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hi
by HP i hope you mean Hewlett Packard is the Manufacturer as manufacturers have different ways to do this
if you do not have a recovery disk as one never came with it, press F11 at boot to start the recovery process back to factory settings
all data will be wiped from the hard drive during the process
here are both ways to do it:
Restore the PC to its original condition with the HP Recovery Manager from within Windows Vista
If the PC can be started and opens to the Windows desktop, you can use the HP Recovery Manager on the hard drive to restore the PC to the original factory condition by following the steps below.
- Click Start
and enter
Recovery in the search field. Select Recovery Manager from the list when it becomes available. Allow the action to continue, if prompted. The HP Recovery Manager opens.
Alternately, click Start ,
All Programs , Recovery Manager , and then Recovery Manager . Allow the action to continue, if prompted. The HP Recovery Manager opens.
2. Click Advanced options , System recovery , and then click Next . The PC will restart and reopen the recovery manager.
Alternately, if Advanced options is disabled, click Next , and then System Recovery . The PC will restart. 3. When the PC restarts, select the System recovery option and click Next . 4. If prompted to use the Microsoft System Restore program, click No , and then click Next . 5. When prompted, select the Back up your files first (recommended) option, and then click Next . Follow the on-screen instructions. 6. When prompted to Recover without backing up your files , please STOP before clicking Next .
| WARNING: | This is the final opportunity to change your mind about recovering the PC and deleting all the files and programs. Once you click<br>Next , the restore process cannot be stopped | | --- | --- | 7. If you are satisfied that you want to begin the recover process, click Next . The PC immediately begins formatting the hard drive and destroying all data.
The recovery process may take up to several hours and will return the PC to its original condition. Any custom settings, drivers, software programs and updates, and/or hardware updates are lost and must be reinstalled.
Restore the PC to its original condition with the HP Recovery Manager if Windows Vista is not accessible
If the PC cannot launch into Windows, it may still be possible to use the HP Recovery Manager on the hard drive to restore the computer to its original operating condition. The Recovery Manager can be launched during the start up process by following the steps below.
- Press the Power button to start the PC, and then press the f11 key when the standard BIOS prompts are displayed on the black screen.
| NOTE: | Pressing the f11 key during the startup on a computer with an HP factory image will start the system recovery process even if the prompt is not displayed. |
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- If the HP Recovery Manager can access the recovery partition on the hard drive, a prompt to backup the user files before beginning the recovery is displayed. Follow any on-screen instructions.
- If the HP Recovery Manager cannot access the hard drive to fix any system errors, you will need to use the personalized recovery disc that you created to recover the hard drive to its original condition.
- If you have not created the personalized recovery disc, or the discs are corrupted, you can order a replacement recovery disc from HP.
- When the Recovery Manager starts, follow the step-by-step recovery instructions shown above.