reverting back from linux, can't use hp restore

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xsynth

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#68008 13-Sep-2010 16:05

Hey guys,
I have an HP laptop with a recovery d:\ and recently installed linux onto C:\ to give it a go. I'm using OpenSUSE and basically left everything at default during install. Told it to do all the partitions automatically.

However when I was trying to use the recovery option back to windows (f11 at startup) it doesn't go into it and just loads linux?

I can see lots of files in the /windows/d folder, but if I install a different version of windows (not from recovery) it has d:\ there still, using almost all of the 10gb allocated, but no files????

Has anybody run into this before? Has linux reformatted the partition to be ext2 instead of ntfs and now the hp recovery can't read it?

Any info would be great thanks

marpada

475 posts

Ultimate Geek

#379335 13-Sep-2010 16:21

I have no experience with this issue, but in this thread some people succeeded by making the D: partition active (bootable), you may use a Linux Live CD for that

http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/604334-hp-recovery-partition-but-no-recovery-utility/

xsynth

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#379339 13-Sep-2010 16:31

thanks for the link marpada, however this didn't work for me.

I tried this last night from the temporary windows install (set drive d as active) and on boot it didn't let me launch the recovery again and went straight back into the temp windows install.

Would using GRUB in linux do anything?
Or perhaps coping the .wim file while on the linux install and then trying to place this else where and install (7gb file - assuming this is the recovery image).

djpaubes

394 posts

Ultimate Geek

#379343 13-Sep-2010 16:38

What about backing up your data and blowing the whole lot away and starting again? Not an option?

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xsynth

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#379348 13-Sep-2010 16:41

Not really, I purchased the laptop off trademe, so no discs with it. I won't be able to install a valid/legal windows without using the recovery drive to get the OEM licence back in there.

I might give the .wim file a try when I get home from work and see if I can do anything with that.

graemeh

2078 posts

Uber Geek

#379359 13-Sep-2010 16:56

You might be able to buy replacement disks from HP. I did this once for an ancient network scanner and it was a free service but I suspect this depends very much on the model of equipment, mine was one that probably cost $10k new. :)

marpada

475 posts

Ultimate Geek

#379372 13-Sep-2010 17:31

oh, I didn't read your first post carefully enough, looks like Grub is bypassing any attempt to boot from the repair partition. Unlike Windows, Grub/Linux does not take the partition Active flag in consideration

Why don't you try riding of Grub using the fdisk /mbr command?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/69013

Once grub is removed from the Master Boot Record the system should boot from the Active (recovery) partition.

xsynth

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#380094 15-Sep-2010 12:34

OK I've managed to resolve this issue, so if anone else has this problem here is what I've done.

The problem:
Laptop came stock with vista, partitioned to C: and D: (recovery) 10gb.
Installed linux onto c: formatting what used to be vista. This automatically put in mount points to D: in /windows/d/.
After deciding to re-install windows from recovery, Pressing F11 on boot did nothing.
Installed windows from another disc (no key) and formatted c:, kept D:. d was there, 10gb with 9gb being used although no files could be seen. Setting this drive to active and restarting did nothing.

I was able to go into a command prompt at boot using the other windows disc in the repair option and was able to use cmd cd to browse even though listing it with dir didn't show anything. Able to use imagex to apply the .wim file to c: but it didn't do everything it needed.

Resolution:
Loaded back into linux and copied everything from /windows/d onto usb drive.
Installed windows from seperate disc (no key) formatted c:, leaving d: again to keep the partition sizes the same.
Once in windows, formatted D: and copied files off usb drive into newly formatted space.
Used the management tool to set D: to active.
Rebooted, and the recovery loaded.

I believe that linux changed something with the filestructure when it mounted it which caused windows/command to no longer be able to browse the directories correctly.

So simple resolution really, I just wasn't sure if it was going to work or not before trying it!

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Tuttle955i

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#384704 26-Sep-2010 23:31

I feel Ubuntu is the best intro to Linux from Microsoft products, try the live CD, you might like it more than Suse.