Recovery Disk/USB Drive won't install OS

[Wristan]

Greetings,

I'm new to posting to the HP forums, but I'm at my wits end with dad's Dv7-7000. I'm trying to help him restore the OS on a new HDD so we can sell the laptop with a clean slate. My issue is the recovery disks get to the end and then error completely. I've tried every possible solution to make the disks work, but found overall that the disk are unrelible. So I went looking for an alternate solution and found a USB drive from HP and purchased it in hopes it'll work better. 

I put the drive in and it runs, it formates the drive, copies files, but then I get, "Windows cannot find 'F:\System.sav\Util\RStone.exe", but it lets me finish. Now If I leave the USB in once complete it'll just want to repeat step one, reformate drive and reload files over and over in an endless loop. If I remove the drive all I get is, "Missing MBR" which checking the file on a different machine shows nothing got copied. 

Only conclusion I can come up with is even though it's booting from the USB drive when it's trying to copy files to the write protected recovery usb drive. It doesn't even give me an option with the recovery drive where it's trying to offshore these files to. My dad spent 50$ on a recovery USB drive that doesn't work as it should. I'm so disappointed in HP for having lousy software recovery tools. N

Now I've used a normal windows 7 dvd to try and install teh OS on the HDD and it works up until the point I install all windows updates, then it's so slow it's not even usable. Taking the same HDD and Installing the OS on a different laptop everything works fine, but if I try to move the HDD over to the HP it will just BSOD. Move it back to the computer it was installed on fine, tried a different laptop and it didn't have a problem with it. Put it back in the HP Dv7 and nope, BSOD. 

So I'm at a lost, it's like there's some sort of protection on HP laptops that will only allow a very spacific OS from HP themselves to be installed on there machines. So, I took it with my dad down to a computer place in our town and they looked at it and were able to put an OS on it. I asked the people who work there, "What did you do to make it work?" They came back with a very non-helpful awnser, "We have special IT HP software." WTH does that mean? 

You're saying despite my dad buying a recovery usb drive for 50$ to install the default OS onto the Dv7, I can't, but some repair shop get "Special" software that allows them to do so. That seems really shady if you ask me, it's like HP made a deal with repair places that they're the only ones capable to being able to reinstall the base OS. What good is recovery software if you can't use it. 

Now I know what you're probably saying, "Use the recovery partiation on the HDD" and I'd say, "That would work, if it wasn't for the fact this is a blank new drive." The original drive crapped out and is why we've been trying to use the recovery software. Anyone who has a HP needs the recovery software to do its job incase something like this happens. Otherwise your stuck sending the out of warranty laptop back to HP or taking to a repair shop and giving them more money when you've already spent money on a recovery drive. 

Calling HP is useless, they want to charge you money to talk to a tech if your PC/Laptop is no longer covered. **bleep**, I've never seen such a greedy company when it comes to want to ask basic question for problems like this. I've bought laptop from IBUYPOWER and Xotic and they give LIFETIME TECH SUPPORT WARRANTIES! HP should do the same if you've bought a laptop from them, Tech support should be for the life of the machine, not just the baseline warranty of 3 year. If they do, then why is my dad asked to pay 90$ for tech support from HP anytime he needs basic help. I checked the number to make sure he dialed the correct number and isn't getting a scam line.

It's the correct number double checked through the website. If anyone has had the same issues or knows what is going on I would appriate the help. I not computer illiterate, I know how to troubleshoot issues, seach for help through forums and such. I just can't find anyone whose had an issue like this, it's like this laptop doesn't want to be used anymore. If anyone who knows the Angry Video Game Nerd, it's like he said in his Atari Jaguar cd review, "It's like it become sentiant and doesn't want to be reviewed.", but in my case it doesn't want to be used.

I have steared my dad away from buying another HP and he went with MSI and is very happy with it. Minor issues pop up, but I have been able to fix them all. This whole situation just makes me want to smash the Dv7 with a sledge hammer and call it a day. Though of course I'd remove the ram and HDD first, but everything else can burn. It's really a shame since the screen is fine, if I could take this laptop apart and find a different motherboard that'll fit the case of the laptop I would do so, but beyond putting in HDD and Ram that's about my technotical knowhow it disasembling laptops.

[CherylG]

Unfortunately, this issue with Windows 7 Recovery has been around for awhile. The only working option appears to be installing plain Windows 7.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/quot-Windows-cannot-find-F-Syst...

1-call HP and tell them you need Support on a newly purchased Recovery USB-which should be under warranty. Then ask for a refund.

2-did the shop get it working or no?

[Wristan]

Yeah, the computer shop was able to install a copy, but it still leave the system without a recovery drive in-case something like the HDD does fail. I'm not going to sell the laptop unless I can guarantee the person I'm selling it to has the means to reinstall. 

As for using the Plain windows 7 disk, I did and it's a mess after winodws finishes updating. It sooooo slow, It runs fine before the updates, but once they're done the system doesn't work well. Just bringing up  Explore in windows take a whole minute just to load and opening a folder is about the same. Also let's go back to the updates, I have to keep forcing the updates to take with the Plain Window 7 disk version. It can't do the whole 200+ updates otherwise it just stalls out, so I'm stuck doing it 5-6 updates at a time.

So I could just be mean and drop kick this problem by putting the HDD that the computer shop did for us back in the system, but as I said, "I'm not going to sell the laptop unless I can guarantee the person I'm selling it to has the means to reinstall." People already have enough issues in their life without having to buy a laptop used and not have any software to fall back on. 

As for HP tech support over the phone, anytime we call they want $90+ just so we can talk to Tech support. Why should I have to pay to talk to tech support this should be a normal service regardless if the product is under warranty or not. Which is why I gave up on any support from HP Tech support and having to relay on someone in the forums with hopes that they have the anwsers. Also the USB isn't newly Purchased, I've had it for a few month and just haven't had time to help my dad with this laptop project, which has turned into a nightmare. 

Anyway, after Fry's tells me wither or not if there's any hardware issues on the Motherboard or not, I'll dive back in a try my luck one more time. Otherwise, forget this laptop, I'll salvage the ram and HDD for spare parts and move on with my life. I will never recommend HP to anyone after my experince with them. It shouldn't be that difficult to make recovery software. Other brands and companies have done so. 

I own an Asus G53JW-A1 and it's recovery software has never, every, had any issues. So HP need to work out the kinks in this Windows 7 Recovery Disk/Drive. They should know that people may have older Laptops that they may want to repurpose them, so they can sell or pass it on to someone. 

[CherylG]

Some other longtime members and I have discussed this failure quite a bit. We have even brought the issue to attention of Admins and Moderators here. The closest thing I have been told to what may actually be causing the error is Recovery not finding the info in BIOS that it requires to complete the recovery. Check your BIOS and see if any system info appears to be missing-such as OS installed, Model number, etc. In that scenario -HP should fix it outside of warranty from what I am told. How close to reality that is I have never determined.

As to selling the laptop with/without backup software you could always use an Imaging software to create a backup image of the machine that could be used to reinstall the OS and all software/drivers as it is now. Acronis True Image is one of the better known (not free) but Macrium Reflect, Aomei offer excellent free versions. You create the Image and a boot cd to boot a non-booting machine.

http://www.backup-utility.com/features/create-system-image.html

Aomei even offers a version that replicates OEM recovery from the hdd by tapping the key at start up:

http://www.backup-utility.com/onekey-recovery.html

[Wristan]

Yeah, I could do that, but it feels as though HP gets off the hook. It good to know the matter is brought up, but it seems like the Admins and Moderators just don't care. I've checked the Bios(reset it to default) and went as far as grabbing the Bios update, but still no luck. I read quite of few other forums with people having such trouble with recovery. People saying things like, "Don't use the recovery disk/usb, use the recovery Partition." 

That again may work under the pretense that the drive is still fine and dandy, but again nothing last forever. At the moment I can't look at the Laptop, it's currently at Fry's Electronics being diagnosed for hardware related issues. I will look into matter once I have it back, but until then there's nothing more I can do, but ask questions.

Here's a question, Do Repair shops have special software from HP to get get around issues like this? If so, why is that recovery software being used over the retail version that doesn't work. I mean if HP has a working recovery software, but it's only for IT that Kind of messed up to the customers. I tried to get details about this software, but the repair shop guy wouldn't tell me anything about it. Really I think there's  working recovery software for windows 7, but HP wants people to spend more money then what's truely needed.

Well seeing as there's not much more you can help me with other then having to create an ISO, which still urks me, I'll let this be my last message about this matter.