Unable to access Recovery Manager created USB drive of valuable documents

[Mattag]

The HDD in my X360 developed a fault, apparently in the root because Win 10 couldn't start, I couldn't access the recovery partition, and a fresh install of Win 10 crashed 3 times on the first restart during windows install. I was able to save my files (documents) to a USB flash drive using the Recovery Manager from the BIOS before giving up on the disk and replacing it.  I have 31GBs of documents, photos, and music on a USB flash drive.  It is labeled "Backup (date)". It contains 2 folders; FBData and Language, several .dll's, and an .exe "Recover". FBData contains several .swm files (209). By their sizes, they are definitely my documents. Windows is unable to open the 'Recovery' .exe on the flash drive.  I downloaded HP Recovery Manager (sp45602.exe) hoping it would be able to open the drive.  When I run the install, it seems to work but after it completes I cant find it.  It's not in programs or recent apps and a windows search of the drive doesn't  find it either.

[Mattag]

Maybe a little unclear.  I installed Win 10 downloaded from MS on a new hard drive which solved the starting issue.  I just want to recover the documents saved on the flash drive by HP Recovery Manager. Since the OS is from MS, I don't have any of the HP recovery software on the new drive. The image files on the flash drive are documents only. I've installed Recovery Manager sp45602 on 2 different Win 10 systems. On each, it just disappears once the install completes. 

Does it need to be run from a command line somehow? Is there another application(s) needed to run/install it?

Thanks in advance for your time.

[PiterGeek]

Hi @Mattag,

The Recovery Manager download will only work if you have the original recovery partition. Anyone who has formatted that partition OR had to replace hard drive will need Recovery Media from HP if none was made using the software on the laptop.

Check out @CherylG answer to the same question before.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/HP-Recovery-Manager-is-missing/...

[Mattag]

THANKS Pitergeek!.  Can I use an identical X360 (I have 3) that still has the restore data to extract the .swm documents to their original formats?  If so, will it write them to docs, pictures, music, etc or can I specify a location?

x

[PiterGeek]

Hi @Mattag, 

HP Recovery Manager allows you to recover files or folders from a backup archive stored on disc, network or other media. Since you have used HP Recovery Manager to backup the files on a flash drive, I think you can use the same program to restore those files.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03460836

Please note that the restore process can take between 20 and 40 minutes to start. Please do not close the Recovery Manager File Restore Program after starting the restore process.

Follow the wizard, a message will be showing the location where the files will be restored. A shortcut to this file location can also be created on the Windows desktop.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01558243

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01673043#AbT0

If the standard procedure of locating the program launcher is not working, then you can manually extract the files using 7-zip.

Do keep me updated, thank you!

[Mattag]

Thanks again Pitergeek.  I can't try it until another of the X360's is returned Friday afternoon. I'll let you know.

7Zip seems to extract the .swm but it hangs at 100% for a few seconds then displays "access is denied".  That was actually the first thing I tried.  There is a complicated command line tool to convert .swm to .wim, which is supposedly an easier format to decompress.  I'll save that for last.  It's been a lot of years since my DOS days.

Thanks

[PiterGeek]

OK, we'll be seeing how's it going with recovering on another device, thank you!

[Mattag]

So I have Recovery Manager open and running on an identical X360.  But the only restore option I have is "Drivers and/or applications". How do I access the contents of my Recovery Manager created flash drive with my files and settings on it?

[PiterGeek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mattag, thanks for keeping me updated, make sure follow the restoring steps in the post https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04688331, and see if it works. 

If not, please also check out a neowin forum thread and check out if any of them helps,

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1349888-restore-factory-windows-10-image-swm-files/

Hopefully you will manage to recover them with only a little bit of work.

[Mattag]

Thanks for all your help.  The trick was to transfer the image from the flash drive to the hard drive. It apparently can't run from removable media.  And the restore partition/data isn't necessary.  The 'restore.exe' is a stand alone application.  Unfortunately there is a problem somewhere in my saved image and the restore always fails at 54%.  BUT the documents, logs, and data we really needed were in the first documents restored.  So the irreplaceable stuff is back.

Thanks again Pitergeek.