Solved Pressing F11 on boot tp get factory does nothing

HP Pavilion p6717c serial number bv581aa#aba running Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit with Service Pack 1 and an HP keyboard. The recovery partition is in place and all files seem to be there.

Pressing F11 repeatedly every second on boot produces no response and computer boots to Windows 7 normally. It also appears the system recovery in Windows All Programs menu has been removed or uninstalled.

This is a legal copy of Windows 7 that came on the system when new.

I have Googled and have searched the HP site and found no help.

 

Try holding down the escape key at boot for startup options.

 

Pavilion p6717c PN:bv581aa#aba SN:3CR05100SY. This computer came originally with Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit.

It was ordered directly from HP and 32-bit was an option back then. 64-bit was relatively new back then and there were a lot of hardwares that had no 64-bit drivers and softwares that would not run on 64-bit.

So we ordered 32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

And he still has one mission-critical program today that runs only on 32-bit and the developer is out of business and no 64-bit version was ever released.

Thanks for the link; but, I have been through that page and several others like it, all about the same and no help. Seems to me there should be a way to reinstall recovery manager; but, it appears HP has chosen to not give us that option.

 

Some models you have to hit the escape key then F11.

 

Yes, I found all of that, too.

When we ordered that computer, my friend had a scanner and printer for which no 64-bit drivers were available. That and some of his software was also 32-bit only.

That's why we ordered 32-bit.

 

Check here for "RecoveryMgr.exe"
C:\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery

This is where it is on my x64 system.
If the file is there open it and start the recovery process.

 

Thanks but 32-bit Windows systems do not have an (x86); but, the file does not exist anywhere on the system, neither does the folder.

 

Try this: Hit start and type in recovery manager and see if it will show up.
If not, since I have searched HPs site extensively and found nothing, all I can find is this:
https://filehippo.com/download_hp-recovery-manager/

 

I doubt this is the issue but I just have to mention it. I have an older logitech keyboard that has a foible that buyers of the model really hated. There was a sort of F lock button on the keyboard that disabled the F keys during boot up unless you pressed it to turn it on. That meant to get into Safe Mode for instance, I had to start the PC and wait for the keyboard to light up, then press the F lock key prior to pressing F8 to enter Safe Mode. It was a real pain. I still have the board but I don't use it.

To test to see if the F11 key is even working, just open a browser and press it once then again. It will resize the browser to full screen and back again if it's working.

 

Thanks but did that yesterday and when run, produces about missing files.

 

Did that before the initial post. I don't remember the exact response but didn't work.

EDIT: there were no .EXE files.