Recovery partition is there but recovery won't start

[CherylG]

@grambo99 

You really deserve a break. 😉  "Sometimes" a clean install requires phone activation. Read the guide here on doing it:

http://www.kodyaz.com/articles/how-to-activate-windows-7-by-phone.aspx

[EnglishJim]

Thank you - Thank you

I have spent 1 day searching a searching and I finally found you answer - you are the man 

[hlopez77]

---

@MrCX wrote:

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.

---

AWESOME MrCX !!!! You saved my day!

I spent two days trying to fugure it out how to re-enable the recovery partition and all I did was follow your procedure!  Back to work....

[EnglishJim]

I really appreciate your answer - but i took the easy way and ordered discs from HP

[WeakGooglFu]

THANK YOU!!!!! I was updating my mothers laptop to Windows 10 and it kept getting stuck during the installation so I followed the rules setup by microflaccid and promptly destroyed any way of getting back to original factory settings. That was until you simple yet logical fix resolved my issue! thank you thank you thank you thank you soo sooo sooooooo much! I was just about to fork over 30 bucks for recovery media or 100 bucks for the "free" win 10 upgrade. Jeesh I with HP would just put that on the product page to make the recovery partition active! You are a rock star buddy!

[boobuchi]

Have you tried to download Windows RE? I had a similiar problem where my recovery partition did not work and recovery disks did not write to the main partition. Turns out the UEFI partition was missing and Windows RE restored it. If you go this route it should be a clean install. Use a minimum 8GB flash drive and allow the Windows media creator to do everything for you. Also when it comes time to install pick the option to install Windows only. Afterwards you might have to go to the HP website to download HP specific drivers and HP software. I am assuming you are using Windows 7/8/10 and have a extra computer/laptop to do this.. You shouldn't have to worry about a key for the OS (I didn't much to my pleasant surprise). Let me know if this helps...

[malibu210]

Hello all

I tried this method on an old laptop I had, and yes it got me to the F11 (hp recovery manager) screen I can still not click on the system recovery option, also I can no longer boot to windows as it only boots to the (hp recovery manager) site now. How do I go back to windows?

[malibu210]

My earlier reply was in regards to this

@ Peter_Rob
Right click on "Computer" and then go to "Manage"
In that window go to "Disc Management" in the left column.
Find your HP Recovery Partition and right click on it and mark it as "Active", ignore the warning sign and continue. Close all windows.

Shut the laptop right down and boot up, do not use restart. That should get the recovery process working.
Have the adapter plugged in when doing this.

[CherylG]

@malibu210 You need a bootable cd to boot from and Mark C as Active partition. Something like Aomei disk management software which will let you make a bootable cd.

http://www.aomeitech.com/pa/standard.html

If you prefer not to install a software and create the bootable cd-use this link to download an ISO of a bootable cd from my Onedrive files. Download and Save it, then burn the ISO to a cd.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Av5-H3fB1xA_gid4tzV-YcAFQNfv

[Dharmasish]

No Problem, Turn off the notebook. press the power button allong with F11. Select Troubleshooting. Select Recovery manager.