Compaq Recovery Disc Dilema ?

Hi,
My Compaq laptop recently got some sort of virus & after many unsuccessful attempts to remove it I decided to back up all my files & recover the laptop from the recovery partition. However the recovery function would not operate & as the laptop was getting worse & worse from the virus I decided to do a full format from my recovery disks.

The recovery disks didn't work either as they can't be read by the laptop...it just puts up a message saying CD / DVD read error.
I have tried the disks in a different computer & that also can't read them so I guess the discs are corrupt or something.
I have a new set of recovery discs on their way to me but these could take up to 2 weeks to arrive & now all the laptop does is light up & sit with a black screen with the cursor flashing in the top left corner

In the mean time until the new recovery disks arrive could I use a standard XP disc to format the drive & install XP & use the laptop like this?
(before this old sloooow desktop drives me out of my head)

If I do this would I be able to use the recovery discs to get the laptop back to what it was when I first got it with a C drive & the D drive recovery partition?

Any advice appreciated.

 

Yes, you could install XP from another disc, no problem. I assume you your laptop is the Compaq v6133EU you mentioned in one of your other posts. You probably will have to download some HP drivers, such as video, audio, wireless, etc. for your specific laptop from the HP site. If you can't connect to the internet immediately after your OS install you can download these on your desktop and then use a USB flashdrive or CD to transfer them.

You can always use the recovery discs as they do a complete re-format and software install. All data on your HD will be replaced.

If your laptop had a virus, make sure you run a virus check on your data and files you off loaded or you may infect your other computers. You certainly want to check for viruses before you reload the data on your laptop.

 

Hi deeastman,
Thank you for your help

Yeah the laptop is indeed the v6133EU.
I have already checked my back up forr viruses & everthing is fine
I have downloaded all of the drivers & will proceed as you say with a USB flash drive.

That's great news....I'll get XP put on it & get the laptop back in use ....then I can use the recovery discs when they turn up from HP.....that is assuming that they work!

I have today tried my recovery discs (3 DVDs) in yet another computer & that reads them ...I'm now wondering if the reading problem is a combination of the media & the drive type!

I tried to copy the discs to a stand alone HDD so that I could boot my laptop from that but the discs won't copy...maybe some protection on them?

I also tried a USB to CD / DVD ROM cable & tried to boot the laptop from the discs that way....but it didn't work, despite trying every USB boot option in the BIOS settings.

The drive on my laptop is the TS model drive (don't know the exact number) & I have read of quite a few problems with this drive.
I have burnt the odd CD but I have never really tried DVDs except when I made the recovery discs.

Maybe the recovery discs are fine & its the drive!

Is there any way you can think of to connect a different drive to the laptop to get the discs to work?

Regards.

 

First, there is no copy protection on the recovery discs. I have made duplicate copies of mine just to be safe.

As to whether your DVD drive is working, what happens when you try to boot from a DVD disk like the XP disc you are planning to use? If that works proceed with the following.
Edit: I should have also said retail or original bootable OS disk that is pressed vs. copied to verify your DVD drive is working.

I don’t know what brand or type of DVD’s you made your recovery discs on but I would try copying them and make a new set on brand name DVD +R media such as Sony, Verbatim, TDK, HP. Take your current DVD’s to the computer that reads them and make the new copies. Try the new copies in your Compaq. HP/Compaq DVD drives seem to be partial to DVD+R and blue tinted recording surfaces best (from my experience and previous posts).

 

I was unable to copy them on the computer that could read them....it started but then failed....I also tried file by file & the same happened.

An original pressed XP disc works fine but that is just a CD isn't it? not a DVD.

I'm not sure what brand they are either but they are a blueish purple colour....they were a spool I had....maybe this is my problem...I think I should have used top quality branded DVDs ..that said you would think when you burn the recovery disks they would be verified at the end of the process to make sure they were ok & no errors were reported?

Looks like I'm knackered with these discs


Regards.

 

To bad you could not copy the recovery discs. You could try another computer but? If you can't read the recovery discs there isn't much you can do with them. Drink Coasters, sparkley at Christmas time?

If you wanted to spend the time, you could burn a copy of the pressed XP disc onto a DVD+R and boot from it just to see if it works (the Microsoft XP discs are not copy protected). Use good quality media and burn as a disc image, not file by file. I am reasonably sure your DVD drive is working as it should but you could prove it.

I am out of suggestions as trying to recover the data from the discs using a data recovery program wouldn't be worth the time and effort. Either you install XP from your retail disc or wait for your new recovery discs to arrive.

 

Hi,
I've copied Disc 1 & Disc 2

I went & tried them on my friends laptop & that was able to read them....it also was able to copy them to a USB Hard Drive.
However the laptop in question would not even recognise disc 3.

I can read & copy most of disc 3 on the first computer now for some reason, but it will not copy 2 files...

BASE_10.INP
BASE_11.INP

The error it throws up when trying to copy these is...

CANNOT COPY BASE_xx DATA ERROR (cycle redundancy check)

I maybe should go along the street asking all of my neighbours to try to copy disc 3 as these discs seem to work in some drives then not in others

 

Good News.....I got my original discs to work

I gave up trying to copy disc 3 & went ahead & installed XP from a different disc....as soon as it was installed I tried again to run my recovery discs....this time they worked ....I have no idea why this is but they did....maybe XP installed something to make the CD/DVD ROM work?

The recovery discs did stop once or twice with a message on screen that the disc could not be read & to clean the disc & try again....the disc was spotlessly clean in the first place but removing it & waiting a minute or so got it working again, maybe getting to hot?

Anyway I'm all sorted now with the OS & partition back in place....just have to install all of my files back now.

I'm going to get some top quality DVDs & burn another set of recovery discs just to be on the safe side.....& I'll also have the set from HP when they eventually turn up.

deeastman,
Many thanks for your help & advice with this problem

Regards.

 

Your welcome, I am glad you got things sorted out. I would make those new Recovery Discs immediately, even before you install any of your data.

 

Will do....thanks again for your help


Regards.