bootmgr is missing

[mickey689]

I have ordered recovery discs and try to restore the files to hard drive. The process always stops at 12% seems forever. I unplugged the power and try couples of times. The condition is same as before. How to resolve this problem? Please help.

[axaznguitony27]

happen to me few months ago, sorry you have to get new hard drive even if you fully format it or not it will still mess up... before you go buy new hard drive go to bios and do hard drive test and if you can't get to bios like me few months ago then hard drive is dead....

[HPWastesMyTime]

Not necessarily a defective hard drive. HP/Compaq's so-called 'Recovery Disks' they like to charge you for are DEFECTIVE! They do NOT prepare the hard drive, they do NOT reinstall the OS to a proper and bootable state. I don't know why they keep selling these DEFECTIVE disks? Maybe to frustrate people into buying another laptop? Very bad business that deserves a FTC investigation, IMHO.

[ed_segura]

this just happened to me. my only concern is how much a new hard drive is going to run me because this is my mother in laws laptop and is it just going to be better if i buy a whole new one or just get a new hard drive

[HPWastesMyTime]

ed_segura: Sorry to tell you, but a new hard drive won't fix the problem. The problem is with HP's so-called 'Recovery Disks.' They are defective and will not prepare the hard drive for normal boot operations. What this means is you can buy a new hard drive (maybe yours is okay, but because of the defective disks you will not know), you will pay for a new set of Recovery Disks, which HP is quick to charge for, but doesn't give any way for you to contact them to ask why they won't work (I'm sure they already know), and... then you get to buy a new laptop. So... 1. HP gets money for the original laptop for which you paid for the OS, but they don't provide recovery disks or (gasp) OS disks 2. HP 'Sells' you recovery disks (not free, charges you for something they should have included with the original purchase) that are defective 3. HP gets money for a new laptop because the user assumes it is their laptop's fault, not HP's lack of quality control or give-a-hoot-ness. 4. Alternatively, you can PAY for support to get the *secret* procedures to properly prepare the hard drive when their recovery software fails to (they aren't made properly) HP makes money at least 3 ways by their defects. An now you know why they will *never* fix the problem or change their methods. GREED. HP should be ashamed, but you don't see them on here offering a proper set of recovery disks, or a method to correct their defective recovery procedures.... BTW, I would LOVE to be proved wrong by HP stepping up and outline a correction procedure or providing a downloadable, boot image to repair bootmgr.

[mickey689]

I got my laptop fixed as I bought a new hard drive. Great thanks buddies.

[axaznguitony27]

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HPWastesMyTime wrote:
ed_segura: Sorry to tell you, but a new hard drive won't fix the problem. The problem is with HP's so-called 'Recovery Disks.' They are defective and will not prepare the hard drive for normal boot operations. What this means is you can buy a new hard drive (maybe yours is okay, but because of the defective disks you will not know), you will pay for a new set of Recovery Disks, which HP is quick to charge for, but doesn't give any way for you to contact them to ask why they won't work (I'm sure they already know), and... then you get to buy a new laptop. So... 1. HP gets money for the original laptop for which you paid for the OS, but they don't provide recovery disks or (gasp) OS disks 2. HP 'Sells' you recovery disks (not free, charges you for something they should have included with the original purchase) that are defective 3. HP gets money for a new laptop because the user assumes it is their laptop's fault, not HP's lack of quality control or give-a-hoot-ness. 4. Alternatively, you can PAY for support to get the *secret* procedures to properly prepare the hard drive when their recovery software fails to (they aren't made properly) HP makes money at least 3 ways by their defects. An now you know why they will *never* fix the problem or change their methods. GREED. HP should be ashamed, but you don't see them on here offering a proper set of recovery disks, or a method to correct their defective recovery procedures.... BTW, I would LOVE to be proved wrong by HP stepping up and outline a correction procedure or providing a downloadable, boot image to repair bootmgr.

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yep when mine has the missing bootmgr, restore will not work so I had to buy new hard drive... I hope this new hard drive I've been using doesn't mess up... I should get my restore discs free April 20th free since I'm stilll in warrenty and this my 3rd disc since my discs keep messing up due to my part for lossing the 2nd disc and the 2nd time they sent to me is missing the 3rd disc anyway which is the drivers.

[samuelsemmens]

Does this problem also go for the  F11 recovery from the hard disk? Thank you

[axaznguitony27]

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samuelsemmens wrote:

Does this problem also go for the  F11 recovery from the hard disk? Thank you

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yes and when using the disc sometimes it doesn't boot bc of the hard drive just freezes up on the compaq logo then i have to manually force it to power off and takes 20 tries to make the disc boot but when it does it takes long time 5 to 8 hrs to reformat and restore everything on the disc and at the end sometimes it shows that the files can't be saved then I had to reformat and restore everything again and when it finally worked... it worked sometimes then it freezes up again... so i bought new hard drive and it works fine... though i do think the restore disc is faulty because ever since i got the restore discs the short cut keys is mess up when i never press the fn button in the first place and the wifi turns off on it's own sometimes and the mouse pad thingy that locks up the mouse pad feature even when it's idisable ... this never happen to the old hard drive before.

[HPWastesMyTime]

So, I quite easily determined the second disk of the set is defective. The hours wasted on that were the easy part. I spent MORE THAN 2 HOURS (!!!) on the phone with various levels of "idiots" at HP. I kid you not. Call after call, number after number, "rep" after "rep", supervisor who refuse to speak with customers, support departments who do not even know who their Customer Support Exec is (Cliff Wager is VP of Customer Service in the PSG). There isn't any number or email or other way to contact Customer Support or Cliff- or anyone else in customer relations at HP. Todd Bradly is Exec VP of PSG. There is also no way externally or internally (via HP personnel) to reach him. It was easier to reach the Board of Directors than anyone in customer service (!) It appears there is no one at the helm at HP. At least not in customer service or technical support. In a customer-direct world where a customer can get immediate online support, chat, downloads, etc, it is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE to get such a runaround and lack of service. The next "Great" force in the computer business is going to be the one who services the customer. Prices are not enough to attract and keep customers. Supply is no longer the driving factor (now that "Joe the Plumber" uses computers instead of just geeks). Service will determine the next evolution of technology giants. Unless things change drastically within the hierarchy at HP to become customer centric, I don't think HP will be on that list. - JC