How to use the restore application after backing up files.

[TheBiggestO]

Using my son's HP laptop and I got an error screen, basically told me to use recovery and either to back up files or not.  I chose back up files and they are saved onto a flash drive.  Ran diagnostics and got an imminent hard drive failure and got the 24 digit code.  Warranty ran out 2 years ago in December......

So, with the data files backed up onto the flash drive I see that there is a Restore Application in the main folder in the flash drive.   How do I use this app?   Can I just plug into any computer and run the Restore Application?  

[WAWood]

@TheBiggestO 

The Recovery app is intended to be run from the hard drive, not from a flash drive To run it from the hard drive, you press the Esc key repeteadly while rebooting, and when you see the HP Start Menu, you select the Reset option.

The flash drive is most probably NOT going to work.

[TheBiggestO]

Hi,  thank you for your response.

I want to make sure because it looks like we are talking about two different things.    The HP laptop tells me to back up my files before I run the recovery process.  My only option to back up the files was to save them to a flash drive.   I then said yes to the recovery process and that is where it stopped as the hard drive failed.   My flash drive has three folders with one called FB containing 470 mb of back up (pics, music, documents, etc).   In the main folder is the application that I am assuming restores my backed up files to a PC.  

The recovery application failed as the hard drive is dead.   Restore application I am assuming extracts the backed up files and places them onto a PC.

[WAWood]

@TheBiggestO 

We are talking about two different things, you are correct.

The factory restore function uses HP Recovery Media to restore the PC to its original condition, including formatting the drive, recreating all the original paritions, and populating them -- to include: the OS, drivers, and HP utilities. It does nothing with personal data.

The restore function you are talking about is to recover the personal information you saved.  That is done AFTER the completion of the factory reset.

[TheBiggestO]

Hello,  Thanks for the response.   So with the hard drive deader than a doornail what are my options now?  

[WAWood]

@TheBiggestO 

So, there are four issues to address here:
1) Data Recovery
2) Drive replacement
3) Recovery Media
4) System restoration

---------- Data Recovery ----------

Your best bet for recovering data now is to do the following:
1) Remove the hard drive from the PC
2) Purchase a USB-to-Hard Driver adapter kit
3) Download and install this utility on a working PC: http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/recover_data_in_3_steps_with_minitool_power_data_recovery_free_...
4) Connect the old drive to the working PC
5) Run the data recovery utility to see what can be retrieved from the old drive.

If that tools does not find what you need, an alternative is Recuva: http://www.piriform.com/recuva

And, if that does not work well, the best tool out there is this one, but only the trial version is free: http://www.file-recovery.com/

---------- Drive Replacement ----------
The drive will need to be replaced. When you remove it, you will see that it is a 2 1/5 inch laptop SATA drive.

You can replace this with any similar laptop drive of the same capacity or larger.

If the PC is still under the original one-year HP warranty, or if you have purchased an Extended Warranty and that coverage is still in place, you should be able to get the drive replaced by HP at no charge. To explore that option, you would have to contact HP Customer Support.

If you live in the US or Canada, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html#section1

If you live elsewhere, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-contact-us.html

NOTE: After you get through, stay on the line until you are finally able to talk to some one -- it can take a while!

If you have trouble finding a phone number, then try: 1 (800) 474-6836
---------------------------------------

However, HP Customer Support is generally not available on the weekends, so you might have to wait until Monday to contact them.

---------- Recovery Media ----------

Once you have the replacement drive, you will need to use something known as HP Recovery Media to restore your PC to working condition. This is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities. In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update". If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entry and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Service (see contact info above)

If HP no longer provides Recovery Media for your model, another site you can check is: http://www.computersurgeons.com/

---------- System Restoration ----------

While you are waiting for the media to arrive, read through this: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00006110

Good Luck

[TheBiggestO]

Again, thanks for the response.     So here is the deal........ 4 year old $200 HP laptop  and not under warranty.   Really dont want to spend any more money on it.     I already backed up all of the pics, music, and documents onto the flash drive following the instructions from the recovery tool on the laptop.  The recovery tool  as part of the instructions to back up the data transferred the backed up data into the flash drive in a folder called FB. In fact, I accidently backed up the data twice.    There are two other folders  and then the 20 mb Restore Application.  After the recovery tool did this, it then asked me to continue the recovery process where it would reset the laptop to factory settings at which point it gave me the imminent hard drive failure and asked me to run diagnostics which in turn showed the hard drive as failed.      So, the question is......can I run the Restore App so to extract all of those files onto any PC without causing an issue?

[WAWood]

@TheBiggestO 

I'm not personally familiar with the HP restore function that restores personal files because I have learned, the hard way, not to allow on built-in backup/restore apps.

But, if you're talking abo\ut getting files back that you copied to a USB stick, then you would need a working OS in order to insert the USB stick and run the HP Restore app.