Rcover Windows when the Recovery partition is no longer accessible

[Petef56]

If you've ever had a PC that would not recover/reinstall windows because the recovery partition on the HD was no longer accessible, you know the frustration. Here's a trick I recently found that worked for me.


1.) First, you need to prepare in advance by creating a GPARTED CD. It's basically a Linux live CD that allows you to manage partitions on the HD.

Description
GNOME Partition Editor for creating, reorganizing, and deleting disk partitions. It uses libparted from the parted project to detect and manipulate partition tables. Optional file system tools permit managing file systems not included in libparted.

GParted | Free software downloads at SourceForge.net

2.) Boot to the Gparted CD and select the Live version which runs totally from the CD. Use Gparted to set the BOOT flag on the recovery partition.

3.) Reboot the computer and it should boot to the recovery partiton, allowing you to wipe the HD clean and reinstall windows. No need to reset any boot partition flags because the system recovery will do that automatically.


---pete---

[jdeb]

Thanks Pete, I am making this a Stickey and thanks to kilgoretrout for the solution.

[EzyStvy]

If the above fails....for the price of sipping you can do:

Dell Customers can now request a set of backup discs containing the factory-installed operating system as well as the device drivers and utilities specific to your system.

*
Requests are limited to one (1) set of backup discs per system purchased.
*
The backup discs requested must match the operating system that was factory installed on the original order.
Dell - Support



HP - Order Recovery Discs for Windows 7, Vista, or XP

If you cannot create a set of recovery discs, you might be able to order a set of replacement discs from HP. HP maintains an inventory of replacement recovery discs for several years after the product has been released. However, because of licensing restrictions, HP is only able to provide these recovery discs for a limited time.
Order Recovery Discs for Windows 7, Vista, or XP HP Pavilion Notebook PCs - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

[glc]

Bottom line - if you buy a computer that does not come with recovery media, there is usually a way to create your own. DO IT! This should be the FIRST thing you do after firing it up for the first time.

[acr98disc]

Originally Posted by glc Bottom line - if you buy a computer that does not come with recovery media, there is usually a way to create your own. DO IT! This should be the FIRST thing you do after firing it up for the first time.

While on the subject, how about Mac OS X on a new Macbook Pro?
When I bought it, I asked "very knowledgeable salesman", he said, I will find a set of CD's in the box. Yeah, right...

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by glc Bottom line - if you buy a computer that does not come with recovery media, there is usually a way to create your own. DO IT! This should be the FIRST thing you do after firing it up for the first time.

And I would say 90% of the people do not. People look at you with the "deer in headlights look" when you ask them that question.

[acr98disc]

Originally Posted by jdeb And I would say 90% of the people do not. People look at you with the "deer in headlights look" when you ask them that question.

Most of them don't know that you would need such a thing. But one day, they will learn...

[glc]

The last HP I set up for someone, when you first fired it up to the Windows desktop, there was a popup asking if you wanted to do exactly that. If you don't take that hint, you are pretty ignorant.

[Preston]

Originally Posted by acr98disc Most of them don't know that you would need such a thing. But one day, they will learn...

Many times I hear, "Well, I guess I'll just buy a new computer, that one was running slow anyway..."

[EzyStvy]

Originally Posted by glc Bottom line - if you buy a computer that does not come with recovery media, there is usually a way to create your own. DO IT! This should be the FIRST thing you do after firing it up for the first time.

Can now admit it took me a while to get around it... My new Dell has been spitting out the attached message every other day or so...

DONE - media created. (two dvd's - or you can use a flash drive)