Recovery Disks vs. Install from Windows XP disk

[Shepherd1000]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between reinstalling Windows XP by using the manufacturer's Recovery CD's vs. using an OEM Windows XP installation disk? I know that the recovery CD's will return the computer to its original factory state, including all of the manufacturer's garbage software. But what I want to know is, what is the difference in terms of how Windows XP itself gets installed. With the manufacturer's Recovery CD's, is the system getting reinstalled from an image file already in a partition on the computer? The reason I ask is that I'm having a problem (intermittent freezes at the Windows startup screen--see separate post), and I'm wondering if what I need is a fresh install from a Windows XP installation CD, rather than an install from the manufacturer's Recovery CD's.

[trulad]

Depends on your computer. Some store bought machines have a proprietary setup wheras you can't use anything but the Mfgr's. restore disk. You can try booting with a Win.XP disk and if it doesn't work, you can always fall back on the restore disk. Don't forget to back-up all of your files. This is one reason why most folks here prefer to build their own computer.
trulad

[Shepherd1000]

I agree about building one's own computers. I do the same thing. Except this is a laptop, so I'm stuck with what the manufacturer sold me.
But that's not the question. I'm trying to correct a problem, and I want to know if installing from a Window's XP installation disk is any more "from the bottom up" than installing from the manufacturer's Recovery CD's. If so, then that is what I'll try in order to correct the problem.

[glc]

You can use a generic XP disk, it will simply install XP with no garbage. However, you will probably have to chase some drivers and you won't be able to install *any* of the preinstalled software unless HP sent you separate installation media.

[Shepherd1000]

Do recovery disks install the operating system directly from the disks, or do they simply facilitate recovery of the operating system from an image file on a hard disk partition? I suspect that different manufacturers use different types of recovery disks. All I can say in this case is that it's a set of 3 recovery CD's that HP included with this Pavilion laptop.

[glc]

If it's 3 full CD's, I'd assume it's self contained.

[RayH]

It may be a bit of both. The actual install might not be directly from the CDs. The CDs might be transferred to another partition on the drive first. The installation might be from that partition. Hard to say.

[Shepherd1000]

Well, then why does recovery of the operating system, plus applications, plus all hardware-specific drivers take only 15 minutes using the Recovery CD's? Installing Windows XP alone (from the installation disk) requires almost three times that amount of time, including time required for formatting. Perhaps using the Recovery CD's doesn't involve formatting? If not, then is the recovery as clean an install as using the Windows XP installation disk. What I really want to know is if restoring the computer to its original factory condition using the Recovery CD's could possibly be leaving something previously corrupted, that only formatting would correct. Is this possible?

[raftero]

i have had only one pre-built a HP i used their recovery disk and it was like a fresh install with all their junk which i then deleted,but it cleaned out all the old stuff that had been on computer,worked fine.this was on windows ME. i would hesitate to use xp disk because of the unknown hardware and difficulty in finding drivers.just my thoughts.