XP recovery CDs

[Cornish Jack]

Using two different computers - both multi boot XP and 98SE. I have recovery CDs for one (Advent) but not for the other (Packard Bell). Do any of our experts know if the Advent CD will initiate a recovery process on the PB - the OEM process is unavailable on it, as is the inbuilt recovery CD program.????
I could 'suck it and see', but would appreciate any advice from anyone versed in the peculiarities of Redmond's latest confuserware:uhoh:
TIA

[Wing Commander Fowler]

I suspect you'll find them totally incompatible - apart from anything else the recovery CD will contain the wrong drivers......

Richard?

[E-Liam]

Hi Jack.. :oh: :)

Don't know the answer to that.. but!!

Richard..?? (there's an echo) :D

Is this because you've already broken it.. ?:) If not, and you're just preparing for the future, you could make your own recovery disc[s] using Norton Ghost (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006JDOU/026-6017776-1558000).

Just an idea.

Cheers

Liam

[Cornish Jack]

Thank you both - the 'problem' is not immediate, as the pooter in question is working fine, at the moment (touching all the wood within reach) as a dual boot (XP/98). However, the recovery process fails part way through and the built-in function for making the appropriate CDs is no longer accessible. I may well give the Advent proprietary recovery CD a whirl if the need arises, just to get the process going - the drivers are less of a problem, since they should be available separately.
Would still appreciate an opinion from someone who is familiar with the 'nuts and bolts' of the process. :confused:

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Hehe..... RICHARD!!!!! Pay attention boy! :confused:

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Cornish Jack, Wing Commander Fowler, E-Liam,

Sorry all, long day at work. (Lots of students wanting to fly and several 100hrs to crank out.) Did not get a chance to check PPRuNe.

Most Recovery Disks are Mobo/Vid Card/Sound Card/etc. specific.

If the Advent and the Packard Bell have the same chipsets for the Mobo/Vid Card/Sound Card/etc. it has a good chance it could work. If not, then you will just need to use the actual Windows CD.

Take Care,

Richard

P.S. Personally, I prefer just using a Windows CD since you do not get all the Shovelware included on Packard Bell's, Dells, Compaqs, HPs, etc.

[Cornish Jack]

Thank you Richard - points well taken.
What I was really querying was the process used for these 'hidden' recovery partitions. The partition itself shows as W98/FAT32 :confused: :confused: Presumably that makes the initiation easy to start from a W98 type boot disk but I can't find any published details on the process.
As far as I know, PB have given up their abyssmal habit of 'tattooing' their H/Ds so, if all else fails, a return to W98 is perfectly possible.
Thanks again, all.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Cornish Jack,

Most of the Dead End Computer OEMs use the second FAT32 Partition. That way they can save info needed during a Recovery. (Since it is harder to access an NTFS Partition and making it bootable.)

It is always an option to use the Recovery CD, but I prefer to blow out the FAT32 Partition on those drives and make the whole drive 1 NTFS Partition. Then I install WinXP on the whole Drive. (I no longer have any use for Win9X. All the programs I used to use that needed Win9X have been superceded now.) :ok:

Take Care,

Richard

[Cornish Jack]

Thanks again Richard.
Unfortunately, (or, perhaps, fortunately), I have at least £600 worth of good quality peripherals which Redmond's finest doesn't recognise. :yuk:
The other advantages of W98 are familiarity and the ability (generally!) to see much of what's going on. The efforts of the XP brigade to make their product secure (in all senses) serve, in the main, to make life difficult if you want to do anything other than be spoon-fed. Mind you, I still find Dosshell in Dos 5 to be a marvellous bit of software!!!:O :O

[englishal]

Some "hidden" recovery partitions contain an .exe program installed on the hard drive. So you boot from say a Win98 boot floppy (www.bootdisk.com), access the FAT32 partition from the DOS prompt and run the program (normally called RECOVER.EXE or something).

If its NTFS I boot from a READNTFS boot floppy (www.ntfs.com)

EA

[goates]

Some companies tie the recovery CD to their brand of computer. I know Dell does this with all of the software that ships with their computers. The install process checks the BIOS to make sure it is a Dell computer, otherwise it won't let you install anything. I couldn't even install a copy of PowerDVD from a Dell computer on another computer (somebody had decided that they needed the Dell more than the rugby club did...).

goates

[Cornish Jack]

Much appreciated, gentlemen.
Will stalk the quarry using all available cover!!:ok: