Creating Restore Disks

I just purchased a HP Pavilion dv5t Entertainment Notebook. This is my first laptop. I was surprised that I need to create my own restore disks. From what I gather once you start the creating the restore disks, you only get one shot at it? I had CD-RW disks so I figured that was OK to use. I got through the first disk OK. When I put in the 2nd (New) CD-RW to continue the process it said the disk was full? I tried another and another and it said the same thing. I discovered on another insert of paperwork that you should not use a re-writable CD's for this. Is that the problem? Have I screwed somthing up? Can I continue with a DVD after starting with the CD-RW? Is there any way to start the process all over?

I apologize if these are stupid questions.

 

bevbwgc,

I had problems as well with the software not letting me do anything. It said my DVD drive was not compatible? You're right you can only do the restore disks once. I found you really don't need those restore disks anyway unless you really need the bundled software that came on the hard drive. When I formatted I saved the folder c:/SWSetup as this contains all of your drivers and also half the software that's preinstalled like CyberDVD etc. I had Vista on DVD already and saved my Vista key using a backup and restore program called ARB.

So to sum up really,

-Save the C:/SWSetup folder to a USB stick/portable hard drive
-Have a copy of the Vista media (you can use anyones because you'll be using your own key.
-Use ARB to backup your key and restore it after the reinstall.

If you search Clean Install Vista for HP you'll find threads explaining the above in detail.

As far as I'm aware you probably won't be able to do the restore disks again because the stupid software thinks they have already been done now.

HP can supply them if you really want them too.

 

Thanks for the information. I thought I had destroyed my new computer! This is my post on this site. I am sure I will be back with many more questions.

Any warnings about Vista? I have only heard bad things. I was tempted to find a laptop that still had windows XP on it. I have had no problems with my desktop computer that has it.

 

Well my system is running it flawlessly. I wasn't happy with all the preloaded junk that came it. Some of it I couldn't even uninstall

Seriously speaking I like Vista. Fair enough XP is faster but Vista gives you nice eye candy.

Now that SP1 is out it runs even better so you really have nothing to be afraid of plus you have all the support you'll ever need in these forums. Congrats on your new purchase by the way you'll love it.

Put your specs into your signature so we know what you've got in that beast.

 

I will do that when I get home, or if I don't have time tomorrow. I don't have the specs with me. I was surprised that it came with so little information. Not everyone is a computer genius. I am old school. I like having a user manual as reference. Seems now days you have to download your own manual off the internet if you want a copy of anything.

The next thing is to install Microsoft Office software. Will Office 2003 work with Vista OK or do I have to get 2007?

 

It will work fine.

 

I had the same problem with burning my recovery disks after if kept on giving me an error message after it was collecting the files. Spent 4 hours trying to burn the DVD so in the end I gave up and just burned the SWSetup folder then a clean install. I couldn’t believe that a high spec laptop could run sooo slow with all the bloatware on the laptop. I have left the recovery partition drive as it is so that the F11 recovery button always works providing I need to use it in future

 

Hello to everyone!

I have been dealing with "This computer does not have a drive capable of creating CD's or DVD's" issue on my HP dv4 too. I have been "Google'ing" for any solutions of that problem but most of was sending to HP Support. I have been trying to check drivers and firmware for my disc drive but all seem to be fine. I have downloaded all softpaq updates from HP. After checking all possibilities I could thought off I have seen no other way to fix it than contact HP Support. Fortunatelly it was not neccesary.
I have been checking one more time options of Recovery Manager and suddenly it hited me!
"Software program re-instalation"! That was it. I have realized that I uninstalled CyberLink DVD Suit Deluxe shipped with my Vista by HP (Like all other preloaded crapware).
In my case that was solution. Apparently Recovery Manager require preloaded burning software!
Whatever soft was shipped to you make sure you did not uninstall it before create recovery disc.
In my case that was CyberLink DVD Suit Deluxe/Power2Go. I have changed it for other one. So I assume Recovery Manager needed this and did not recognized other burning soft I have switched for.
I do not know if it is only reason of this issue but I am guessing that might work for other people as well.

Kind regards
zaabluc