on) and plug the drive into a standard ribbon cable (80-pin) and examine it with my tower PC. (does anybody buy desktop cases anymore?) This might void your laptop's warranty, but I am not sure whether they can tell anything was done (wipe fingerprints off drive). If you take the drive out, your options may increase quite a lot.

If you can't create a suitable reinstall disc, copy the partition table and the rescue partition. You will be able to re-create the rescue partition with exactly the same number of bytes in exactly the same location as it is now, and you will be no worse off than at present (I think).

Edited November 28, 2007 by saturndude

[arctirus]

Just download vista from an illicit source or copy a dvd from a friend. You have a license for the OS so it really doesn't matter where you get the media from. You can do a bunch of work to try to extract it from the recovery partition but you still end up with the same results either way.