Can the recovery discs for the HP Media Center m1160n be used on the m7170n?

[WestBest888]

I'm considering buying an m7170 on eBay because my m1160n has had some problems and I want that system to have a backup. It's not obvious whether the recovery discs from one system can be used to 'recover' on another.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You would not be able to use the recovery disks from the 1160 on the 7170.

Recovery disks are designed to work on the specific model they are for.

When you look at the specs between the models, they are so different, I wouldn't even try using them.

If you want a set of recovery disks for the 7170, you can see if HP still has them by following the instructions at the link below.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00810334&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&sw_lang=&product=40...

if HP no longer has them, you can order a set from this vendor.

http://www.computersurgeons.com/productdetails.aspx?ID=2740

Paul

[WestBest888]

One of the reasons I started looking at the various other media center pcs was because the m1160n is not often found on eBay or anywhere. From HP docs, the m7170n has a lot of similar characteristics. Plus, when you look at the 'descriptions' of the recovery disc process, the only things that are mentioned are "these discs contain the software originally mounted on the HP PC and to restore them will restore the system."

Of course, one byte on the recovery disc could foul the use of different system disc usage, and that one byte could be 'security' or HP trying to preserve their market for recovery discs, or it could be related to PC specific hardware issues. Many people have told me that this can be done and I'm almost curious enough to try it, buy the 7170 (May 2005 vs Oct 2004) , create backup discs for the 7170 and then try to 'recover' the 1160 to it.

Personally, I don't think it will work because there are all kinds of factors involved, and it only takes one to stop this kind of recovery.

Anyway, thanks for the input. If I try it out, I'll let you know the results.

TN

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The problem you will face is that the motherboards are entirely different and the BIOS's are entirely different.

There is indeed some kind of file that looks for the BIOS version, model/and or motherboard, and if these don't match what the recovery disk is looking for, it halts and produces an error that states in substance that the PC is not supported by the recovery disks.

Paul

[WestBest888]

Thanks for that information.

Something interesting happened when I used the m1160n recovery discs the third time rrecently (first: a My Book hung the system and I didn't even consider that possibility; the second a mechanical crash of the hard drive): the recovery software did NOT request the second disc. The second disc seemed to have code related to the WinDVD Creator and yet that software was indeed installed.

One thing I know is that a problem exists with my m1160n related to the connectors from power to motherboard: it does a spendid job of mimicking a power supply failure of some kind. I have to assume that when the owners/techs replace the power supply that they are solving the problem with a new and different power side connector, possibly just a pin position problem.

I still may buy the 7179 just to have the media center I/O hardware... and to goof around with the recovery discs.

Thanks again,

TN