Recovery partition is there but recovery won't start

[Sholey2Nice]

Hey peter My recover file dont show as before now it shows like and ordanary file and now i cant recover can you help me?

[Dunidar]

Sholey2Nice

If you could please post your product number for your computer. I am linking a document below that will show you how to find your product number. With the product number we can provide you with accurate information. As well if you could indicate which operating system you have and whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit.

How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?
http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00033108

Please feel free to re-post once you have the required information.

[richboy81]

So there isn't a simple solutions for this problem?

[Mrstenter]

HI Richboy81,

I would be happy to assist you but I will need the Model of Computer and the Current operating system. I will provide links for Windows Restore this might help.

Windows 8 System Restore.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03327545

Windows 7 System Restore

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01835735

Hope this helps.

Thanks

[richboy81]

The model number is G72-C55DX. The OS I was running was Windows 7 Home. The recovery partition is still on the HDD but since formatting the OS partition I can't access it.

[Mrstenter]

Hi Richboy81,

Use the information in the following sections to modify the BIOS settings for the computer. The Boot menu contains the following items gives power on options make sure it boots to the right hard drive.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/bph07110

Thanks

[Anuthi]

I need urgent help pls.. I got a virus attack and my laptop (Pavilion g4) got messed up. I dont have recovery disks and the recovery options promts it cnt find files in the recovery partition.. but device manager shows data and the partition is healthy but activate option on the recover partition is not available. Can some one pls help me recover my laptop (windows 😎 😞

[CherylG]

@Anuthi 

If you have not created your Recovery Media, contact HP Support in your country /region to order.Worldwide contact info is here >>Contact HP

[Anuthi]

I am unable to connect to support personnel! 😞
Any tips to access the recovery partition.. maybe using BIOS setup?

[MrCX]

Building on the information presented on this topic, I tried something else and it also worked for me. In my case there were 4 partitions on the disk, but someone had incorrectly installed the wrong version of windows on the main operating system partition, thereby losing the F11 restore partition key functionality.

The main idea is to just make the RECOVERY (in my case the 2nd largest partition) ACTIVE. You could do this in many ways:

1) Disk management if you can still boot to Windows.

2) Take the hard drive out and hook it up to a working computer and then go to DIsk Management and make the Recovery partition the Active Partition.

3) What I did: Since I had a Windows 7 disk (You can download a legal ISO to create this online) I did this:

---Booted with the Windows 7 DIsk

---REPAIR

---Advanced Options

---Command Prompt

---Type DISKPART

---Type LIST DISK

---(usually one drive here, so..)

---Type SELECT DISK 0

---(That is a zero not a letter O)

---Type LIST PARTITION

---Select PARTITION 3

---(Since mine had 4 partitions and partition 3 was the 2nd largest and the RECOVERY partition)

---Type ACTIVE

---Type Exit

---Exit and Restart computer

From there it booted automatically into the recovery partition (I was using a Compaq CQ61)

I choose the option for complete recovery which wipes out the old operating system completely.

After a long restore process, it was like a brand new computer again AND F11 worked again too, and I didn't need the WIndows 7 product key which was totally UNREADABLE due to the terrible idea of not laminating the COA like older versions of the COA had.