Recovery partition empty

countryboy818 · Jan 17, 2021

Hello and thank you for helping us fix our troubled devices.

I have 2 HP noteboooks. Both purchased new with no reinstall disk.
While recently stuck on a blue screen and not rebooting, I noticed my recovery partition is completely empty. I have since got it to reboot. Is there a method to restore the files or create a system image?

I believe the partition may have been removed when updating to 8.1 (same on both machines)

FreeBooter · Jan 17, 2021

Have you clear the checkbox for "Hide protected operating system files" at Folder Options.

You should see two folders one you are looking for Recovery folder.

zbook · Jan 17, 2021

Please run:
DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.

xilolee · Jan 17, 2021

Hi!

The Push-button reset (PBR), windows 8/8.1 feature, has been deprecated in windows 10.
Unfortunately, it was unreliable (like windows backups and system restore).
You should use a third-party tool to create system images (full, i.e. all partitions, or partial, i.e. only system partitions).
As an example, macrium reflect free: Using Macrium Free to Backup or Image your drives.

If you still want to (try to) create a PBR partition and image, follow these steps:

Shrink your last partition in your system HDD/SDD (Mine was 16GB in size).
You can do it in (windows) disk management.
Right-click your most right-hand side partition, click Shrink volume....
Put 16384 (16GB) in the editbox Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB:.
Click the Shrink button.
Format and assign a letter to the new space.
Always in disk management, right-click the new unallocated (non-allocated) space, click New simple volume.
Click next, click next, read the letter that will be assigned to your new volume, click next, click next, click Finish.
In your new partition/volume, create a destination folder for the recovery image.
For example, create a folder named ResetW8.1.
Download Windows 8.1 Disc Image (ISO File) (W8.1 media creation tool)
Right-click the downloaded iso file, click open with, file explorer (or windows explorer): it will be mounted and you should see a new (virtual) drive letter in This pc.
Double-click it, double-click the sources folder, copy install.esd and paste it in your ResetW8.1 folder.

In the next command you have to change YourNewResetPartitionLetter to your recovery partition letter.
Launch the following command, from a command prompt (admin):

Code:

dism /get-imageinfo /imagefile:YourNewResetPartitionLetter:\ResetW8.1\install.esd

I get this in windows 10:

Read More:

I think you should get only 2 or 3 indexes (home, pro, enterprise versions).

Finally, in the next command you have to change:
- YourNewResetPartitionLetter to your recovery partition letter.
- YourOSIndex to your os index (i.e., see previous point).
Command that set your recovery image:
Code:
```
 reagentc /setosimage /path "YourNewResetPartitionLetter:\ResetW8.1" /index YourOSIndex
```
Reboot and see if the new Recovery partition disappeared (it shouldn't be visible in windows).

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Recovery partition empty

countryboy818

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FreeBooter

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zbook

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xilolee

Moderator