Will Windows 7 recovery disc work if recovery drive, apparently, is corrupt?

Do a web search for "undelete" and pick up a free trial version of software that you can run against the recovery partition to tell you whether it can locate the files which should still be there even if they're deleted.
If you can borrow a W7 DVD from a friend, you should be able to install a copy, quoting your own key, not the one on the DVD.
 
Do a web search for "undelete" and pick up a free trial version of software that you can run against the recovery partition to tell you whether it can locate the files which should still be there even if they're deleted.
Okay, there is some stuff, but I am not sure what to look for?
 
You have the wrong partition set "active" (so how did you boot ???)
He used the Super Grub Disk which can find and chainload Windows from a boot CD.

Yes, I tried it before swiching active partions, tried it now - nothing. And it seems I misunderstood how much information is on recovery - it's just 99 mb. It's also wiped clean, isn't it?

To expand my question - I found I can download Windows 7 from here http://www.mydigitallife.info/windo...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/ if I do install it, will it work as genuine copy with key I got on sticker at back of my laptop?
I understand now what you meant by Windows 8 reset. When you boot Windows 8 it has an option to reinstall all of the Windows files like a fresh install, I suppose it is similar to a "repair install" found on older versions of Windows.

So, obviously you can't list that partition named recovery? Glad you could do the check disk. You proabably had to run the cmd.exe as administrator to do the command line "chkdsk x: /f /x"

The mydigitallife link won't help because you have an OEM key for Windows 7 and that download is for a retail key, therefore your key won't work. The reinstall disks from HP are probably $30 or something, which isn't super horrible, but I think it sucks people have to pay for them at all, but cost cutting, etc, I suppose. They should be a download, I think. I digress...

As far as undelete, I highly recommend test disk, but if you say it used to be 2+ Gigs and now is 99 Megs.... ahh, worth a shot I suppose. :wink:

Well, at least now you can boot without the Super Grub Disk...

Good luck!

breaker
 
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The reinstall disks from HP are probably $30 or something, which isn't super horrible, but I think it sucks people have to pay for them at all, but cost cutting, etc, I suppose. They should be a download, I think. I digress...
Oh, the super horrible part is that HP website can't find my particular product, so I can't even get about ordering something. I'll try to to register on their forums (didn't work few days ago) and ask there. But if you have any other ideas for getting cheap Windows 7 download that would work...
 
There seems to be nothing of use on recovery partition, however I found some .wim files and windows old folder on C:. Might these be of any use?
 
I don't think the OEM would put its .wim on C. It needs to be in an inactive location. The Windows.old though is most likely your W7 installation which W8 system restore would use to back itself out. If you've lost your restore points, it's probably unreachable.
I'm not sure exactly how MS uses it (is it just the previous Windows folder, simply renamed, or something more complex ?) A web search might help.
If you've acquired a Linux CD, you could try renaming Windows to windows.new and windows.old to Windows just to see what happens when you boot it.
If unhelpful, a simple name swap back again will restore your working W8.
 
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