Best place to buy an HP, How to get all your money back,and make sure mfg bears the brunt of the loss, instead of the reseller!

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Create A Bootable Automatic DVD Restore Disc That Will Capture the 'First-Boot' Condition From you new notebook /pc.

Guide written for Dell computers, shows Ghost being used to create an image of the hard drive.

Uses? Well unlike doing a OEM type recovery, you can either image the "stock" OS load (as-shipped with all the bloatware... or delete, clean up things, and then image the drive.

You can also use GHOST (or Acronis) to image the drive (create your own "recovery disc") after you've done a FRESH install, installed the programs YOU use... and then if something goes wrong (virus, or other data loss) you can image the data back to the hard drive and be back up and running very quickly.... with ALL your apps, everything confiqured the way YOU want it.... Making as many "images" as you want... and at any time...
Example:

Do fresh install -image
Install drivers -image
Install apps -image
Have system setup with drivers, apps-image
Make backups of DATA-image - at any time...

http://images.lunarpages.com/pdf/Dell%20Notebook Restore Utility Guide.pdf


More info on "Ghosting" (imaging) , partitioning a hard drive here:

http://radified.com/index2.html

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DATA RECOVERY APPS:

http://www.runtime.org/downloads.htm
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm


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Tech tips, teardown guides with pictures... (For Toshiba's but many procedures apply to other OEM's)

http://irisvista.com/tech/index.htm


Laptop work fine sometimes, then other times shutdown after only a few minutes?
Unit shutdown/crash when using cpu intensive apps?
Fans running at high speed and sound louder than before?

If so it sounds like the cooling system is clogged up.

Here's one of the tips, it shows pic's of the cooling system, showing the cooling fins clogged which will cause a unit to overheat.

http://www.laptoprepairguy.com/laptop/2006/01/04/toshiba-laptop-overheating/
http://irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaP15/fix_laptop_overheating.htm

NOTE: Most all laptops on the market have the cooling intakes on the bottom of the unit which sucks in hair, dirt, dust , lint, etc and can clog the cooling system in a short amount of time...

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I just purchased an HP Pavilion dv2120us from Circuit City almost 2 weeks ago (kind of regret it, the return/exchange period is 14 days) and I came across this thread and i noticed that you said to backup the swsetup folder. Now, I already created the backup dvd's for this laptop and still have the recovery partition, but unfortunately i deleted the swsetup folder (which, as you said contains all the drivers and software).

1. I want to know if using the backup dvd's or recovery partition to restore the laptop to it's factory condition will bring 'everything' including all the preinstalled software, and most importantly, the swsetup folder?

2. what I want to do in the near future is partition this hard drive (120 gb) into 2 separate ones (1 for windows xp professional, 1 for programs/music/videos/documents/etc..., no recovery partition [hopefully won't need because of the recovery dvd's], and if possible, keep the small HP quickplay partition) btw it currently has windows MCE. Well i just want to make sure that after i install xp professional, ill still have everything on this laptop functioning (like quickplay, the quickplay buttons, the webcam, etc...) i know i can download most all the drivers from hp.com but some i cannot (like quickplay) i would really love to keep quickplay available after the upgrade to xp professional.

Thanks

any feedback is greatly appreciated, esp about question 1 (does a full reformat of the OS with either recovery dvd's or the recovery partition restore 'EVERYTHING' to it's original factory state, even all programs, apps, and drivers??) Again, many thanks and COSTCO rocks!

 

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Running a restore should put the unit back to as-shipped.... so yes it should re-create the C:SwSetup folder.

SwSetup folder containing mostly useless garbage...

(Most of the programs, not being the full versions of whatever)

Some of it usefull (example the installer for QuickPlay.)


Rest of the stuff is SP's (Service Packs=drivers) for the hardware, that for the most part should be downloadable from www.HP.com

(Takes a while for HP to get drivers up on a "new" model... so if you buy a "new" model and reformat right off the bat that can cause you grief (since the drivers may not be listed yet for download)


For doing a re-install of the OS refer to the OS re-install posted previously....

PS: Dual booting may cause some issues.... with getting QuickPlay working again.... (Thread is a thread on QuickPlay above also)

Keep in mind unless they've changed it recently that the QuickPlay installer is brain-dead and will not install if you have that data partition already created...

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Created your HP restore /recovery discs, and for some reason need to create a second set?

Lost /damaged, etc?

Use windows search
(include hidden files and folders, show known file extensions)

Search for the following file: hpcd.sys

There will be 2 copies,1 in C:\WINDOWS\SMINST and 1 in E:\

Just rename them to .bak and you can use the HP PC Recovery disc creater again.

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Unfortuntely, Costco is/has changed it's 180-return policy on computers (and some other electronics) to 90 days as of Feb 26 '07.
It has changed already at Costco.com, and in California - and will be rolled out to all Costco locations per schedule in this memo.

On the plus side, Costco is providing an extension of mfr's warranty from 1 to 2 years. (Not sure how this will work in reality because it appears to me a 3rd-party, not the mfr, is providing the extra year.)
It does look as if you may get the 2yrs warranty AND the 180-return at some warehouses during the transition. (The DV6253CL in coupon book purchased 2-26 has in-store sign indicating 2year warranty, and my register receipt says return period is 6 months.)

And, now for question: I've got DV6000t CTO with Vista preloaded from factory; wiped clean and installed XP-Pro retail/activated in first partition, and created a second 20gb partition.
Can I install Vista in the second partition for dual boot and get it activated using the HP OEM product code but Vista install retail DVD (because how else can 1 do a 'clean' Vista install since HP doesn't provide an OS-only install/recovery method)?

 

cristalax,

Have edited the prefix of the first post with the updated info. + add that memo you posted.

This is bad news for all concerned (unless you have stock in HP- or a competing vendor)

Was hoping that having Costco do good, that other vendors, resellers would be forced to compete, either by offering a 180-day return window, Or extending the warranty period thru the mfg.

Seems Costco has taken the later route. Can't say I blame them though as each time I go over there I see a bunch of big ticket returns...


Guess I'm off to check the SamsClub website, see if they are changing their policies as well.

One of the things that impressed me was that if you purchased a Big Screen TV for example thru Costco... you didn't need to "buy", pay several hundred dollars more for a extended warrranty like you do at SamsClub.... That you could (with a TV) return it at all time, get ALL your money back.


Today is a sad day... I guess the "lifetime" warranty stills applies to purchases made before the cut-off day... at least that's how I'm reading that memo you referenced.

So if you've thinking about a PC (180 days), Or purchasing other electronics (like a big screen TV) now is the time to do so.

All I can say is bummer..., (mfg 1), consumer (0)

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FWIW, Sam's Club now officially has the best return policy. Granted a limited selection of Laptops. Also, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY. Sam's Club has the same policy that Costco once had. Sam's does not make it as easy to return, but if you tell a manager to read the return policy back to you, they will refund your money.

 

Staples : 14 days to try the laptop. + 2 years extended warranties, so 3 total (possibility of 4). Also, no problem returns with receipt.