Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after
successfully removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been working
fine. With that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set of recovery
discs. To my surprise, the operation was refused with the error message
that such disc set had already been created and only one set was
allowed. The funny thing is that this was the first time I tried to
create the recovery set.

I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create the
disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not create the
disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support promised to
ship me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually will get it, I
will end up again with a set that includes all the preinstalled junkware
that I would have to get rid off again if I ever need to restore my
system from those discs. So I hope I won't.

Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create the
recovery disc set?

Rudy

In news:KKKdne5UUdAAc3banZ2dnUVZ_jydnZ2d@comcast.com,
R. P. typed on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:59:41 -0700:
> Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after
> successfully removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been
> working fine. With that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set
> of recovery discs. To my surprise, the operation was refused with the
> error message that such disc set had already been created and only
> one set was allowed. The funny thing is that this was the first time
> I tried to create the recovery set.
>
> I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
> surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
> Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create
> the disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not
> create the disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support
> promised to ship me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually
> will get it, I will end up again with a set that includes all the
> preinstalled junkware that I would have to get rid off again if I
> ever need to restore my system from those discs. So I hope I won't.
>
> Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create
> the recovery disc set?
>
> Rudy

Yes I don't think too much of recovery CD/DVD discs anyway. As all they
do is to put the same junk as what you got when you first got the
computer anyway. What I would do instead of worrying about the recovery
disc is to backup your hard drive instead. And go that route. As that is
so much better of an idea anyway. The recovery disc is a big plus though
if you ever wanted to sell it someday.

I have noticed that those recovery discs anyway don't always come with
the right drivers or software that came with your laptop anyway. For
example, my Gateway MX6124 ('06), I got a message that don't use my
recovery DVD because it can harm my computer. And they would send out a
replacement. Well that never happened and I did put in another hard
drive in just as a test to see what that recovery disc would do anyway.
Well it just locks up the computer during the install. So it is
completely useless.

--
Bill

Sounds like something in the "junkware" you removed was associated with the
recovery setup. A recovery cd/dvd you create would contain the junk just as
the copy HP is sending you.

You can either use a program like Acronis to clone your setup or do a
write-up on how to remove the junk and save that for the next time you want
to restore.
Terry

"R. P." <r_pol12gar********.com> wrote in message
news:KKKdne5UUdAAc3banZ2dnUVZ_jydnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after successfully
> removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been working fine. With
> that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set of recovery discs. To my
> surprise, the operation was refused with the error message that such disc
> set had already been created and only one set was allowed. The funny thing
> is that this was the first time I tried to create the recovery set.
>
> I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
> surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
> Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create the
> disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not create the
> disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support promised to ship
> me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually will get it, I will end
> up again with a set that includes all the preinstalled junkware that I
> would have to get rid off again if I ever need to restore my system from
> those discs. So I hope I won't.
>
> Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create the
> recovery disc set?
>
> Rudy

"tc" <terrycassidy@msn.com> wrote:
> Sounds like something in the "junkware" you removed was associated
> with the recovery setup. A recovery cd/dvd you create would contain
> the junk just as the copy HP is sending you.
>
> You can either use a program like Acronis to clone your setup or do a
> write-up on how to remove the junk and save that for the next time you
> want to restore.

Funny you mentioned Acronis because I have that one installed on my old
desktop and use it for full disk image backups. I was thinking to get an
additional license for my laptop, hoping that I would not have to buy a
full single license again but some discounted 2nd PC license. I wrote to
their Customer Service asking about that but they have not been exactly
rushing to answer. On the other hand, I've been having second thoughts
about using Russion software in general because so much of the malware
comes from there. In addition Prez. Putin started sounding again like
the old Soviet leaders and what better way to spy on the West than
selling software such as Acronis? The perfect Trojan horse! But maybe I
am just too paranoid. Then again, as Intel's Andy Grove's book title
says: Only The Paranoid Survive. ;-)

Rudy

In news:S4adnTR9K_zjvXHanZ2dnUVZ_r6rnZ2d@comcast.com,
R. P. typed on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:24:31 -0700:
> "tc" <terrycassidy@msn.com> wrote:
>> Sounds like something in the "junkware" you removed was associated
>> with the recovery setup. A recovery cd/dvd you create would contain
>> the junk just as the copy HP is sending you.
>>
>> You can either use a program like Acronis to clone your setup or do a
>> write-up on how to remove the junk and save that for the next time
>> you want to restore.
>
> Funny you mentioned Acronis because I have that one installed on my
> old desktop and use it for full disk image backups. I was thinking to
> get an additional license for my laptop, hoping that I would not have
> to buy a full single license again but some discounted 2nd PC
> license. I wrote to their Customer Service asking about that but they
> have not been exactly rushing to answer. On the other hand, I've been
> having second thoughts about using Russion software in general
> because so much of the malware comes from there. In addition Prez.
> Putin started sounding again like the old Soviet leaders and what
> better way to spy on the West than selling software such as Acronis?
> The perfect Trojan horse! But maybe I am just too paranoid. Then
> again, as Intel's Andy Grove's book title says: Only The Paranoid
> Survive. ;-)
> Rudy

Sadly that is so true! :-(

--
Bill

R. P. wrote:
> Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after
> successfully removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been working
> fine. With that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set of recovery
> discs. To my surprise, the operation was refused with the error message
> that such disc set had already been created and only one set was
> allowed. The funny thing is that this was the first time I tried to
> create the recovery set.
>
> I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
> surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
> Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create the
> disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not create the
> disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support promised to
> ship me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually will get it, I
> will end up again with a set that includes all the preinstalled junkware
> that I would have to get rid off again if I ever need to restore my
> system from those discs. So I hope I won't.
>
> Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create the
> recovery disc set?
>
> Rudy

This won't help you, but might help the next person.
The absolute FIRST thing you should do with any new
(or used) computer
is to save images of ALL the disk partitions.
Programs like Acronis or Ghost will let you do this from
a bootable CD without installing anything on your system.

That way, when you accidentally blow away the program that
makes the recovery disks, you can recover.

I had the same problem with a used Compaq laptop.
The solution was to borrow an XP install disk (pro or home
to match what you have) and extract
its contents. Then delete the i386 directory and replace
it with the i386 directory from your laptop. You can then
burn an XP install disk that will work with the licence code
on your COA sticker. While you're at it, put all the drivers
you can find on the system on the disk too.

This won't give you a recovery disk, but will give you an
install disk. You'll have to reinstall the bloat separately.

There are numerous web tutorials with step-by-step instructions
on how to do this.

If you don't have the i386 directory on your laptop, you may be
screwed. I never found any stock XP boot disk that would
accept my license code and/or activate. Using my i386 directory
fixed that problem.

Maybe someone else knows exactly which file knows about
matching the disk contents to the license key.

--
Return address is VALID!

"R. P." <r_pol12gar********.com> wrote in message
news:KKKdne5UUdAAc3banZ2dnUVZ_jydnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after successfully
> removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been working fine. With
> that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set of recovery discs. To my
> surprise, the operation was refused with the error message that such disc
> set had already been created and only one set was allowed. The funny thing
> is that this was the first time I tried to create the recovery set.
>
> I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
> surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
> Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create the
> disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not create the
> disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support promised to ship
> me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually will get it, I will end
> up again with a set that includes all the preinstalled junkware that I
> would have to get rid off again if I ever need to restore my system from
> those discs. So I hope I won't.
>
> Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create the
> recovery disc set?
>

The recovery disc set that you would have created would still contain the
crapware that you removed. This is because the recovery disc set is made
from the recovery partition and not the system disc.

The recovery disc creator drops a file on the main disc once the discs are
created and it the presence of this file that prevents the process running
again. The file can be deleted to allow the process to run again and I
would tell you which file to delete - if I could only remember what it was.
(Any offers?)

I would venture to suggest that it is possible that the PC you bought wasn't
new as you thought it was.

"M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:
> I would venture to suggest that it is possible that the PC you bought
> wasn't new as you thought it was.

You might be up to something here because I know that the laptop I
bought was from an open box and the salesman himself (somewhat of a
geek) admitted that he "tested" the PC previously when it came to the
store as the first of its kind. He also removed some of the bloatware
during that time but when I confronted him that he might have had made a
recovery disc set as well, he denied it wehemently. Now I wonder though
....
I must admit that at the time of purchase he offered an unopened box but
because he told me that the laptop in the opened box had not have any
dead pixels on the display, I decided to go with that one instead of
risking one that may have had some dead pixels. In hindsight that may
have been the wrong decision on my part.

Rudy

Go to HP website - buy restore (blasts blank drive to factory settings)
and recovery DVD's ( restore OS to "last backup" using info from the D
partition) for about $12 each set - worth the money. Obviously they won;t
make these in a few years so buy 'em just after buying a PC. If you need
them 2-3-4 yrs from now (when original disk dies) , might not be
available.

"BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message
news:47ebf573$0$1340$834e42db@reader.greatnowhere. com...
> In news:KKKdne5UUdAAc3banZ2dnUVZ_jydnZ2d@comcast.com,
> R. P. typed on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:59:41 -0700:
>> Last month I bought an HP laptop at OfficeDepot which , after
>> successfully removing a bunch of preinstalled junkware, has been
>> working fine. With that clean-up behind me, I decided to burn a set
>> of recovery discs. To my surprise, the operation was refused with the
>> error message that such disc set had already been created and only
>> one set was allowed. The funny thing is that this was the first time
>> I tried to create the recovery set.
>>
>> I then promptly mailed a complaint to HP's tech support which to my
>> surprise replied within only a couple hours, suggesting to update the
>> Restore Manager from their web site and then I should try to create
>> the disc set again. Well, I did just that but I still could not
>> create the disc set for the same reason. When told, HP Tech Support
>> promised to ship me the recovery disc set ASAP. Assuming I actually
>> will get it, I will end up again with a set that includes all the
>> preinstalled junkware that I would have to get rid off again if I
>> ever need to restore my system from those discs. So I hope I won't.
>>
>> Has any of you been through the same thing, not being able to create
>> the recovery disc set?
>>
>> Rudy
>
> Yes I don't think too much of recovery CD/DVD discs anyway. As all they
> do is to put the same junk as what you got when you first got the
> computer anyway. What I would do instead of worrying about the recovery
> disc is to backup your hard drive instead. And go that route. As that is
> so much better of an idea anyway. The recovery disc is a big plus though
> if you ever wanted to sell it someday.
>
> I have noticed that those recovery discs anyway don't always come with
> the right drivers or software that came with your laptop anyway. For
> example, my Gateway MX6124 ('06), I got a message that don't use my
> recovery DVD because it can harm my computer. And they would send out a
> replacement. Well that never happened and I did put in another hard
> drive in just as a test to see what that recovery disc would do anyway.
> Well it just locks up the computer during the install. So it is
> completely useless.
>
> --
> Bill

"mike" <spamme9******.com> wrote:
> This won't help you, but might help the next person.
> The absolute FIRST thing you should do with any new
> (or used) computer
> is to save images of ALL the disk partitions.
> Programs like Acronis or Ghost will let you do this from
> a bootable CD without installing anything on your system.
>
> That way, when you accidentally blow away the program that
> makes the recovery disks, you can recover.

Easier said than done with today's high capacity PCs that would require
an even higher capacity external drive. I have a 750 GB USB/Firewire 800
drive on order right now that should arrive next week. Then I can back
up several generations of the laptop's HD image. Right now I don't have
anything that big to use.

Rudy

You can create a second set of recovery discs by deleting the hidden HPCD.sys file located on the root of the recovery partition and also in the root of the recovery creator program directory.

I created a tool to help you do this:

HP/Compaq Recovery Disc Creator Patch (Ray's Famous Techpage)

This is available at technician.co.nr