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Windows XP HP Recovery Discs


atolica

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Hi all

I just formatted my old OEM HP dv5000's hard drive and didn't thought doing a backup of the oembios files, winnt.sif or unattend.txt, but I did backup the pk. The oembios files I can get, but where the heck are the winnt.sif, unattened.txt on the recovery disk or the HP recovery partition??? There nowhere to be found. Did a good search and they aren't there. How does HP calls this a backup partition if the files used for unattened installation are missing. What does HP use?

I really need those two files. Can anyone help me out?

Thank you.

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So did you format the entire hard drive or just the OS volume? If you formatted the entire hard drive (thus recovery partition goes bye bye) then the recovery CDs aren't likely to work IF they are based on the same software as the partition. They aren't typical install CDs. Did you create these recovery discs with the Media Creator?

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If you formatted the entire hard drive (thus recovery partition goes bye bye)

Well, not exactly :whistle: .

You don't format the entire hard drive.

You either delete (and create) partitions on it or format partitions.

If you just deleted one or more partitions AND NOT already overwrote the space they occupied they may still be recoverable.

If you just formatted one or more partitions under up to XP/2003 AND NOT already overwrote the space they occupied they may still be recoverable.

If you just formatted one or more partitions under Vista :ph34r: or 7 you most probably overwrote everything with 00's and they are gone for good.

jaclaz

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where the heck are the winnt.sif, unattened.txt on the recovery disk or the HP recovery partition??? There nowhere to be found. Did a good search and they aren't there. How does HP calls this a backup partition if the files used for unattened installation are missing.

HP is probably using an imaging system. Why do you need to locate those files? What are you trying to do? Does the recovery procedure fail ? Which one are you trying (disk or recovery partition)? Are you trying to make your own disk ?

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Ok here's the deal. I do not know how the older pack-in Recovery disks work. That is, you just got them with the computer. If these discs were created by the user, they are going to work similar to what goes on in this thread:

So that is why I asked about formatting the hard drive. If these are the created media, they read info from the MBR to verify that they are allowed to install the OS there. If the info it is looking for is missing or wrong, the CD will not install.

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So did you format the entire hard drive or just the OS volume? If you formatted the entire hard drive (thus recovery partition goes bye bye) then the recovery CDs aren't likely to work IF they are based on the same software as the partition. They aren't typical install CDs. Did you create these recovery discs with the Media Creator?

I know they aren't typical install cds, but shouldn't be some refference of the pk on one of those two discs? Or on th hp_recovery partition??!? No winnt.sif, no unattend.txt. Ho does that os activate if the c drive gets formatted and the os reinstalled by booting the 1st dvd. I didn't figure this out yet. The same for F11 hp_recovery process. What I can understand is probably in the HP world, "format C:" is not an option. You have to start the recovery process either by F11 or booting off the dvd. Then the pk, winnt.sif are backed up from the existing installation and used for the new install. Else there should be some reference to the pk either on the discs or the on the recovery partition.

atolica

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where the heck are the winnt.sif, unattened.txt on the recovery disk or the HP recovery partition??? There nowhere to be found. Did a good search and they aren't there. How does HP calls this a backup partition if the files used for unattened installation are missing.

HP is probably using an imaging system. Why do you need to locate those files? What are you trying to do? Does the recovery procedure fail ? Which one are you trying (disk or recovery partition)? Are you trying to make your own disk ?

Yes to the last question.

I finally made an HP OEM Windows XP SP3 cd with the original oem pk, everything went fine. It shows a genuine oem installation like fresh out of the factory. HP recovery partition is a waste of space so I erased it. No more hp junk.

Edited by atolica
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Ok here's the deal. I do not know how the older pack-in Recovery disks work. That is, you just got them with the computer. If these discs were created by the user, they are going to work similar to what goes on in this thread:

So that is why I asked about formatting the hard drive. If these are the created media, they read info from the MBR to verify that they are allowed to install the OS there. If the info it is looking for is missing or wrong, the CD will not install.

I know all about SLP tables. I obtained the oembios hp files, replaced them and some other files and got a HP OEM:SLP preactivated cd with the original genuine hp oem key.

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So did you format the entire hard drive or just the OS volume? If you formatted the entire hard drive (thus recovery partition goes bye bye) then the recovery CDs aren't likely to work IF they are based on the same software as the partition. They aren't typical install CDs. Did you create these recovery discs with the Media Creator?

I know they aren't typical install cds, but shouldn't be some refference of the pk on one of those two discs? Or on th hp_recovery partition??!?

The stored factory image isn't an install. It is image based recovery similar to Vista and Windows 7 RE.

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So did you format the entire hard drive or just the OS volume? If you formatted the entire hard drive (thus recovery partition goes bye bye) then the recovery CDs aren't likely to work IF they are based on the same software as the partition. They aren't typical install CDs. Did you create these recovery discs with the Media Creator?

I know they aren't typical install cds, but shouldn't be some refference of the pk on one of those two discs? Or on th hp_recovery partition??!?

The stored factory image isn't an install. It is image based recovery similar to Vista and Windows 7 RE.

Did I say that the factory image is an install?!?!? Where did I say that?!? HP recovery partition it is not similar to Vista/Win 7 PE nor based on windows xp's WinPE, it is HP's own proprietary recovery system.

Edited by atolica
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Did I say that the factory image is an install?!?!?

No you didn't, but from what you wrote on post #8 you seem to infer that is a "peculiar kind of install".

It is not: it is an image of the factory status of the install, thus this:

Then the pk, winnt.sif are backed up from the existing installation and used for the new install. Else there should be some reference to the pk either on the discs or the on the recovery partition.

makes no sense. :ph34r:

No winnt.sif is used since there is no actual "new install".

jaclaz

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The stored factory image isn't an install. It is image based recovery similar to Vista and Windows 7 RE.

Did I say that the factory image is an install?!?!? Where did I say that?!? HP recovery partition it is not similar to Vista/Win 7 PE nor based on windows xp's WinPE, it is HP's own proprietary recovery system.

You didn't have to say anything about it. I use the same software HP does to make recovery partitions on XP. :whistle:

Anyways, the recovery image is stored as file based, ie you would normally be able to see the factory file structure on the recovery partition. It does not store it in a WIM or a Gho or similar format, it just sits there. But that is the partition itself, I would imagine the CD Builder creates a CD with the same type of format. I always install the CD Builder but I've never actually used it so I am not sure what the CDs look like.

:angel

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