Recovery Manager is failing to read backup files from disc

[radtechjames]

Product Name:

HP G56-129WM

Operating System:

Windows 7

I used the HP Recovery Manager (F11) to backup my files instead of using the Windows backup. The HP Recovery Manager back uped my files on 2 dvd discs. I then restored my laptop to factory settings. When I go to restore my files, it will only go to 40% and then ask me to insert backup DISC 2. When I insert the disc, it fails to read it. The disc pops out and I keep getting a request to insert DISC 2. What is going on?

[Mumbodog]

Copy the wim files off of the dvd's to a folder you make on the C drive, then use 7-zip to extract the files out of the wim files.

http://www.7-zip.org/

How to once 7-Zip is installed

http://www.verboon.info/index.php/2009/05/browse-and-extract-files-from-a-wim-file-using-7-zip/

[radtechjames]

I have extracted the files with 7-zip, some I can easily view, others I cannot. Some are listed as XML documents, etc. How do I restore these files/

[Mumbodog · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately all HP backup does is grab files you specify and a bunch of others you really don't need, why I don't know, also HP backup does not restore the files to the original locations, when restore.exe works properly (did not in your case) it just dumps them into a folder for you to browse through, not much different than using 7-zip to unpack them.

You have to decide what is important to you and copy them to where you want them, its not a very good backup program unfortunately, it just saves your files so HP recovery does not delete them.

[Jackx]

I have a related but different issue with file back-up using HP recovery manager.

I have a Pavilion g7-1070us laptop that failed to start and simply displays a blue-screen with a blinking cursor (no error message). I could NOT get into safe-mode by hitting F8, but was able to activate the “HP recovery manager” by hitting F11. I was trying to back-up my files before triggering the system restore. It asked me what types of files to back-up, then scanned the computer for these files and was finalizing the files for back-up; then suddenly an error message showed up saying something like "No storage device detected. Make sure the removable disc drive is connected to computer". But I have both a DVD sitting in the optical drive and a USB drive attached!!!!!! Apparently the recovery manager doesn’t see them?

Can someone throw me a life-saver here? If I cannot recover my files, I cannot proceed with the system restore and I am forever stuck here!!!!!!

Please help!!!! Much appreciated!!

[GKCPA]

This was my experience with the HP recovery manager backup program:

After my system wouldn't boot, I ran the HP recovery program. I selected all the file categories listed: documents, videos, photos, e-mail, etc. The backup completed successfully. Then, after reformatting my system's HD and re-installing Windows, I noticed that not all of my files were restored. For example, html files were restored but not my e-mail files. Both were originally in the same folder. You may imagine how much grief it caused me to have lost those files.

The HP backup program offers no way to specify which files you want to back up. Nor does it give you a way to verify the backup. It's a crude program and I'm sorry I relied on it to protect my data.