Factory _Image [D] drive.

[TheBairn]

My HP Presario CQ5115uk computer Factory_Image saved on the [D] drive has become corrupted through unknown reason. Can files be removed safely? as I have files saved on the HP Factory Setting disk set (3) or is it essential that files are complete on the D drive? At present due to corrupted [D] drive, I am unable to make a new Backup or Restore computer to an earlier install. Any assistance to rectify fault successfully, will be most appreciated.

[Hanspuppa]

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TheBairn wrote: My HP Presario CQ5115uk computer Factory_Image saved on the [D] drive has become corrupted through unknown reason. Can files be removed safely? as I have files saved on the HP Factory Setting disk set (3) or is it essential that files are complete on the D drive? At present due to corrupted [D] drive, I am unable to make a new Backup or Restore computer to an earlier install. Any assistance to rectify fault successfully, will be most appreciated.

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Hello TheBairn, If you can use the HP Recovery Restore Disk set, these would recreate the D: Recovery partition in the process of the HP Recovery Restore procedure.

You will loose all the data that has been added since your last restore process. If you can backup any data before you perform the HP Recovery, I would suggest that you do this first.

[TheBairn]

Thank you for your prompt reply. Using the recovery disks, means all programs and files added will be deleted and require a full reinstalling of all programs? As the present Factory_settings are corrupt, can this be erased completely without having to to reinstall all files at present installed in the C drive. Finally, will it be possible to Backup or restore as normal procedure without being notified that Backup was not carried out?

[Hanspuppa]

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TheBairn wrote: Thank you for your prompt reply. Using the recovery disks, means all programs and files added will be deleted and require a full reinstalling of all programs? As the present Factory_settings are corrupt, can this be erased completely without having to to reinstall all files at present installed in the C drive. Finally, will it be possible to Backup or restore as normal procedure without being notified that Backup was not carried out?

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Hello TheBairn, You are correct that if you used the HP Recovery Restore Disk set, all the data on the hard drive would be wiped from the hard drive as well as the D: Factory partition. Then the new C: and D: partitions would be created and the software installed to the hard drive. You would be required to reinstall all the applications and other data that you had on the system and have good valid backups for.

You can delete the D: partition and recover that partition capacity. Usually this D: partition is only between 10-15 GBs, depending on the software that was shipped with the system. You can go to the Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management, and select the D: partition and then select to delete this partition. Once the D: partition has been deleted, you can then select the C: partition and select to expand the volume to the maximum size, and it will be expanded to include the capacity of the previous D: partition.

I'm not quite sure what you mean in the last sentence, about the Backup restore as normal procedure.

[TheBairn]

On deleting the contents of the D drive, will backups return to normal, as the last backup referred to many files stored in the D drive. Requests given where Copy or copy two files and not delete either copies. At my last backup, this happened and checking D drive found entries dated for that date of backup. Information shown in D drive are as follows:

1-1-2012  BP_TO_DASH.  CPC_DASH.   Maestro.

23-11-2011 Recovery (file folder).

31-12-2011  SystemRcovery (file folder).

31-12-2011  Tools (file folder).

20-05-2009  FlexBuild2  (document).

20-05-2009  FlexBuild (document).

7-01-2011  UUTPnpID(2)  (Document).

7-01-2011  UUTPnpID  (document).

I will not erase contents of D drive until I hear from you for further advice. Many thanks. 

[Hanspuppa]

Hello TheBairn, I'm not sure what you are referring to as Backup. You should not be using the D: partition for anything other than to perform a HP Recovery Restore. No other files should be placed in the D: partition.

If there have been, this may be the cause of the D: partition being corrupted. I am not familiar with the files within the D: partition, so I cannot advise which files should be there.

If you have any doubt about these files, I would just leave the D: partition as it is.

Here  is a link that has some more information on the HP D: Recovery partition.

[TheBairn]

I entirely agree with what you say. On the 1-01-2012 I made or tried too backup the files as a normal regular Backup. It said several files could not be saved but to copy them and the D drive was mentioned, certainly you can see two folders have indeed been added to  the D drive. I have computer since 2009, and this is the first time this error has arisen, it certainly points out that corruption is possible. As things are, no normal Backups can be carried out, computer now much slower in loading at bootup and close down in some cases takes several minutes to carry out. Only new hardware installed was a 7 USB hub to computers USB port, it has an internal power supply that saves the USB internal power supply.. I certainly have a problem, not being able to backup computer, as a protection against computer becoming not functioning properly as at present. 

[Hanspuppa]

Hello TheBairn, I would suggest not using the HP or the Microsoft backup utilities. I have read here, where too many Members have had backup failures when using both of these backup utilities.

I would suggest  either burning the data files that you will need later to a DVD disk or copy the files or data to an external, or internal hard drive.

I prefer making a hard drive image for backup purposes. I use Acronis True Image , but there are others that work just as well. You would need another destination drive to store the hard drive image on. I use an internal hard drive, since this is much faster than an external hard drive.

The one issue with this approach is that you do need to make new hard drive images often, depending on the amount and importance of any system updates, such as Windows Updates and other changes.

I can make a hard drive image in less than 15 minutes and restore the same image in 15 minutes. Others times may vary, depending on the speed of the system.

I always keep at least two hard drive images on the second internal hard drive, just as a redundant backup. When I make a new hard drive mage, I then delete the older one.

From your description, it does appear it may be time to perform a HP Recovery Restore for your system.

Just some thoughts.

[TheBairn]

Thank you again for time taken to answer my present error.  I have never used the HP backup facility and only have relied on the Microsoft facility in Windows 7.  Being a senior, senior computer user, I now find it much harder to keep up with new software, as I have noticed by others comments, what the software package it says can be achieved is not strictly true.  Two months ago, it was required for a complete restore taking me over eight hours to complete.  I will certainly look into buying a new backup system, as already mentioned the present system is not working properly.  The HP factory settings on the D drive is apparently useless in its current form in the D drive and I rely on the facility saved on HP three CDs. Perhaps, the information on the D drive has become corrupt, causing the error generated and be best erased from my internal hard drive, that I am not sure is the correct move to take. 

[Hanspuppa]

Hello TheBarin, If you have the HP Recovery Restore Disk set, and they are valid and working, you may want to copy and paste your data to an external hard drive, and then use these HP Recovery Restore Disk to restore the system. This would recreate the D: partition as well.

I have never used the Windows backup utility since i have heard so many members post of issues when they used it for their backups.

If you can manage to get the system working properly, I would then consider using a hard drive image program to use for backup purposes. You could save the hard drive image on the external hard drive.

You should only make a hard drive image when the system is working properly, or your hard drive image would also be corrupted, and not useful for a hard drive image restore.