PrintThis document pertains to all HP Omnibook models and the following series HP Pavilion Notebook PCs:
| ze1000 through ze5200 series notebook PCs | xt100 through xt500 series notebook PCs |
| n3000 through n6000 series notebook PCs | xt4300 through xt 53000 series notebook PCs |
| All xf, xh, xu, xz and zu series notebook PCs |
| Prior to 2006, several different tools and processes have been provided for recovering HP and Compaq Notebook PCs to their original operating condition Performing a recovery removes all software and files saved to the hard drive, reinstalls the original operating system, and then performs an initial setup of the original programs Overview Of Recovering Or Reinstalling The Operating System . |
| See
FAQ On Repairing Or Reinstalling The Operating System
for answers to frequently asked questions. See HP PCs - Looking for Recovery Discs? for replacement media. |
The Recovery CD can be used to recover the original software that was built for the notebook PC. The Recovery CD also provides Windows drivers that are specific to the notebook to configure a custom system.
Drivers can be found in the following locations:
- On the notebook’s hard drive under C:\hp\Drivers.
- On the Recovery CD under \hp\Drivers.
- On the HP Software & Driver downloads page.
For information about how to locate and download updated HP drivers, go to
HP Notebook PCs - Locating HP Software, Drivers, and BIOS Updates
.
Recovering the factory installation of the hard disk
Use the Recovery CD
to reinstall the original factory software on the notebook's hard disk drive. You can also use the same process to create a larger utility partition on the hard disk, or to create a utility partition on a new hard disk drive. The hidden utility partition contains the HP e-Diagtools diagnostic tests.
CAUTION:The following procedure formats the notebook’s hard disk drive and erases all of the data on the disk. After the hard disk drive is formatted, reinstall the applications. Do not interrupt the following process or unplug the AC adapter until the process is complete.
- Back up all data from the hard disk. The following steps delete all of the data from the disk.
- Plug in the AC adapter.
- Insert the Recovery CD or DVD in the CD-ROM or DVD drive. To open the drive when the notebook is turned off, insert a straightened paper clip into the hole on the front of the drive.
- Turn on or restart the notebook. If the notebook is running, click Start , Shut Down (or Turn Off Notebook ), then click Restart .
- Press ESC when the HP logo appears.
- Select the CD or DVD drive as the boot device.
- When the Recovery CD dialog box appears, follow the displayed instructions.
- To perform a standard recovery, press 2, 1, 1 . If prompted, accept the recommended partition size. When installing the factory software, the recovery process can take 15 to 45 minutes.
- To create the utility partition without installing the factory software, click Advanced and select the option not to install the operating system.
- If the hard disk drive is partitioned into several drives, install the factory software on the C drive without affecting other drives. Click Advanced and select to restore only the C drive partition.
- When prompted to reboot the notebook, press CTRL + ALT + DELETE and follow the on-screen instructions.
Updating Windows drivers
From time to time, HP releases updated versions of the drivers for the notebook. The purpose of these updates is to fix any problems that you may encountered in the drivers, and to keep the notebook running smoothly. In addition, HP normally provides drivers for other versions of Microsoft Windows, in case it is necessary to install a different version of Windows.
Download the latest drivers for the notebook from the HP
Software & Driver downloads
page. Follow the instructions that were included with the drivers.
