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Recover Windows XP Operating System On Mini Notebook Using HP Recovery

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This document covers how to recover an HP Mini Notebook PC originally configured with Windows XP Operating System.
For notebooks originally configured with the Windows 7 operating system, see Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 7) .

For non-mini notebooks originally configured with XP or any other operating system, to verify that you are using the proper recovery procedure, see 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.
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The Mini Notebook PCs are not configured with optical disc drives. To recover or repair the operating system from a recovery Operating System Disc (OSD), you must use an external USB DVD drive. HP recommends that an external DVD-R/W drive be installed that allows you to perform backups to writable DVD-R/W discs.
An XP recovery operating system disc shipped with some mini notebooks models with XP. For models shipped with a Roxio recovery utility, see HP Mini Notebook PCs - Backup and Recovery using Roxio BackOn Track
To use an external USB disc drive, it is recommended that you use a drive that conforms to USB 2.0 or later.
  • Plug in the USB cable into one of the USB ports on the notebook.
  • To plug in and power up your external USB drive, see the documentation that came with your USB disc drive.
To perform backups of your system in Windows XP Professional, you should use the built-in Backup utility that allows you to make copies of files and settings. You can also use the utility to back up specific files on a schedule that you choose.
To start using the Backup utility:
  1. Click Start , All Programs , Accessories , and then System Tools .
  2. Click Backup .
If you've never used the Backup utility, the first screen you will see is the Backup or Restore Wizard welcome window. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
The boot order can be configured on the Advanced tab in the BIOS settings menu. The steps for modifying the boot order may vary depending on the model of the computer.
NOTE:BIOS configurations vary depending on the computer. For further information on a specific computer, refer to the documentation provided with the computer. The BIOS settings are generally listed in the Maintenance and Service Guide on the Manuals page of this site.
Follow the steps below to configure the boot order on most computers.
  1. Turn on or restart the computer.
  2. While the display is blank, press the f10 key to enter the BIOS settings menu.
    NOTE:The BIOS settings menu is accessible by pressing the f2 or the f6 key on some computers.
  3. Select the Advanced tab using the right and left arrow keys.
  4. Use the up and down arrow keys to select Boot Order .
  5. Ensure that the boot order list contains the Optical Drive (DVD) .
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to change the boot order.
Windows XP can be reinstalled using the XP Operating System Disc included with your notebook PC or purchased separately from HP. Reinstalling the operating system may be necessary to repair catastrophic errors. Reinstalling Windows XP, which is also called recovering the operating system, is not the same process as using the Windows Restore Points.
Before beginning the recovery, or re-installation process note the following:
Software and personal data (such as picture, music, videos, e-mail, and so on) that you have installed on the notebook will be lost when the operating system is reinstalled. Make a backup copy of all personal data before beginning this process.

For information on creating a backup copy of your data, see Microsoft's Backup Basics (in English).
When prompted to select a language for the installation, select the language that you will use most often. This is very important for support with right-to-left languages and languages that use double-byte characters (such as Simplified and Traditional Chinese).

The language used for the installation sets the default keyboard layout and language used by the operating system to display menus and notifications. If necessary, you can later change the language used by Windows or add Supplemental language support .
Follow the steps below to reinstall your operating system:
  1. Connect the AC adapter and turn on the notebook PC.
  2. Insert the OSD into the external DVD drive.
  3. Press and hold the Power button for five seconds to turn off the notebook.
  4. Press the Power button again to start the notebook.
  5. Press any key to boot from CD when prompted, if the prompt does not appear, see Configuring the boot order in BIOS .
    The Welcome to Setup screen is displayed.
  6. Press the Enter key to continue. A Licensing Agreement screen is displayed.
  7. Press the F8 key to accept the agreement and continue. The Setup window is displayed.
    NOTE:This window gives you the option of attempting a repair of your operating system or continuing the installation of a fresh copy of Windows XP.
  8. Press the Esc key to continue installing a fresh copy of the operating system without repairing.
  9. Press Enter to setup the operating system.
  10. Press C to continue using this partition.
  11. Select Format the partition using the NTFS file system (Quick) and press Enter . A caution is displayed that formatting this drive will delete all current files.
    To continue with reformatting your hard drive press the F key on your keyboard.
  12. The reinstallation process begins and may take several minutes to complete. The notebook restarts into Windows after the process is complete.
    NOTE:When prompted for the product key, refer to the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity located on the bottom of the notebook.
  13. In the Regional and Language Options dialog box, click Details . Click Add . When the Add Input Language dialog box opens, select your language/dialect in the Input Language list. To select the keyboard layout click the Keyboard layout/IME list. Click OK to save your settings and then Next to continue.
To install a specific application software or driver, insert the Application Recovery DVD in the external DVD drive and perform the following:
  1. Select the desired application to reinstall. Select the Install button to begin and follow the on-screen instructions.
  2. Select the desired driver to reinstall. Select the Install button to begin and follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Restart the PC after installing the applications and drivers.
Once you have installed Windows XP and updated your software and drivers, you should create a restore point using Windows System Restore.
Microsoft Windows Update automatically downloads and installs the latest security updates and enhancements for Windows XP. Your PC will be protected from known versions of the Conficker worm after installing all available important updates from Microsoft.
To run the Windows Update utility on the web, perform one of the following:
  1. Click Start , Control Panel , and Windows Update . This action opens a web browser and connects to the Microsoft web site.
    – or –
  2. Open a web browser and go to the Microsoft.com http://update.microsoft.com update site.
Windows Update may require the PC to restart more than once. Repeat the steps above until Windows Update no longer identifies any important updates for your PC.
System Restore can replace all of the current files and settings with those from a previous time without losing many of your personal data files. For example, after a new PC is started for the first time, a restore point is created. Two days later, several system files are accidentally removed causing Internet Explorer to stop working. With System Restore, you can restore Windows back to the way it was on the first day, fixing the problem.
Use the following steps to create a restore point:
  1. Click Start , Programs (or All Programs ), Accessories , System Tools , then System Restore . The Welcome to System Restore window appears.
  2. Select Create a Restore Point , and click Next .
  3. In the Restore point description field, type anything you want that describes the current PC configuration change. What you type here will help identify the restore point later. For example, "installed windows xp and drivers".
  4. Click Create .
    A new screen displays stating that a new restore point has been successfully created. The name of the restore point, the time, and the date appear in red.
  5. Click Close to exit or click Home to return to the main System Restore window.
For more information about Windows System Restore, including instructions on restoring the PC to a previous point, see HP Notebook PCs - Create Restore Points Using System Restore In Windows Me Or XP .
Before restoring your backup files or installing software you have purchased or downloaded separately, you should install anti-virus software on the PC. Some Mini Notebooks configured with Windows XP include Norton Antivirus 2009. For instructions on how to install Norton Antivirus 2009 and help with updating the virus definitions please see Symantec: Installing Norton AntiVirus 2009 (in English).
For other anti-virus products refer to the manufacturers Web site for instructions.
Once you have installed critical drivers, updates and applications you should restore the data and files that you backed up at the beginning of this process.
CAUTION: Before copying files to your hard drive you should scan the files with the anti-virus software you installed to protect your PC. In Norton Antivirus 2009, click Scan now , then Custom scan , then Scan drives .
To restore your backup data using the Backup utility:
  1. Click Start , All Programs , Accessories , and then System Tools .
  2. Click Backup .
  3. Click Next .
  4. Select Restore files and settings then click Next .
  5. Select the check box next to the file you want to restore and then click Next .
  6. Click Finish to restore the files.

See also

HP Notebook PCs - Overview Of Repairing Or Reinstalling The Operating System
HP Notebook PCs - FAQ On Repairing Or Reinstalling The Operating System
HP Notebook PCs - Create Restore Points Using System Restore In Windows Me Or XP