formating my drive

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sp74Supra

sp74Supra

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As you know my gaming computer is done. My old Hp Pavilion will be given to my father and would like him to have a "new" computer as in no games, songs etc.. lol. I made backup cd's and my question is do I go under run, formatc? I dont have a floppy or the os cd because the computer never came with one. So is that the command to do it? Thanks in advance.
 
Under XP, you can boot from the cd and wipe a hard drive clean by using it's built-in formatting function before you install a fresh copy of Windows XP on the drive. That's what I do when I need to reinstall windows.

I would think it is the same for previous versions of windows as well but I'm not sure since XP is the only version of Windows that I have experience using.

I don't think you can just go to the command prompt and type format C: since the OS would still be running when you try to format your hard drive. You need to boot from a windows cd and format the hard drive that way.
 
Man I really wish Hp would send the original xp cd with their computers :rolleyes:, I mean they gave me the manual but no disk. Oh well I'll do it the hard way and erase the programs from add/remove programs and erase cookies, history etc.... Thanks for the feedback man :) .
 
If HP did not give you the original XP disc or at least some sort of "backup" CD, then HP is breaking the law.

Are you sure you didn't receive one? Call up HP and tell them to send you an XP disc.
 
I am positive they didnt give me one. All I have is the manual that would come with the cd, a huge hp manual. They have this backup program in which i made my backup cds. I'll try and call or I'll use my xp pro cd from my new gaming rig but wouldnt this hp need the xp pro "upgrade" cd since im upgrading? Thanks again.
 
Well, if you're just going to install XP Pro on your dad's "new" computer, just pop in the XP cd and reformat it from that. You have to change the BIOS settings to boot from CD. I believe that will work, not 100% positive, though.
 
HP owes you a copy of Windows XP. Get your CD and follow these excellent step-by-step instructions. I actually just used this site while I was home over Thanksgiving weekend to reformat my parent's computer and it was very simple. I hadn't done it in about a year and a half, so it was a good refresher...I only wish that I had found it the first time I tried to reinstall/reformat my computer! :eek:
 
Hey thanks man, I just sent them an email thats very nice and formal lol. So hope that works out. But thanks for the link Jordan :) .
 
sp74Supra
Hey thanks man, I just sent them an email thats very nice and formal lol. So hope that works out. But thanks for the link Jordan :) .
Click to expand...
HP and no CD.

Same thing for my parent's computer.

They actually put a 'quick format' tool on a good deal of their computers, rather than a CD. There is generally a hotkey you press before Windows begins to boot up to enter the 'restore' mode.

Basically, they format a few GB of your HD and put all the Windows CDs etc. on the HD. You can choose, in the backup tool, to format the user partition, just repair windows, things like that.

Look in the manual for stuff like repair, or reinstalling Windows. I know they usually give a few manuals with their computers, so look around for the hotkeys to press and the like.
 
Exactly the reason I hate name brand PCs. If you're paying for a computer, they should at least give you a proper copy of the OS installed - not some stupid restore disc/program.
 
Shannon
Exactly the reason I hate name brand PCs. If you're paying for a computer, they should at least give you a proper copy of the OS installed - not some stupid restore disc/program.
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Agreed. I dislike the idea.

You know what else I dislike; even if they include a Windows CD, it's the 'bloated customized' version. Much slower than a clean standard install of say Retail MS software.

Since the purchase of their HP, I've put XP Pro on it, erasing both the user and 'backup' partition. It's now my sister's computer anyways.
 
Yep .. brand name PCs suck. If the HD fails then you're SOL and have to go buy a new HD and a copy of windows, assuming you don't have a spare copy somewhere. Cuz we all know that HDs never fail under warranty or within the limits of your service plan.
 
OMG, heres the email I recieved,


Dear Rafael,

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.

I see that you are looking for the Operating System CD for the Pavilion
725n desktop PC.

I regret to inform that HP Pavilion PCs that ship with Windows XP do
not
include a set of Operating System CD. This is as per our license
agreement with Microsoft allows us only to preinstall the operating
system and to provide a backup of the operating system on the hard
drive
at the time of shipping the PC. The backup files are located in the
"C:\I386" directory. Therefore, I recommend you browse to the "C:\I386"
directory when ever prompted for the Operating System CD.

If you have further questions, please reply to this message and we will
be happy to help you.

Please visit our Owner Services Web site for details on keeping your HP
and Compaq products up and running.





Thanks God This is my last pre-built computer :) 👍 :) . And thank you all for the feedback.
 
I would email back and ask them what happens when my hard drive fails?
 
that's odd... they legally should be required to include a restoration disk. After all, you *did* get forced to pay $150 for the OS to be included with the computer.
 
VTGT07
I would email back and ask them what happens when my hard drive fails?
Click to expand...


LOL, you know what Im gonna do that right now, I hope they give me a cd. I'll let you guys know what happens :) .


**EDIT** I sent the email saying that I still cant understand why theres no cd lol, and of course what should I do if my hard drive fails, what shell out $60-$100 and buy another? haha well, just have to wait and see.
 
The guy said if it fails, then use the hp recovery discs which have to be made and just "restore it back to its original date" I made them a total of 6 im guessing with the programs I have installed and stuff.... But that doesnt answer what do I do if the hard drive fails. Oh well No more pre builts for me haha.
 
sp74Supra
The guy said if it fails, then use the hp recovery discs which have to be made and just "restore it back to its original date" I made them a total of 6 im guessing with the programs I have installed and stuff.... But that doesnt answer what do I do if the hard drive fails. Oh well No more pre builts for me haha.
Click to expand...

Either, he was trying to avoid the question or doesn't know much about computers.
 
If the HD fails, you cannot do anything with the HD, you cannot boot from it, you cannot retrieve files from it, you cannot put files on it, you cannot restore it back to a date that it worked, it is dead, D.E.A.D. dead. The only thing it is good for in that case is to be put into use as a coaster. The tech guy is basically BSing his way around an answer he doesn't know. I would email from a different address or something and say that your hard drive has died and you don't have a Windows disk so you cannot reinstall windows on the new hard drive that you bought or something like that. Just make it seem like it happened and try and get an honest answer from them.

I hate tech support people with a passion. They always send you the long way to do stuff and never give you straight answers.
 
don't say it died. They won't support the new hardware. Instead say you were hit by a virus and you were forced to reformat your computer.

Legally, they gotta give you a boot disk or something to get windows back onto the machine since you paid for it.
 
Man you guys are good lol, I'll send an email tomorrow. But the problem is before you send an email you have to put in the computer serial number which is on the side of the case but ill see what I can do. Thanks again for the good ideas :)
 
If you were hit by a virus you would still be able to access the restore partition as the virus would only affect the C: partition (Windows) it was downloaded to. Since the D: partition (SysRestore) is write protected and cannot be modified, the virus will not have an effect on it. Better yet, say that your computer has crashed and will not boot past the Welcome screen.

If the computer were still under warranty (assuming you purchased one with the computer) they would be forced to provide you with a replacement HD in this case, either that or give you a copy of the disc.

But yes, it is quite shady how they are allowed to do this if it is legal. You paid for it, you own it, yet you cannot get it. Seems illegal to me.
 
VTGT07
If you were hit by a virus you would still be able to access the restore partition as the virus would only affect the C: partition (Windows) it was downloaded to. Since the D: partition (SysRestore) is write protected and cannot be modified, the virus will not have an effect on it. Better yet, say that your computer has crashed and will not boot past the Welcome screen.

If the computer were still under warranty (assuming you purchased one with the computer) they would be forced to provide you with a replacement HD in this case, either that or give you a copy of the disc.
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You could always say that the virus borked the partition table if the system is out of warranty... but I think your option is a bit better :)
 
sp74Supra
OMG, heres the email I recieved,


Dear Rafael,

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.

I see that you are looking for the Operating System CD for the Pavilion
725n desktop PC.

I regret to inform that HP Pavilion PCs that ship with Windows XP do
not
include a set of Operating System CD. This is as per our license
agreement with Microsoft allows us only to preinstall the operating
system and to provide a backup of the operating system on the hard
drive
at the time of shipping the PC. The backup files are located in the
"C:\I386" directory. Therefore, I recommend you browse to the "C:\I386"
directory when ever prompted for the Operating System CD.

If you have further questions, please reply to this message and we will
be happy to help you.

Please visit our Owner Services Web site for details on keeping your HP
and Compaq products up and running.





Thanks God This is my last pre-built computer :) 👍 :) . And thank you all for the feedback.
Click to expand...
C:\I386, eh? You might be able to build an XP CD following this guide.
 
Sweet .. I never knew you could do that - I'll have to try that one my bro's computer when I go home again. It'd be awesome if it really did work that way, although M$ would have had to put in some sort of piracy protection because it would be way too easy to pirate windows (as if it isn't easy enough already) in that fashion. Surely M$ is smart enough to catch this.
 
Our computers came from Sony and I had to make my own recovery CD's, but they have some program. You open the program, it tells you to insert a CD, it writes the files to it, and then it is done. It took 10 CD's to make.
 
Yeah .. I bought my HP laptop about 2 months before they started that partitioning crap and mine is on 4 CDs plus an XP Home CD. The only reason they do it IMO is that it saves them money from making the CDs as it's a good bit cheaper to just put stuff on the HD, which is already there, and make the end user pay for the restore CDs. Its just a cheap cost cutting maneuver which will in the end most likely cause many headaches for the customers when HDs fail/die and the like. If it happens out of warranty you might as well drop $300 on a new HD and a copy of Windows because they aren't going to send you an HD and a copy of Windows after the warranty has expired. It's a cheap shot, if you ask me.
 

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