Compaq Presario 7500 came with Windows XP Home Recovery Disks 1-5. Getting a message that the hard drive needs replacing. My question is: Can you reinstall the complete OS on a different hard drive, and can you boot from these disks and instal like you do from a normal XP OS CD, or does it take special instructions? I'm asking because I know other kinds of these types of CD's only help recover your OS and won't do a fresh install. Thanks in Advance

I'm sure you checked but I'm curious ... what did Compaq tech support say?

Presario 7500 7500 series Quick Specs Configuration : Processor - Intel® Pentium® III Processor- 550E Mhz Cache - 256 KB Integrated L2 Pipeline Burst Cache RAM - 64 MB 100 Mhz SyncDRAM Hard Disk - 10 GB / 17 GB Ultra DMA hard Drives CD-ROM / DVD-ROM Drive - 40X Max CD-ROM / 10X DVD-ROM drive CD-RW (Optional) - 4X/4X/24X - Re-Writable CD Diskette Drive - 3.5-inch, 1.44MB diskette drive Graphics Card - Intel® i810e Integrated 64-bit hardware-accelerated 3D graphics - Integrated 2X AGP 3D Graphics - 8 Mb SyncDRAM video memory (Dynamic allocation) - Video Player (AVI, MPEG and others) - Maximum non-interlaced resolution of upto to 1600 x 1200 when supported by Monitor Modem - 56K ITU V.90 modem Audio - ESS ALLEGRO PCI Audio - Dolby Digital Surround Sounds - JBL Virtual Theater - Audio CD Player Expansion Slots (Four Total / Three PCI Slot Open) - One PCI slot with modem installed Expansion Bays (Five Total / Two Open) - 3.5" 1.44 MB diskette drive - Hard drive - CD-Rom Drive Keyboard / Mouse - Easy Access Internet Keyboard, Internet Scroll Mouse Monitor - Compaq MV520 / MV720 / MV920 - Digital Color Monitor Compliance / Compatibility - Plug and Play - Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) - Year 2000 (Y2K)Hardware Compliants - This product was developed compliance with the Compaq Year 2000 Readinessw Program Pre-installed Software - Microsoft Windows®98 Second Edition - Microsoft® Word 2000 - Microsoft® Windows® Media Player - Ring Central Fax - Compaq Service Connection 4.0 - Compaq Diagnostics - Aureal A3D Software on CD - Microsoft Word 2000® - Recoil - Microsoft® Money 1999 - McAfee Virus Scan - Compaq Quick Restore CD If the above statistics belong to your unit please repost and say so. The software listed at the bottom of that list does not include any XP operating system. There may be a simple reason for you getting a bad disk warning. I would not format that drive or replace it until you explored all of your options with someone here that can help you through them.

We may need a better model, rather than just 7500. Like I have a Compaq Presario 5320US. It came with a Compaq Recovery CD. If I start my computer with the CD in the drive, then this menu come up: 1. Emergency Diskette Creating this Diskette is important as it allows you to save your computer's unique setup information for use in the event of an emergency. 2. User Backup Backs up all information and files on your hard drive and stores them in a separate partition on your drive. 3. User Restore Restores your hard drive to the state it was in at your last User Backup. 4. Factory Restore Restores your computer to its original factory-installed software state. ----------------------- At one time, my HDD said it may have a failure in the future. So I need QuickRestore CD's from Compaq. Compaq Order Center: 1-800-841-2761 or 1-800-952-7689 I then put in a new HDD when I got the CD's, and installed everything as to have a new computer, and able to use the Recovery CD for other problems. NOTE: Now HP owns Compaq. So I do not know what you have. ******* I would say that since you may need a new HDD, that you get it, and try what you have anyway. You could try the above numbers, and ask them if they are the correct CD's for a new install. There may be a number on the CD's to identify what they are for.