Problems with MIR - won't go to recovery screen

So, I've been following the guide linked in the owners thread, but i'm not having any luck. I push Esc as the computer is booting, and I get the menu, but when I press 11, it just boots windows.

Any ideas?

Also, If I'm wanting to upgrade to windows 7 professional, is there any reason to do the MIR? Or should I just throw in the Win7 disk and format the c drive?

Can I get everything I need out of the SwSetup folder? (all the beats audio, HP Tools, etc)

Thanks in advance

 

It should be just F8 or F11 to activate the Media Recovery Wizard. Also, if you have a valid Windows 7 Professional SERIAL KEY, you can avoid reinstalling the whole OS for it and instead, pop the key into the Windows Anytime Upgrade Wizard. In 10 minutes, Windows 7 will upgrade itself without any reinstallation and keeps all existing drivers, files and setup the same way as before.

 

F11 is what it's showing me, but when i press it, it delays for a few seconds and then boots to windows. Curiouser and curiouser.

 

Did you delete the recovery partition? If you did, then that is why it is not working.

 

Nope, it's still there. I didn't do anything with the partitions. Just created the recovery disks, then started attempting to get to the MIR.

 

Mine is the same. Although I didn't create the recovery discs, I left the partition in tact. It will not boot to the recovery partition, only Windows when f11 is pressed.

 

remedy: What is the size of your recover partition?

 

Check if you even have a Recovery Partition. It should be a reserved, separate partition that says RECOVERY in My Computer via Windows. The size should be around over 10 GB but under 15 GB. Also if you open the partition, it should show an item with a lock on it. That means the partition is locked from Windows access, but it is ready to be used via the Manager.

 

About 24gb

 

I have two Envy 14s here. One where the MIR worked - has a 27.2 w/ 24 gb used. The one that won't work has a 14.6 partition with 12.5 used.

 

Then the 24 GB one should be the correct partition. HP might have screwed up on the other one.

 

My setup sounds like the first one. However, I did a fresh install so I wonder if the master boot record was modified. That may be why mine will not boot into the recovery partition.

 

That could be the problem. The Recovery Partition so it seems, needs to "detect" an OEM-installed copy of Windows in order for it to activate. However it doesn't explain Persyus's Envy 14 that has a 12 GB recovery partition. Looks like that partition is blotched.

 

That computer is a refurb... Can I use the recover disks from the other one and do a full recovery?

 

That should work I think. As long the disks detects the refurb's BIOS belonging to an Envy 14, it should install.

 

Man, that's what I thought, but fail. hah this is turning into a challenge. What do you think about popping in the windows 7 pro cd and deleting the c: partition and going from there?

BTW, I appreciate you sticking around and helping with this.

 

I guess you can try that, although in your case, the partition itself seems to be very small compared to what the other unit has for the recovery. So I think there has been some blotched reformatting oh HP's side.

Try that and if that doesn't work, worst-case is to order some HP Recovery Disks for like $25 dollars and reformat the drive that way. Or bicker HP to send them to you for free.

Also, I am an easily-distracted college undergrad, I end up sticking around here cause it is fun helping people out then actually doing my schoolwork...