I am trying to make recovery disks for my laptop because I went thru my software disks and couldnt find any. I went to go create them from the HP recovery software and it comes up with an error that says I already made them !!! Is there a way around that without calling HP to order them ? Tony--Florida

No, it is a one time option. Either you or someone has all ready created the recovery discs. Using the replacement restore discs from HP will have all the drivers for all the hardware originally installed on your computer...it cannot be used to perform some repair options that are needed from time to time. bying an OEM version of the operating system with a new COA (license)will allow the repair options previously mentioned...you will have to search for and install yourself the drivers for the hardware that is installed and sometimes this can be a pain. In most cases the required drivers that you will be needed can be found at HP > support >downloads>drivers under the model of your computer. Definition of a Liberal: He has never had to fight for his Freedom He is only good at enjoying it! "IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM

Somewhere, maybe the registry, maybe not, a value would be stored that tells the software that a set of recovery disks has been made. Alas, I can't tell you where that value might be stored, because I haven't a clue. If you could find and change it, you may well be able to make another set. Found this on another forum: 1. Download and install WinRAR (http://www.win-rar.com/download.html). This will allow you to view the contents of the locked Recovery Partition (D Drive). 2. Open WinRAR and navigate to the D Drive. 3. In the root of the D Drive. Delete the following files: "hpboot.sys", "RCBoot.sys" and "DRECOVERY" (This may vary depending on your model. Look for *.sys files with 0 byte size.) The recovery software creates these files to denote that you had written or started writing a set of recovery disks, but when you began writing the disks and then updated the software, something went wrong. 4. Close WinRAR 5. Run your HP Backup and Recovery Manager and create your DVDs/CDs/ISOs (I personally recommend creating ISOs and then using DVD/CD burning software to create the disks.) Apparently, the exact files you need to delete depends on your model. If the above method reveals none of the mentioned files, try this: "When you create the recovery disc set for the first time, the HP/Compaq Recovery set Creator creates HPCD.SYS files, log files, and makes some other changes. In HP and Compaq computers, the HPCD.SYS file is found in two locations. 1) [Main Partition] \ [Windows Directory] \ SMINST \ HPCD.SYS 2) [Recovery Partition] \ HPCD.SYS Those HPCD.SYS files should be around 0-1KB in size. For most newer HP/Compaq computers: To regain access and create more than one set of recovery discs, you only need to delete those two HPCD.SYS files. " Also found this video that shows the second method in practice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTk... Hope one of these methods works for you. Post back and let us know the outcome. Please let us know if you found someone's advice to be helpful.

If your system is currently operating properly you could use an imaging program to burn an image to CDR/DVDR and use that image to restore. The advantage of that method is that an image will restore the computer to the present state. That means everything you have added since the computer was new. That can be good or bad, depending on what you want to accomplish. Acronis True Image is a good imaging program. Find it here. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... As far as editing the registry to allow creating another set of disks goes, I wouldn't count on it working. The keys that flag that may have nothing at all to do with creating the set. This is due to the fact that OEM restore sets don't require activation so the procedure could be abused if multiple sets of disks were allowed.

"This is due to the fact that OEM restore sets don't require activation ..." Going by my having installed a set of Recovery CDs on a Compaq........ They don't require the installer to do the Activation, but it's done automatically in the background near the end of the software installation. XP is already Activated the first time you boot after the procedure is finished. If your model is not more than about 5 years old, you can probably order the CD Set from the HP site. E.g. I did that for a Compaq tower model for a friend and it only cost $27.03 before shipping cost for 6? CDs. You can choose several shipping options for slower or faster delivery, faster is more of course, at least you can if you're in the US or Canada. In my case I selected a faster method of shipping, I'm in Canada, it got to me in about 4 days. If you have burned CDs that you think might be the Recovery disks..... - as I recall the Compaq program that makes the set in All Programs requests you use CD-R disks?? - the set I ordered had 6? disks, but you may have made more or less - as I recall only the first one has Recovery.exe or some other similar executable file, as well as only one or only a few files that are archives of some sort, and the other CDs have only one or only a few files that are archives of some sort. The set will only boot from the first one with the executable file on it. There may be a file on each CD that identifies it's order in the set, or it's volume label - the one seen in Windows - may indicate that. If you insert CDs in the wrong order you will be asked to insert a different one - if it names the disk that may be a good clue.