HP Restore cd woes

[dystopia]

Ok, so we have had this hp pavillion a250n for about a year now, and it started with this registration loop. It'd ask for activation, continue to say "already activated" and loop. I saw someone saying to restore a backup of wpa.dbl, but ther is no .bak on my system that I can see in safe mode.

So I dig through the hp junk trying to find restore cd's, alas the manual says you have to create them yourself. I don't see the applications nor icons in safe mode (though that shouldn't affect them BEING there.) And then I'm not sure if they even run in sfe mode if I had them.

So one, I wonder if I can download and install these hp disk makers assuming they work in safe mode.

Or two, is there a way to recover just windows files via the recovery console hp provided.

I believe this has something to do with sp2...the system has been a bit...wonky since the install. Many thanks.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Mine was in programs under "PC Help and Tools.

HTH,

Bill

[dystopia]

Hmm, there's no pc help and tools under programs for me. There is hp instant support, but nothing I can find that is executable. I'm positive I wouldn't have uninstalled them.

As for the second post it pops up before I am able to login, so I can't even get into the admin account booting normally.

[rpertusio]

Maybe you're not seeing the files because you've got the files 'hidden'?

1. Go back into safe mode, open up Search (start menu -> search).
2. Open the menu Tools -> Folder Options
3. click the [View] tab
4. Select (x) Show hidden files and folders
5. Uncheck [ ] Hide extensions for known file types, and [ ] Hide protected operating system files
6. Now do your search for that .bak file (or browse to where it should be)

[dystopia]

Well, I did that, and there is still no backup. I noticed one in the i386 folder under the name wpa.db_ would that work as a backup?

[rpertusio]

Here ya go, try this article and Method 2! It isn't exactly describing your problem, but it looks like it 'resets' Activation in some way. It DOES include expanding the 'wpa.db_' from the CD in step 10.

Microsoft KB 306081

- rp

[dystopia]

Well, in the end, nothing would work. I called MS and they said they can't do anything for me, that I should just reinstall, and I got a chuckle when I said I didn't have the cd's...yargh

Anyway I called HP up, and the recovery discs are only 23 bucks it seems (I'm assuming she DID have the right one indexed.) I was avoiding calling them for fear the disc would be outrageous like the last time I called gateway and they wanted full price for the os I'd technically already purchased...

[dystopia]

Man do I hate to bump this thread again...I would have _thought_ the restore cd's would have been the solution...

However, when inserted I get the error message "Non-bootable disc, hit enter to continue." When I called support, guess what, the recorvery cd's don't get their own warranty, not even a days worth. So all he kept telling me was "your software cannot read cd's to boot from, you need to talk to a higher technician...only 40 dollars." When I told him I'd been running knoppix, he change to the tune of "this is a very serious problem, you will absolutely need to trouble shoot for 40 dollars" and so on until I just hung up.

So, does anyone have any ideas as to how to get these stupid things to work... if necessary I have the capabilities of remaking them with proper files etc.

[Ultima]

If ya didn't get it to work yet, try this:

When ya startup the computer, at boot screen press F10.

Most HP computers are setup in such a way, that when you press F10 at startup, it will start the automatic recovery system.

It will extract the files from the hidden partition, and reinstall windows as it was in the beginning.

If you have something on that puter that you wanna save, do that before going into this process as you will loose everything on the disc.

If this doesn't work, post back here, I have a few other options.