[luv2bme6]

This is my first time posting a message on TSG, so I hope that this helps. I have read some instructions on how to perform a system recovery and I am having trouble. I have a Hewlett Packard 510c desktop and I am using Windows XP. From what I read, performing a destructive system recovery will format your hard drive and make your computer go back to the manufacturer's settings. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I've tried pressing F10 repeatedly when the HP logo comes up, but it just goes straight to the desktop as if I did nothing at all. The other way was: From the Windows XP desktop, click Start, All Programs, and then HP Tools, and then HP PC System Recovery.
or
Click Hewlett-Packard, hp pavilion pc tools, and hp pc system recovery.
or
Click PC Help & Tools, and then HP PC System Recovery.
The Recovery screen will appear with the question: Do you really want to start HP PC System Recovery?
I wanted to try that way, but there is no HP Tools, or Hewlett-Packard, or PC Help & Tools option. The only other way is to buy the recovery disks from HP, but I read about a partition on the hard drive that should have the same information. If there is another way that I haven't read about yet, please let me know. My next step will be to buy the disks and try that method.
I don't know if this information is necessary, but I had my computer wiped and reloaded by Axtron to get rid of viruses. They put all of the information back on my computer in a folder, but now that same folder is re-infecting my computer with other stuff. That's why I chose to do a destructive recovery. Please help me fix this.

[JohnWill]

If you have had the computer completely cleaned off by someone, they may have killed off the recovery partition.

Right click on My Computer, Manage, Disk Management. See if the graphical display of your hard disk shows a second partition that may not have a drive letter, but should be in the 3-6gig range in size.

[luv2bme6]

I believe what you said. When they brought my computer back, a lot of additional functions on my keyboard stopped working and all of the hp information was gone. That included the HP Instant Support link. I thought it was because of the viruses.

When I looked in the Disk Management it said:
Volume: (C Layout: Partition Type: Basic File System: NTFS
Status: Healthy (system) Capacity: 37.27GB Free Space: 829MB
Fault Tolerance: No Overhead: 0%

All of that information was on one line going straight across in that order.

[luv2bme6]

I didn't mean to put that happy face in the last message. It was supposed to be C: in parentheses.

[jimi]

you can probably get the software for the keyboard functions from hp.
but with only 829mb left on your hard drive you are in some trouble - no disk left - or at least not much 2%. just what is loaded on the drive??

[luv2bme6]

I can't tell what is on the computer anymore. When I look at what is on the Add/Remove programs list, it doesn't seem to add up to the space that is taken up. I got so fed up with trying to make space that I am just gonna start over again.

I emailed the techs at hp and they told me that the only way to get those functions back for my keyboard is to perform the destructive recovery.

If I knew that this would have caused this much trouble, I would have stopped being lazy and backed my data up to do this INSTEAD of paying all that money to get a professional to make things worse.

[JohnWill]

You can probably download the HP drivers for the keyboard from HP, as well as any other HP specific stuff.

I was referring to the graphical display below the single line of info in Disk Management, it would show you if the reserved partition is still there. On this display, it's the bottom part of the screen I was referring to.

[bassface]

ive just finished working on one of those hp machines and i can tell you that i had a hell of a time trying to install the k/b driversa after installing the o/s...i had to go back and do a system restore with the hp restore disks...then it worked ...good luck...ps your computer guy is responsible for the mess, get him to do it properly

[RAM-PAGE]

Looks like you have a 40Gb hard-drive (?) which should give a capacity of 37.25Gb (Binary sizing.)

You should have at least 15% free-space to be able to run defrag so there should be a minimum of 5.59Gb of free-space.

So what is taking up all your space???

Have you tried running Disk Cleanup and removing all but the last System Restore point? If so, are you getting a hang-up on "Compressing Old Files"?

There is a registry edit to fix this problem if you are.

You should also try running CCLeaner to clean off any junk files on the system and then take a look to see what percentage of the drive-space has been set for the System Restore cache.

You might want to see what percentage has been set for use by the Recycle Bin as well.

[RAM-PAGE]

Originally Posted by luv2bme6

I didn't mean to put that happy face in the last message. It was supposed to be C: in parentheses.

Just put in an extra space (C: ) or check "Disable smilies in text" under the post window. (C:)

Looks like you are in to a destructive install if you want to recover all of the HP functionality. Has the hard-drive been changed?

Have you run an Anti-Virus scan on the folder you mention?