Won't Boot After System Recovery, (and I'm out of ideas) [ Edited ]

[UberGoober]

Ok here's the deal.  I've got a HP Pavilion Slimline s3100n Desktop PC that's about a year old.  The HDD went bad recently, so I replaced it with a new  Seagate Barracuda 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 500GB, (SATA, 7200RPM, 3 Gb/s, Model ST3500641AS-RK).  The recovery disks I made didn't work, so I ordered a new set from HP.

When I try to boot via the new HP disks, I can make it all the way to the screen titled "Factory Image Recovery" (Disk 2-2 in the bay)  Reinstalling Original Content is checked off, yet it hangs up at 1%....forever.  I let go overnight.  I have performed the process several times now with the same results.

Since purchasing the new HDD I have read here that there may be a problems with larger replacement drives. It's beyone me why this would cause a problem, but aparently it does.

Now, anybody know where to go from here?  (without buying another, smaller HDD).

Thanks in advance for the help!

Message Edited by UberGoober on 01-20-2009 08:46 PM

[1badGuard]

Use the tools on the cd provided from SeaGate. Reboot with the disc in the drive and follow the instructions.There should be some program explaining how to get the 500GB to work. If no luck,it's downgrade time. Maybe 320- 400GB

[UberGoober]

Thanks for the reply, but your suggestion didn't work.  The computer won't boot with the Seagate disk, I just get a flashing cursor on a black screen.  As far as the downgrade... I'm reluctant to spend more money on this machine, especially when the extra $$ won't guarantee a fix.

Since this is such a well documented HP software bug, I was hoping someone had found a workaround by now.  (Buying a set of the latest recovery disks directly from HP is not the solution that was even more $).  

I'd hate to buy a new copy of Windows since I already have a valid and paid for license that came with the computer, It's just that HP's firmware won't let me access it.   Is it possible that a set of recovery disks for a different machine would work?

[1badGuard]

No the other discs wont work.If you can't get those discs to work,what makes you think the others would?

What i was trying to say is,Open the cd/rom and place the disc in it.Then reboot the pc.If it does not read the disc then it could be the PC is not set to boot to the cd/rom drive.

[UberGoober]

>>"No the other discs wont work.If you can't get those discs to work,what makes you think the others would?"

Well, here's what makes me think that.  I was hoping, perhaps too optimistically, that a newer version of HP's recovery software would account for a larger HD.  Sounds reasonable dosen't it?

The computer is indeed set up to boot from the CD drive, it won't bot from the Seagate disk as you suggested.

Message Edited by UberGoober on 01-20-2009 08:48 PM

[1badGuard]

I have a hard time trying to figure out why it wont work.I have an S7700N slimline and I just installed a 750GB HDD.

But I had a chance to install  this update. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=pv-52856-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&...

And this one also

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=pv-58376-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&...

[Gormley]

I had a very similar problem:

BIOS recognized the drive just fine and Seagate utilities reported that everything was right with the drive. Not wanting to admit that there might be an issue with their restore software, HP tech support concluded that the drive was too large for the system (1TB drive on a 1.5 year old system, so I thought: 'hmmm... really').

Here's what worked: I obtained a copy of a Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade DVD and let it install with all of the default settings. Although the DVD was for the upgrade version, it installed just fine on the blank drive. I used the key code printed on the sticker on the side of the machine, which is for Vista Home Premium.

The OS installed as Vista Home Premium without a problem, although I ended up activating Windows by phone when the automated internet activation failed.

[LaserGuy]

Ok just a though if the recovery CD are like a ghost disk then it is expecting everything to be factory so that being said do you remember the size of HDD that you had if so partition your drive one being the same size as the manu HDD size and the remainer into an etended parttion and use it for saving stuff or backup or whateever perhaps you can trick the disk this way. Good luck

[DaveJ]

Hopefully you have been able to solve this as it is a while now since you posted the question.  If you are still trying, try the following:

Your s3100n came with a 250GB Hard Drive.  Why not start by partitioning that new 500GB into two 250GB partitions and format only the first so that when it starts it sees something more similar to what it expects.  You may be able to change the partition sizes after you are set up if you really need to.