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Detecting bootable disks

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by pjsnyder7082

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I have a set of Recovery disks that won't work. Is there a way to find out if they have the appropriate files to make it bootable?

Apparently there is nothing wrong with the hard drive, which has nothing on it, the optical drive, or the memory. The disks are brand new and don't have any scratches or visible defects.

Pam

19 replies

by oh smeg

More importantly have you tried any other Bootable Disc's in this Optical Drive?

Have you set the Boot Order in BIOS to boot off the Optical Drive First?

What have you done to confirm that the Optical Drive is in fact working?

Make yourself a copy of the Ultimate Boot CD and see if this Boots

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

If it doesn't it's either the Boot Order in BIOS is set incorrectly or the Optical Drive has died and gone to [b]Silicon Heaven.[/b] Or the M'Board or Data Lead to the Optical Drive is faulty. :)

Col

by pjsnyder7082

I can see the files on the disks, but not on the computer I want to use them on.

Other bootable disks will work in the optical drive.

I have used the optical drive to install an O/S.

The boot order is correct.

Only these disks don't work and they are recovery disks sent from the manufacturer of the computer.

Pam

by thumbsup2

What do you mean by they won't work? Will the computer not boot to the CD's? Is the computer set so it CAN boot to CD first?

What do you mean by the disks are brand new.? Do they have a label on them? If not, how do you know they are the recovery CD's? Did they come with the computer with instructions on how to make your own Recovery disks? Did you do that?

by thumbsup2

If COMPAQ does things like they used to, the Recovery CD will be looking for the recovery partition. There are no OS files on the CD. So, since the original drive is gone, the Recovery CD won't run.

by pjsnyder7082

The optical drive works because I have used it to install and O/S.

There are files on the CDs because I can see them using a different computer.

The CD group is set to boot first.

The recovery cd's just came from the manufacturer of the computer labeled as System Recovery Disk 1 of 2, 2 of 2, and Supplemental Recovery. I followed all the instructions that came with the disks.

I get an error stating something like error loading operating system (that was when there was no partition, no operating system on the hard drive) or Boot error. put in a bootable cd and press enter (that one after the hard drive was partitioned.)

So my question is: If I can look at the files on the disk, which I can in a different computer, is there a particular file or files that I should be able to see that would indicate that the disk is bootable?

Pam

by thumbsup2

... it's still trying to boot from the HDD first and not the CD ROM. What happened when you pressed Enter after it asked to put in a bootable CD? Did it read it?

Have you tried using another CD ROM in the computer? It's entirely possible the one that's in there can't read.

by seanferd

Just to answer the "boot files" question, the CD would probably have a .BIN file like setuploader.bin, or there would be a BOOT folder with BIN or IMG files in it or a subdirectory.

by pjsnyder7082

I can't for the life of me understand what the point of the Recovery CD is for if the recovery partition is available. In the case of a hard drive gone bad, there is no longer a D partition, but I'm not questioning your reasoning.

I have advised my client to buy a new operating system and steer clear of buying any more Compaq computers.

Pam

by thumbsup2

The CD was for the purpose of getting the computer booted separately from any OS (or virus for that matter) which might be on the drive and actually getting the drive up and running (drivers) so the recovery partition could be accessed. That way, the recovery installation could run all by itself. It operates much like the old Win98 Boot floppy disk... ya had to boot to the floppy and get the CD running with DOS drivers before you could install the OS from the CD. Same principal, different hardware involved.

Yes, I know, it's a stupid idea since the HDD could go out completely leaving the owner with nothing. When I first saw how this operated, I vowed never to buy a COMPAQ and I steer everyone who will listen to me away from them. As far as I'm concerned they're a POS.

by pjsnyder7082

I don't see any BIN OR IMG files. There SDI, lots and lots of WIM, INI, TXT, ED, LOG, and MGR.

Pam

by seanferd

MGR could possibly be a boot file as well. What is it named?

Any files with no extension?

Is there a Boot folder?

Did you look in any I386 folder if present?

by pjsnyder7082

The first level has folders named Boot, preload, HP, and Sources; and files boo.mgr, boot.mgr, HPCD.sys, Master.log, Protect.ed, and system recovery.txt.

Boot folder has two files named BCD, BOOT.SDI.
HP Folder has three more folders, Apps, Drv, and MLs.

Preload folder has folder named PART002 and a bunch of .wim files.

SOURCES folder has one file named boot.wim

Do you know anything about a program called nlite? I've heard it can make any disk bootable.

Pam

by rob miners

If you are going to be able to do anything at all with that Vista DVD you will have to learn how to manipulate the files with the .wim extensions.

This DVD is a modifed version that is supposed to boot and automatically install the Operating System. Normally it would boot into the preinstall environment using the boot.wim and setup the environment, then expand the other .wim's on the fly.

If you go down this track then I suggest that you download the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and follow the instructions in the accompanying WAIK.CHM

Doing this will give you an understanding of how the DVD is configured.

Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en

http://blogs.technet.com/shawnt/archive/2007/12/13/how-to-create-a-bootable-dvd-for-windows-vista-or-any-windows-for-that-matter.aspx

If you think that any of the posts that have been made by all TR Members, have solved or contributed to solving the problem, please Mark them as Helpful so that others may benefit from the outcome. ;) :D

by seanferd

But it sounds, from everything else I seen here, like the disk is looking for a HDD recovery partition.

Maybe a call to the HP folks who provided the recovery disk could explain what is needed to make it work. If you explained that you needed them because the original HDD was dead, but you do need that recovery partition, then they sold you disks for nothing.

Nlite is a product for stripping down and/or slipstreaming Windows install disks. I don't know what else it does, but BartPE can make all sorts of bootable disks.

by seanferd

I looked at the PDFs available from HP, and these are the salient points from the recovery section.

NOTE: If your computer includes an HP Media Drive (select models only), you must
remove it before starting the System Recovery program.

System Recovery should be attempted in the following order:
* Through the Windows Vista Start menu.
* By pressing the F11 key on the keyboard during startup.
* Through recovery discs that you create.
* Through recovery discs purchased from HP Support. To purchase recovery discs, go to http://www.hp.com/support and visit the Software & Driver downloads page for your computer model.

Insert recovery disc #1 into the appropriate drive tray (CD or DVD), and close the tray.

If the computer is not responding: Press and hold the On button approximately 5 seconds until the computer turns off.

Disconnect all peripheral devices from the computer except the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse.

Disconnect or remove all external drives and remove the HP Media Drive if your computer includes one.

Press the On button to turn on the computer.

The computer starts the recovery from the recovery disc. Follow the onscreen instructions when they are displayed.

Insert the next disc if prompted.

When the Recovery Manager finishes, remove the last disc.

--So, it is a bit of a puzzler as to why this isn't working. (You aren't putting a DVD in a CD drive, right?) I can understand your frustration here.

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