Vista: Accessing Recovery Partition?

[pally01]

A friend has an HP desktop with Vista 32bit. The hard drive has crashed and can not be booted at all.

Is it correct that there will likely be a recovery partition hidden on the drive? If so, is the partition accessible if I slave the drive and go looking for it? I'm kinda hoping that I can image the recovery partition and install it on a new hard drive.

Anyone?
Thanks

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by pally01 A friend has an HP desktop with Vista 32bit. The hard drive has crashed and can not be booted at all. Is it correct that there will likely be a recovery partition hidden on the drive? If so, is the partition accessible if I slave the drive and go looking for it? I'm kinda hoping that I can image the recovery partition and install it on a new hard drive. Anyone? Thanks

If the hard drive is bad, you will more than likely not be able to access it. Load a Linux live cd in the drive and see if it boots from it. If it does, than yes you can access the recovery partition, provided there is one there. You may have to access the bios to enable the cd or dvd drive as the first boot device. Let us know if you require further assistance with this.

[pally01]

Hey Jdeb. I'm not too optimistic in being able to do anything practical by booting via cd drive on the pc and reimaging the bad hard drive with the restore partition from the bad hard drive itself. I'll still be left with a bad hard drive.

I'm hoping to move the recovery data to a fresh hard drive and load it from there (assuming the bad hard drive is accessible if slaved to another pc). Can a recovery image be made useable if it's transferred to a fresh hard drive?

[jdeb]

I am not sure I am following you. If the drive is bad, it is bad. You will not be able to recover any data or VHD from a hot plug scenario. If you have the sata/ ide adapter, then see if you can access the problematic drive. If you can, then run the appropriate diagnostics and imaging software related to the manufacture of the drive.

[pally01]

Ok. Thanks

[glc]

He is going to have to order a recovery set from HP. He should have created a set when he first bought the computer.

[jdeb]

right, I think HP charges $20.00

[pally01]

$35 I believe. Wouldn't be an issue at all if a back-up image was already created etc. Oh well.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by pally01 $35 I believe. Wouldn't be an issue at all if a back-up image was already created etc. Oh well.

really? They must have gone up, it's been a while

[glc]

He's in Canada.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by glc He's in Canada.

it should be less then right?