repair disc issue

[haus_kat]

My friend has a Compaq laptop running windows Vista. She asked if I'd help her re-format it so that it would be like it was when she first got it but she doesn't know much at all about computers and never had made the repair discs for it. When I tried to do that an error message popped up that the computer doesn't have a DVD/CD drive, even though it does and it works and is the original drive which the computer had when she bought it. I have an external DVD drive and I plugged it into the USB port but still got the same message. How can I get around this issue so that we can make the discs and re-format it? Thanks

[patio]

Check the manuf. site for more info...there may or should be a hidden Restore partition that can be used instead of the CD...
The CD may not be being recognised because the OS is not loading properly...

Best of Luck and keep us posted.

[2x3i5x]

When booting laptop, check the COMPAQ logo screen and it may tell you  what key to press to get the recovery restore partition option (I think compaq and HP computers have those)

[Geek-9pm]

This is with regard to making n repair CD  for Windows VISTA. There was a change made to VISTA where he can no longer create a complete install DVD from the operating system itself. Instead, what you can make is a repair disk that is really a repair tool, not a complete new installation.

DO NOT FORMAT THE DRIVE .

[haus_kat]

Thank you! I found out the issue was caused because the CD/DVD software which came with the computer needed to be re-installed. We did that and then were allowed to make the disc

[haus_kat]

Ok, now we have tried to recover the system both from the hard drive and by using the disc which was created and are continually receiving this annoying error message early in the process "0x40010011300001002" and says contact HP support but I can not find anything about it on their site.

If it makes a difference, the computer is original to when it was purchaed with the exception of the RAM. My friend had more added to it at some computer repair shop to try to make the computer faster.

[patio]

Try removing a stik of RAM and repeat the process...any change ? ?

[haus_kat]

neither of us installed the extra RAM, don't know how to do that and don't want to mess with taking the computer apart or anything. I recently broke my own computer merely testing out an old hard drive. When I re-inserted the computer's original hard drive when I was finished the computer then started getting errors and now won't even start She plans to give me her Compaq computer as soon as we can erase/restore the drive. Thanks

[patio]

Have someone in your area thats worked on laptops come over for a looksee and buy him a beer...
Worthwhile investment.

[haus_kat]

Does anyone have any idea how we can format this laptop? We'd really like to get this done so that it can be used...

[Geek-9pm]

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Notebook-PC-questions/Error-0x400-100-130000-1002-Help/td-p/68276
This issue has been considered earlier on the HP site. Did you already see that?
The answer given there was not definitive. It seems to be a disk I/O error of some kind.

May I suggest having the drive tested outside of the laptop, in a Desktop using an adapter. If there is a motherboard issue, replacing the drive will be futile. Also, the desktop can backup some of all of the laptop hard drive,.Then you can format it anew knowing  you have a copy.

Look on the HP site to see if a restore DVD is available from HP. At a cost much less that a retail VISTA.

[haus_kat]

Yes, I've seen that and it didn't offer info that would be of help with this. thank you anyway though.

Could something like this work? I'm not sure if this is the full version of the software or what...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180731238254#ht_2900wt_1037

[Geek-9pm]

“This Disk is not” a Windows Vista installation disk and “does not install” Windows Vista on your system.
 
“This Disk does” allow you to repair your Windows Vista system software. Or install a backup of your system.

...from the link...near the bottom...
That says it all.
What is the model number of the Compaq? How old ,is it? Do you find a COA tag on it? That is the sticker from Microsoft that says it has a license for Vista OEM version.
If it does have the COA and product key, you can use the Vista  install DVD for Compaq/HP.  With regard to the product key, It is not the same as the retail version. Please tell if the COA for Vista is there. Do not give the key, just tell if it has the sticker. It will have the Microsoft name on it.

[haus_kat]

okay. I've searched on Google several times and the general opinion is that there is just some issue with the Compaq/HP computers and no resolution to this problem aside from obtaining another copy of Windows software on a DVD rom >:/

However, now that computer is not loading Windows OS now due to the botched re-install (and missing boot manager) I can not find out whether or not the computer had the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the software. Does it matter which version I get? Would there be some hardware conflict if I bought a brand new copy of Vista on disc and got the opposite version of what had been originally installed? My friend no longer has any documentation for the computer and the sticker on the bottom only says it was Windows Vista Home Premium but does not specify whether or not it was 32-bit or 64-bit. Hmm...

[DaveLembke]

With exact computer model # we'd be able to look up what it originally had... Also, if your having to go out and buy an OS, I'd suggest throwing the towel in on Windows Vista and using Windows 7 instead. Its way better, but you will want to have minimum of 1GB Ram, although I like 2GB minimum for 7. With computer model info and ram amount we'd be able to verify Win 7 drivers available and 32 or 64 bit operation.

[haus_kat]

Presario f761us

[Geek-9pm]

More detail please.
Have you already read this:
Order Recovery Discs for Windows 7, Vista, or XP

[haus_kat]

yes I've already seen that. I don't need a recovery disc. I already have one and it failed to properly install. As I've read via many articles on Google, this is apparently a common problem with Compaq computers and once the disc fails to properly re-install the operating system and erases the boot manager then the only option is to obtain another complete copy of the OS. So now I have to buy one

[quaxo]

This is with regard to making n repair CD  for Windows VISTA. There was a change made to VISTA where he can no longer create a complete install DVD from the operating system itself. Instead, what you can make is a repair disk that is really a repair tool, not a complete new installation.

Would be interested to know what the information is based on. My laptop (HP Pavilion dv6917) came with Vista and it created a complete set of discs (4 DVDs (also has option for 12 CDs instead) including all of the programs and the OS. It was also made within the OS. The only limit being that I can only ever make 1 set of recover discs.

[Geek-9pm]

You may want to check this site. It is apparently legal. It does not include a product key or any kind of hack. It is not free.
http://systemdiscs.com/
They claim the downloads for both Vista and Windows 7 are available from that site.

As to who said the  can not do a full install copy of Vista, I am going to look into my notes to see where I found that.

[haus_kat]

I don't yet have any Vista disc so in the meantime I used diskpart to make another partition and tried installing a copy of XP that I have which was intended for a Dell laptop (my old one). I'm not sure what happened but it doesn't look right and won't allow me to select settings for the monitor's original screen resolution so everything looks weird and stretched and is not the original setting (which was higher). The screen resolution is limited to some rather low setting. Hmm. I'm thinking this must be because the proper drivers are missing now? I looked on Compaq's website but all the drivers for this model laptop say they are for Window Vista (of course). Most do not list compatibility with XP.

I downgraded to Widows 2000 from XP before on a different computer and didn't have such issues. I had just gotten the drivers from the manufacturer website and there was no problem after that with getting the hardware to work/look right.

If I install the drivers anyway, would that make things worse since they were intended for Vista?

edit #1: Even though I formatted the new partition in diskpart after I made it, the XP installation asked me if I wanted to format something. I thought it wanted to reformat the partition for some fussy reason so I selected that option to get on with things because it was late and I was tired of hassling with this. I'd already had to waste time with trying to use diskpart because I was used to fdisk and didn't even know there was something different now and had to look up the commands on Google.  It seems it might have reformatted the entire drive and not just the partition I'd made. :/


edit #2: I checked and it seems this is what happened and now the Dell copy of XP is on the drive and there are no other partitions. It is formatted NTFS. Is that right or should it have been FAT? I can't remember now because it's been several years since I'e had to make a partition and install an OS.

[quaxo]

I don't yet have any Vista disc so in the meantime I used diskpart to make another partition and tried installing a copy of XP that I have which was intended for a Dell laptop (my old one). I'm not sure what happened but it doesn't look right and won't allow me to select settings for the monitor's original screen resolution so everything looks weird and stretched and is not the original setting (which was higher). The screen resolution is limited to some rather low setting. Hmm. I'm thinking this must be because the proper drivers are missing now? I looked on Compaq's website but all the drivers for this model laptop say they are for Window Vista (of course). Most do not list compatibility with XP.

I downgraded to Widows 2000 from XP before on a different computer and didn't have such issues. I had just gotten the drivers from the manufacturer website and there was no problem after that with getting the hardware to work/look right.

If I install the drivers anyway, would that make things worse since they were intended for Vista?

edit #1: Even though I formatted the new partition in diskpart after I made it, the XP installation asked me if I wanted to format something. I thought it wanted to reformat the partition for some fussy reason so I selected that option to get on with things because it was late and I was tired of hassling with this. I'd already had to waste time with trying to use diskpart because I was used to fdisk and didn't even know there was something different now and had to look up the commands on Google.  It seems it might have reformatted the entire drive and not just the partition I'd made. :/


edit #2: I checked and it seems this is what happened and now the Dell copy of XP is on the drive and there are no other partitions. It is formatted NTFS. Is that right or should it have been FAT? I can't remember now because it's been several years since I'e had to make a partition and install an OS.

The Dell disc has likely wiped your hard drive and restored it to what it thought it should be. It's not functioning correctly because that disc was made for a specific Dell machine with specific hardware. It also is not licensed for any other machine.

[haus_kat]

Now if I type "list disk" it lists one disk (disk 0) and gives the size as 128gb with 0 byte of free space. Hmm. The OS takes up 3gb on the drive and there is absolutely nothing else installed.

I wanted to make a partition so that if I go to "Computer" in Windows XP I'd have a "C" drive that was most of the space and a "D" drive of about 12gb in size. How do I do this now?

I had another computer which recently died (an old Compaq). Before it died I had copied the entire contents of it's "D" drive to a USB card. On the drive was the Windows XP OS for Compaq computers. After making this new partition I wanted to try to get it to install that copy of Windows XP (I still have the key from the sticker on the dead laptop) to over-write the Dell copy that I have currently installed. Could I even remotely do this?

I should note that "recovery" disks were never made for the old Compaq and when I recently tried to do that (before it died) it wouldn't allow it because the recovery disk creator software that came with the computer would only recognize the CD-Rom drive that came with that computer and it was inoperative at that time. All I could do was copy "D" drive to an SD card and that drive's data was about 8gb of space in size and the drive was 12gb in size.

I'm hoping that if I could get this to work that I wouldn't have to buy another copy of Windows Vista (as I really can't afford it atm).

[2x3i5x]

not to hijack post, but...

assuming you have legal key (i.e., came with computer you bought OR you already bought a copy of windows, but happened to have lost/misplaced the disc)

is it legal to download a copy of the disc / ISO off of a torrent site in this case?

[Geek-9pm]

not to hijack post, but...
assuming you have legal key (i.e., came with computer you bought OR you already bought a copy of windows, but happened to have lost/misplaced the disc)
is it legal to download a copy of the disc / ISO off of a torrent site in this case?

This forum does not encourage any P2P service. In some cases a P2P transfer is legal. Far too often nit is not. Besides, you can get a replacement media from the computer maker. And it will be free of virus or Trojan threats.

[2x3i5x]

to me, it seems like it's same as having made a copy of original disk (for backup purposes), not piracy of that kind, which I'm sure is legal for personal usage.

[Geek-9pm]

to me, it seems like it's same as having made a copy of original disk (for backup purposes), not piracy of that kind, which I'm sure is legal for personal usage.

Yes, you can make a backup of our original disc. You should do that when you first get the computer, not when the things crashes.  To be safe, borrow a disc from friend that has the same band of computer. However, many now do not come with a DVD, You have to make a copy.

If you have a computer problem, please start your own thread.

[2x3i5x]

Yes, you can make a backup of our original disc. You should do that when you first get the computer, not when the things crashes.  To be safe, borrow a disc from friend that has the same band of computer. However, many now do not come with a DVD, You have to make a copy.

If you have a computer problem, please start your own thread.

no, no computer problem, I just wondered. that is all.  Have a good day Geek-9pm and back to haus-kat's problem.