# HP System Recovery Problems



## relcalif (Jan 27, 1999)

Hi,

I am trying to Restore the operating system on an HP Pavilion 6330 Desktop computer. HP's very lame customer service department assures me that I have the correct restore CD's but I keep getting an error 

"This CD contains a backup of software originaly installed on an HP Pavilion PC and can only be used with an HP Pavilion PC. If you are receiving this message on an HP Pavilion, please call HP Support."

I cannot get their Tech Support to tell me how to correct this problem. The only hint I have is that it may be a "tatoo" issue and there is a srcipt or utility that corrects the problem.

Does anybody know how to correct this problem?

If anyone cares - Don't EVER, EVER, EVER buy an HP computer. Their customer support is the worst. I rate them a -10 on a 1 to 10 scale.


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

My cousing had a HP, well she still does. I had the same problem with it. I stole windows off of the hard drive, put them on a cd and then use the cd to install windows without the HP crap. Then after windows was installed I used the HP recovery disk and installed the drivers I needed for the hardware.


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## DoyceJ (Jul 12, 2001)

To be honest I probably wont be much help. But have you tried their site? They may have an answer. Have you done any modifications to the hardware? Added something or taken something away? I will kick on over to their site also and see what I can come up with.


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## Linkmaster (Aug 12, 2001)

Hi relcalif,

I agree about the tech support. I have a 6553 HP. That is why I got my A+ Certification so I could do it myself . Using this site makes it a lot easier. My HP came with 2 CD's. One is for programs and the other is for complete reformat ( reformated mine twice in a year and a half). If the reformat works do complete format. It will put the PC back the way you bought it. Do a backup of your programs . Its a pain to install them again. Hope this helps.
TW56


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## DoyceJ (Jul 12, 2001)

Found this. 

HP Pavilion PCs - Abnormal Program Termination Error When Running Recovery CD

ISSUE: An abnormal program termination error is displayed when running the recovery CD to re-install the preloaded software.

SOLUTION: Repartitioning the hard disk should solve the problem. The following steps show how to repartition the hard disk using the FDISK utility from the recovery CD, or if that is not possible, the Windows Startup disk. 
NOTE: If there are two CD drives in the system (for example a CD-RW plus a DVD drive), try the recovery CD in both drives before following the instructions mentioned below. Only the master drive will allow the recovery process to be executed correctly.

How to start the FDISK utility:

Insert the Recovery CD in to the CD/DVD/CD-RW-ROM drive. 
Restart the computer (CTRL + ALT + DELETE). 
After restarting into the recovery CD, click Advanced Options in the upper right corner of the screen. From the drop down list click Exit to DOS. 
If it is not possible to boot on the recovery CD, then insert the Windows Startup disk in the floppy drive and restart the system. After the restart has been completed, follow the steps as mentioned below:
NOTE: Information on how to create a Windows Startup disk can be found in the Windows help files or document HP Pavilion PCs - When And How To Create A Startup Disk In Microsoft (R) Windows.

Type FDISK, then press ENTER. 
A message will appear asking whether to enable large disk support. Type Y and press ENTER.
The FDISK options screen
The following choices appear at the FDISK options screen:

Create DOS partition or Logical DOS drive. 
Set active partition. 
Delete partition or Logical DOS drive. 
Display partition information.
Before you can repartition the hard disk, the current primary partition will have to be removed.

Deleting the Primary DOS Partition
NOTE: Extended DOS Partitions must be deleted before you will be allowed to delete the Primary DOS Partition.

At the main FDISK options screen, type 3, then press ENTER.

The following options will appear:

Delete Primary DOS Partition. 
Delete Extended DOS Partition. 
Delete Logical DOS drive(s) in the Extended DOS Partition. 
Delete Non-DOS Partition.
Type 1 and press ENTER to select [1], Delete Primary DOS Partition. 
The Primary DOS Partition information and a warning message will appear stating that the data in the Primary DOS Partition will be deleted. Press ENTER to select the primary partition displayed. 
Type the volume label exactly as shown on the displayed partition information on the screen, then press ENTER. 
NOTE: The volume label on Pavilion PCs will vary by model. Some models have a volume labeled "PAVILION" while others may have a volume labeled "HP_PAVILION".

A message will appear "Are you sure? (Y/N)." Type Y and press ENTER. 
The Primary DOS Partition is deleted. Press ESC to return to the FDISK options screen.
Creating the Primary DOS Partition
At the FDISK options screen, type 1 then press ENTER. 
The following options will appear:

Create Primary DOS Partition. 
Create Extended DOS Partition. 
Create Logical DOS drive(s) in the extended DOS partition.
Type, 1, and press ENTER to select [1], "Create Primary DOS Partition." 
A message will appear asking for a decision to use the maximum available size for a primary DOS partition and to make the partition active. 
NOTE: On HP Pavilion PCs, the recommended primary partition size is at least 2 GB to accommodate all of the programs and data on the HP Recovery CD.

The primary DOS partition information will appear. Press ESC to return to the FDISK options screen.

FDISK options screen:

Create DOS partition or Logical DOS drive. 
Set active partition. 
Delete partition or Logical DOS drive. 
Display partition information.
At the main FDISK options screen, type 2 then press ENTER. 
In the Set Active Partition screen, type 1 and press ENTER to activate the primary DOS partition. 
Press ESC twice to exit the FDISK utility.

At the DOS prompt type FORMAT C: to format the hard disk. Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE to restart the Pavilion with the recovery CD inserted. The recovery CD should now be able to run. 
NOTE: Additional information about the FDISK utility can be found in document HP Pavilion PCs - Using The FDISK Utility.


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

Wouldn't it have been just as easy to say you just have to repartiton the hard drive? I'm just kidding DoyceJ. I know you went to a lot of trouble finding that for them and I am sure they will appreciate it.


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## DoyceJ (Jul 12, 2001)

Not everyone is as smart as you are Rick.


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

No it isn't that I am smart, it is just that HP won't admit they don't know what causes it, they don't have a fix and the worst part is even if you do what they say and that is repartition the hard drive and start over, down the road the problem that started this is still THERE>>>

No I commend you for going to the trouble you did. I've been through it with HP and that is why I said to begin with what I did. If you put HP programming back on the problem still has the possibility to haunt you again.

THE KEY WORDS being I've been through this with HP TECH support.


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## relcalif (Jan 27, 1999)

Thanks to everyone who replied to my problem. I did the fdisk and it didn't cure the problem. I am considering just installing W98 from the CD and forgetting the HP junk. I have a few Win98 CD's and the proper KeyCode for this computer so that should work. 

If anybody has anymore ideas on how to fix this problem I would love to hear them.

Thanks again,


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## Rob487 (Apr 24, 1999)

and HP has the most worthless techs working for them. I gave up using that HP System Restore, and borrowed a friend's Win98 SE disk, and did a clean install. That HP CD is full of nothing but junk you don't need anyway. (Well, the drivers are useful )


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

That's what I've been saying all along, do away with the HP especially if you have a good lic. copy of win98. I didn't know you had that when I replied that is why I said look on c: drive for caps and copy to a cd and then set up that way.

It will work 100% better if you don't include HP programming. The drivers you will need when you use the win 98 cd will be on the HP restore disk. When it ask for the cd for the hard ware, direct it to the cd and put in the HP cd and then type in E:\drivers and it will find it on the HP cd.


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## DoyceJ (Jul 12, 2001)

Ok, sure, take the easy way out.


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## relcalif (Jan 27, 1999)

I installed Windows using a standard Win98 CD and the Key Code provided by HP (the only thing they did right) and it worked fine. The computer is working much better. All the drivers were on the restore CD.

By the way, we are installing Star Office on this computer rather than the expensive junk Microsoft sells. Star Office is FREE and is being supported and improved by the Open Source community thanks to the support of Sun Micro Systems. So far it looks like a great program and the price is right. It can even create Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in both 97 and 2000 versions.

Star Office can be found by searching the CNET site http://www.cnet.com or the SunMicro Systems site. Cnet is probably easier.

Thanks to everyone for the help and Tech Support Guy for being here.


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