[Boris_yo]

I wanted to do clean install of Windows XP on my HP Pavilion laptop from recovery partition on D:\
I restarted laptop and started Recovery Wizard. I selected "Destructive Recovery" which was supposed to format hard drive and do a clean install of Windows XP there.

I proceeded and then i got message:

The size of the User Partition is smaller than the size required for the recovery image.

Do you want to continue anyway? If "yes" Windows will not function correctly!

I proceeded and Windows started recovering Windows and files. I thought this to be weird since formatting partition takes time. Anyway the process completed after 7 minutes and i was told to restart laptop.

I restarted and my regular Windows started to boot up and nothing changed!
Why would that be? What i did wrong?

Maybe it has something to do with the warning i received earlier?

I would appreciate help and guidance.

Thanks.

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It most likely has.
However if Windows was starting normally, you presumably have other problems which you are trying to solve by the destructive recovery.
Please be aware that this may NOT be a good idea.
Your recovery partition will install the original edition of the XP Home that was on the laptop when it was first sold.
You will have many many updates and service packs to install.
You may find that this is not as easy as it sounds.
Additionally any programs installed since will be deleted.
All you personal data will also be deleted.
WHAT IS THE REASON for the planned destructive recovery?

[Macboatmaster]

It most likely has.
However if Windows was starting normally, you presumably have other problems which you are trying to solve by the destructive recovery.
Please be aware that this may NOT be a good idea.
Your recovery partition will install the original edition of the XP Home that was on the laptop when it was first sold.
You will have many many updates and service packs to install.
You may find that this is not as easy as it sounds.
Additionally any programs installed since will be deleted.
All you personal data will also be deleted.
WHAT IS THE REASON for the planned destructive recovery?

[Boris_yo]

This is the reason (click on link)

Edited by Boris_yo, 29 August 2010 - 02:56 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

SORRY am I being slow - This is the reason - WHAT
Here is the link to HP destructive recovery
http://h10025.www1.h...=bph07145#N1129

[rshaffer61]

Let me ask did you by chance repartition the drive during our topic together or before doing the destructive recovery?
If you look at post 5 of our topic together you will see partition C is large enough and unless you tried to install it the wrong partition then that would answer why it gave you the warning.
Make sure you are installing it to the C Partition

[Boris_yo]

@Macboatmaster

Thanks, just click on the link above in my previous post and you will see why i want clean install.

@rshaffer61

I didn't do anything with large partition and i don't have the option to choose partition C in setup. All i can do is "yes" or "no" and "restart".

Edited by Boris_yo, 29 August 2010 - 03:07 PM.

[rshaffer61]

Before we get to far into this again lets check the hd itself.
Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[Macboatmaster]

I have almost nothing in Startup. Forget it, there is no way to repair this thing. Formatting and reinstalling Windows is the only way.

I will help, but before I do please verify that you did as Rshaffer61 asked you, because I have just examined the autoruns that he asked you for and I CANNOT believe that you have almost nothing in Start Up.
HE DID NOT MEAN on the START button , he meant in Start Up - on msconfig. In otherwords programs that start automatically when you load windows. A list there is prime reason for a slow Windows load.

Aditionally, although I will help, it is not good form to simply leave the thread you start, without a closing reply, after Rshaffer61 pointed out that there may be better ways round the problem.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 29 August 2010 - 06:41 PM.

[rshaffer61]

He won't be able to now that the partition has in all believe been formatted by the destructive recovery.
It seems odd that the recovery doesn't recognize 67 gigs as being formatted and ready to install to.

[Macboatmaster]

rshaffer61
Yes, you are of course right, as I knew you would be.
I did not spot that the process had apparently completed, I read it had not continued because it for some reason reported insufficient space.

My guess at the moment is that he did NOT select the destructive recovery, which as you know is the choice ONLY on the advanced option on HP Pavilion, that is why I sent him the link.

HP Pavilion
To perform a standard system recovery, click Next , and then click Yes .

To perform a destructive recovery, click Advanced , (select Destructive Recovery ) and then click Next .
CAUTION: A destructive recovery will format the hard drive. This will delete all the information on the hard drive and reinstall Windows XP and the original software that came with the computer .

Edited by Macboatmaster, 29 August 2010 - 03:41 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

You have three partitions on the hard drive.
C partition
D Recovery Partition
F partition at just 1Gb.
My guess is Recovery was to F, and chkdsk /r was to F, which is why it was immediate.
WHAT is on the F OR what was on it.

NOTE - found the answer - I think - it is part of the HP recovery process.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 29 August 2010 - 03:54 PM.

[rshaffer61]

I suggest starting this all over step by step with the destructive and make sure it is installing to the C drive.
There is no reason for it not to load unless there is a problem with the drive itself. That is why I suggested the hd diagnostic to check it before any further steps are done.

[Boris_yo]

@rshaffer61

I don't get it - why do i need to check HD?

@Macboatmaster

I know what startup means. And i don't have problems with vision. I did destructive recovery which obviously failed and Windows started recovering files without formatting partition.

[rshaffer61]

If the first sector first byte is damaged the drive will not identify correctly which could cause the error you are receiving.
We are trying to identify what the issue is.
I don't know anything of the company you got the OS from and it seems strange they would have to BURN you a copy instead of sending you a authentic Microsoft Win 7 cd which would have the holographic on the disk.
As I stated before usually burned OS disks do not work correctly as they will be missing files.
This is why I suggested borrowing a Win 7 cd that is authentic of the same type you have and trying to install with that.

[Macboatmaster]

know what startup means. And i don't have problems with vision. I did destructive recovery which obviously failed and Windows started recovering files without formatting partition.

You may appreciate that when a person asks for help, we have no means of knowing, apart from the way his post is worded, the depth of his knowledge. To someone who has never seen "msconfig" with all that is available there, confusing the use of the words start-up with the START MENU that everyone sees is quite easy. If you decided not to do as was suggested because you thought - "I have hardly anything in Start-up - Start Menu, then that was the point I was trying to make on my post 8.

Neither did I think you had problems with your vision. The recovery facility on HP computers is not so obviously straightforward to implement.

Having read your other posts and your apparent attitude in one of those, and your reply here, I will not be helping any further. I do not appreciate the wording of your reply to me.
I think perhaps you should bear in mind that help is free on this forum and even if you do not agree with a reply, there is a polite way of saying so.