I just learned that my Recovery CD for my Compaq Presario 5333CL does NOT contain the Windows XP Home OS, or any other software, preloaded on my PC when I bought it. Apparently it comes on something called a "Quick Restore CD" (2 in my case) that was not provided by Compaq.

HP no longer has this available.

Does anyone know where I can get the Quick Restore CDs (or download) for my system?

Thanks...

There is a "hidden" partition on your hard drive, that will restore your system to new condition when you are finished. This will take a few hours, you will have to reinstall your programs. Disconnect all connected devices, except your monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power cord.

This is called a "system recovery"
I do not have the CD's either. These instructions, will clean everything off your hard drive, so you must back up anything that you want to save. I have done this three times, and I got these instructions, from a compaq tech. When starting your computer, tap the F-10 key. Click on next-yes-and follow the instructions, that come up on your screen. When you are finished your computer, will look just like it did, when you first bought it. Do these steps, in order, when finished.
1. set up windows firewall
2. windows update (click express)
3. install your anti-virus program (update)
4. install anti-spyware (update)
5. Install service pack 2. Good Luck..

Your information appears to be faulty. According to HP/Compaq's own support page for your product, located here:
Using the Compaq Recovery CD  (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00007691&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=93223&lang=en)

... using the Recovery CDs to do a FACTORY RESTORE: "Restores the computer to its original factory-installed software state."

Using Factory Restore
Factory Restore returns the computer to its original factory-installed software configuration. This option reformats the hard drive and removes all data from the computer. (and then restores the original "image" of the system.

I still don't trust it. Not only because of the problem my friend had, but when I was searching this for her, I just found tons of horror stories about the Compaq's. (Even worse than Packard Bell.) I can't say as I trust Compaq or HP either one.

I think I'd be wanting to do it dixierock's way. I think I'd also want to be making my own image of what you have now.

Just my opinion.

You might try this newsgroup:
Discussions - alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq | Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/group/alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq/topics)

Here is a link that will help you→
Performing an HP System Recovery in Windows XP  (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07145&lc=en&cc=us&rule=14931&dlc=en&product=93223#bph07145_xp)

Hi All. Mitchsc here. Yes, I'm the one that started this thread. Thank you all for your input. Some very useful information.

There are so many options, my head is spinning.

After many frustrating hours on live chat with HP Tech Support, and getting different answers to the same questions, this is what I believe to be the case.

I DO have a separate partition (D) on my hard drive that contains the OS and preloaded programs from Compaq. My "Recovery CD" DOES NOT contain these programs or Windows. It merely cleans the hard drive and extracts the programs from the D partition on the HD.

It is Compaq's "QuickRestore" CDs that contain Windows and other programs. Of course, HP did not supply those with my PC, and they are no longer available.

Since my HD is still working, I can do a system restore with the Recovery Disk that they did give me. But I have no way (that I know of) to get Windows XP off my HD to load on a replacement drive. (Compaq told me to go out and buy Windows)

My goal was this. Since my PC is getting old, but still works fine, I was considering replacing my 80GB HD with a new, larger one before my old drive dies. But alas, no operating system to put on it. I know I can image (clone) the whole drive, but then I am cloning all the junk that's been collecting on the HD for all these years. (My PC is definitely slower than it used to be, even though I do monthly maintenance such as cleanup, defrag, etc.)

The other thing that I'm confused about is the imaging process itself. Some people have told me I need imaging software such as Norton Ghost. Others have said that a new HD comes with software that will transfer everything from the old drive to the new one. I don't know if that would include the D partition with my OS on it??

Obviously, this is an important question. Can anyone comment on this? Will the software included with a new drive, make an exact duplicate of the old drive including the extra partition with the OS on it?

Also, is there a way to extract Windows from the HD and burn it on a CD for future use?

So all, what would you recommend?

Thanks so much...

My information may appear to be faulty, but it is not. I also talked with a compaq tech. who said he was in Texas, for about three hours, approximately three years ago. I absolutely would not answer a question of this magnitude, unless I knew it was correct. I just have the c-drive on my PC, without any partitions. I explained what he told me to do and it worked the first time. I did not lose my operating system when I finished doing the "system recovery".
I was told to make my own recovery cd's, but I did not. When I purchased my third compaq computer, the first thing I did was to make the cd's myself. You are only allowed to do it one time, and that's it!
I did not mean to get into any type of discussion over my answer. I seen that nobody had answered this question, so I decided to see if I could help this person. This procedure worked for me three times, and I am sticking with my answer. I don't pretend to know very much, but what I do know, is I would never mislead any one purposely. Thank You Very Much, have a Great Day..

(Chuckle) Not sure where Dix's little tantrum is coming from... but we'll move on.

Since the question now is actually "can I use the built-in recovery process to get my whole system including OS onto a new hard drive?"... I'll answer YES. But it will take a little planning.
First you'll need to backup your existing irreplaceable data. Your documents, pictures, etc need to be copied OFF of your computer to some staging spot for a while.
Next, use Dix's suggestion or mine or your Recovery CD and initiate a Factory Restore. You already know the end result will be your hard drive is wiped clean, and the factory image is copied back into place from the hidden partition.
Buy a new Maxtor HD. Maxtor drives come with a program called MaxBlast that I've actually used to do what you want to do next...copy the old drive (OS included) to the new drive. It works, it's pretty straightforward.
Install the new drive as a secondary drive in your computer
Use the MaxBlast to partition and format the drive
Use the MaxBlast to copy the entire old drive contents onto the new drive
Remove the old drive and move the new drive into primary position in your computer
Reboot, and THEN continue with Dix's suggestions for updating the OS Service packs, firewall, anti-virus, etc.
Yes, there are other hard drives and utilities, I'm suggesting one I've actually used, know is free with the hard drive, and is easy to use.

When you are done, you will no longer have the ability to do an "Recovery Restore". If at the end of the Recovery CD's Factory Restore you get the "one time option" to make QuickRestore CDs, DO IT! If not, when you get to your new hard drive, choose some sort of "whole hard drive" type of backup software and use it.

Dixie, no one said you were intentional trying to mislead anyone. I doubt very seriously that most of the people who answer something incorrectly are doing it intentionally.

Second, I don't personally even know that your information was faulty. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. You don't have the CD's and it may be that your method also works. But also do keep in mind that unless you have the same Compaq, what worked for you may not work for someone else. And I also do not necessarily trust the techs. In fact, when it comes to a Compaq, I don't trust much of anything.

I DO have a separate partition (D) on my hard drive that contains the OS and preloaded programs from Compaq. My "Recovery CD" DOES NOT contain these programs or Windows. It merely cleans the hard drive and extracts the programs from the D partition on the HD.

It is Compaq's "QuickRestore" CDs that contain Windows and other programs. Of course, HP did not supply those with my PC, and they are no longer available.
Ah yes, this bad memory is all starting to come back now. The recovery CD merely allows you to use the restore on the D drive. My friend also did not have that QuickRestore CD. That's when I found that newsgroup I gave you and got some info from them. If you would check there, they might just be able to tell you where you can get one. (I don't know that, but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?)


(Compaq told me to go out and buy Windows)
Yeah, right. Assuming you can get all the drivers and everything you need. I don't recall how proprietary those Compaqs are -- well, I should say all the hardward, cause that whole recovery system is proprietary. I'd just be concerned with whether you'd end up with a modem or sound card or something else that wouldn't end up working. I seem to recall spending hours online trying to find drivers for my friend.

If you can get yourself an image of what you've got now, you can always try this though. Now don't take this as a blanket statement, but XP and every "recovery" version of Windows I've ever seen has only wiped out the C partition. (My friend lost her D drive cause she wiped it out with fdisk. It wasn't hidden in fdisk.) But I waiver any responsibility for that statement -- especially since I'm not sure how an off-the-shelf Windows would react to a hidden partition. I would think it would see it.


Also, is there a way to extract Windows from the HD and burn it on a CD for future use?

Extract it, no. The closest thing to that is doing an image. I know of no way to just "extract" Windows. I'm not quite sure, though, whether you could make an image of that D partition. Like, could Ghost find and image a hidden partition?

I personally would not want to be stuck with buying a hard drive based on the one that happens to come with that software. I'd want to buy what I want to buy -- after all, this is one process but I have to continue to use that drive. And I'd probably choose a Western Digital. If it were me, I'd find other software to use to do this. But that's me. (I am also kind of curious -- if the MaxBlast truly copies the entire drive, why the recovery can no longer be done? Will it not copy the hidden drive? "Hidden" things are many times only hidden to us, and maybe not even then if we know how to find them.)

In the end, I think it's going to just be a good idea to get that imaging software. Get an older version on eBay or Amazon and it shouldn't be expensive. It's the type of software you really need to match to your OS anyway. (What OS do you have?) You can have an extra partition and once you have everything set the way you like, make an image of the entire thing. It can also then be used to make incrementals backups on a scheduled basis. And... you can restore just one folder or whatever you want.

This is all just my opinion.

Here, this might come in handy:

Software & Driver downloads Compaq Presario 5333CL Desktop PC (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?product=93223&lc=en&cc=cl&dlc=es&submit.y=0&submit.x=0&lang=es&cc=cl)

OK, I just spoke with an IT tech guy I've known for about 7 years. He says that Ghost should work to image the entire drive, including the hidden partition. But he also said sometimes they (Compaq) change the partition type ID and that it may not recognize it that way. I'm not sure what the ID type is. However, he said if it doesn't recognize the drive, there's a free program called ptedit32.exe that you can get from Symantec to use to change the ID type from 1B to 0B, do the imaging, and then you can change it back (on both hard drives) after you're done with the image.

And gave me this link to get it:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PTEDIT32.zip

He also suggested a Western Digital or Samsung drive. (I don't know anything about the Samsung's.)

The point being, looks like you should be able to get the entire thing and keep your recovery partition. Although if you had Ghost, you could just image your install anyway.

Keep in mind that you can test this without losing anything. You can test the restore of the image on the second hard drive without wiping out your current drive. This is going to be true no matter how you decide to do it.

I have those two cd's for sale , $5. for both
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