Tweak Name: Reset HP Recovery Disc Creation
File Type: Batch File
Download: HPRecoveryDiscs.bat
As anybody who has ever worked on a plethora of HP computers (and needed to set them up for clients) knows HP only allows for the creation of one set of Recovery Discs per computer. This means that if you’ve lost yours or if they became damaged you’re pretty much screwed.
Well until now.
This tweak has been on the net (whispered) for some time but I give it to you in the form of a handy batch file. What this file will do is delete the following two files:
- c:\windows\sminst\hpcd.sys
- d:\hpcd.sys
What that will do is reset the counter that HP computers use to track Recovery Disc creation. You’ll be able to create recovery discs over and over again. Awesome right?
So either just delete those files yourself or download the included batch file (right click> Save As) and get ready to burn!
update (20/05/2009): Some commentors are saying that the tweak no longer works and instead asks for the location of the recovery images. I’m assuming that HP caught onto this little trick and updated their software. I’ll try it myself next time I’m at work and I’ll let you guys know what I find.
I renamed the following files to successfully re-create the recovery DVD’s on my HP DM4 (as suggested by Kathy further up this thread):
c:\ProgramData\Hewlett-Packard\recovery\hpdrcu.prc
d:\hpdrcu.prc (recovery root)
Thanks Kathy!
Worked perfectly for me on a HP Pavillion 13529
Newer computers are using RMCStatus.Bin. Just delete the files and you can recreate your recovery media!
Worked fine on a Compaq Presario F500. Thanks!
Thank you. I couldn’t find the files on my HP s3230uk but your .BAT file did the trick. Set of rescue discs is burning as I type. Brought the computer 2nd hand and it didn’t come with them.
Thanks Haseeb worked from me Pavilion dv6 Windows 7 64 bit Premium
— j
Got my machine just a few days ago (22 May, 2011). The latest hack with my HP is:
1) hpdrcu.prc (0 byte file) in C:\ProgramData\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery
2) hpdrcu.prc (0 byte file) in D:\ (recovery partition drive)
This tweak working 100%.
Just found the files on a brand new pavillion dv5 windows 7, works great! thank-you
Works great!!!
For laptop “HP 500” Intel Pentium M Processor, Windows XP Home
Following are the offending files, to be deleted:
c:\windows\sminst\hpboot.sys
d:\hpboot.sys (recovery root)
It will reset the counter that HP computers use to track Recovery Disc creation. Now You’ll be able to create recovery discs over and over again.
Worked here on a DV5 running Vista.
Instead of deleting, we just renamed the files.
After knowing what files to liik at I just went in and renamed them. After that it worked great. I lost the first set I created in a move so this save me from buying a copy of XP
i have hp dv6 pre installed with windows 7 home premium, i have tried the tweak but i didnt find any of the above mentioned file. and therefore unable to create a recovery media again.
please help me to do so
If you can’t find the files yourself then try running the .bat file (with administrator privileges).
The new Windows 7 HP laptops might be different. I haven’t really had much experience with them.
great thanks to mike h.
It works for me:)
i renamed both files from hpdrcu.prc to _hpdrcu.prc (with an underscore).
I though i will order HP to give the recovery disks. bt they need approx. $45 for this:(. Now i dont need.
my recovery partition is damaged, and i haven’t created any recovery media yet… do u think if i create one will it work considering the fact that recovery partition is damaged ?
otherwise i can always use this tweak to create another one… but answer the above question
works
worked well on hpdv6, thanks
For laptop TC4400 with Windows XP Tablet
Following are the offending files, to be renamed:
c:\windows\sminst\hpboot.sys –> hpboot.sy_
d:\hpboot.sys (recovery root) –> hpboot.sy_
It will reset the counter that HP computers use to track Recovery Disc creation. Now You’ll be able to create recovery discs again.
From what I understand if the recovery partition is damaged then recovery discs cannot be made. This is why so many computers come with instructions to make recovery discs right away.
But to be quite honest I’ve never tried to make recovery discs on a computer with a damaged recovery partition. If you try it please report back with the results.
Can anyone confirm what Anonymous wrote?
HP TouchSmart 600-1160uk – Windows 7 Home Premium.
This whole recovery disc process has driven me crackers. HP really needed to sort their act out. They did, I guess, by quitting the hardware market…
Anyway, I followed the above instructions and deleted d:\hpdrcu.prc and then I went to locate the SMINST folder. I couldn’t find it. I ensured that show all files was checked. Still not there. I also searched for hpcd.sys without finding anything.
However, what I did find is C:\ProgramData\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery folder. So I cut and pasted this folder to my desktop and then tried to re-run the Recovery Disc Creation program. I am now burning my 3 DVD’s.
Hope this helps someone out in wwwland.
HumbleChap
For recent hp laptops (dv6 or dv7) with windows 7 (32 or 64 bits), if dealing with the files HPCD.sys, hpboot.sys or hpdrcu.prc does not work, you can re create new recovery discs doing this:
1. Delete the file RMCStatus.bin (hidden) from two places:
-c:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery Manager\
-The root of a drive d:\ (RECOVERY partition)
2. Remove Rebecca.dat (also hidden) from C:\Windows\System32\
This has worked for my dv6-6157 .
Thanks Grille12!
Thanks humblechap!
I have an HP m8300f and the method of removing the two files worked excellent for mine. Thanks so much to the person who brought this out.
New hp laptops (dv4) with windows 7 (64 bits), you can re create new recovery discs doing this:
1. Rename the file RMCStatus.bin (hidden) from two places:
*c:\Program Files(x86)\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery Manager\
*The root of drive d:\ (RECOVERY partition)
2. Remove name Rebecca.dat (also hidden) from
*C:\Windows\System32\
Thanx alot guys….. I have a pavilion dv5 ,with windows 7,worked perfectly.. try downloading a tool named FreeCommander… makes works easier .. because all hidden files are displayed.. from Kenya with love
I have an HP Pavilion a1640n, and I can use F10 to do a destructive recovery of Windows XP MCE 2005, but if I try to make a set of recovery disks, it tells me they have already been made. If I try the trick of renaming hpcd.sys to something else on D: and in C:\windows\SMINST, it tells me that the recovery partition is not found: “No valid boot image found in recovery partition!” It then goes on to tell me that I can order CD’s from customer support.
It does this before and after I do the destructive recovery. I have looked all over for a solution to this, but so far nothing. Are we going to let HP win?
OK, so here’s my workaround:
I cloned the working hard disk to another disk, then formatted the user partition (C: drive) on the cloned disk, to blank it out, leaving the working recovery partition alone. I then used Acronis software to make a backup of this clone. Now, any time I need to reinstall this computer, I can just restore from my Acronis image, and then recover the OS from factory using F10.
Tested it, and it works.
Pavilion dv6 Windows7
remove this files
c:\ProgramData\Hewlett-Packard\recovery\hpdrcu.prc
d:\hpdrcu.prc
After finally getting the Vista HP dv6227 cl Laptop to show system files, I could only find hpcd.sys in my recovery partition; I cut it out and put it in a new folder on the desktop (in case I needed to re-insert it) and it worked!!! Thank You So Much!!! I’m going to see if win7 works well and need to have a way back if I’m not happy with it! Again, Thanks for giving me piece of mind!
My friend has HP Pro 3420 AiO PC with W7 Home Premium and using hp recovery manager with ideas above (RMCStatus.bin and Rebecca.dat) was not possible since there were no such files (used Total Commander, option to view secret and hidden files checked of course). Is it possible they have changed it?
Found solution myself :-)
In my case those 2 files need to be removed/renamed and everything goes then OK:
D:\hpdrcu.prc
C:\ProgramData\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery\hpdrcu.prc
The only file I needed to delete to restore recovery media creation was the following:
c:\windows\sminst\hpcd.sys
After that, worked like a charm.
HP is stupid for implementing this feature to begin with, besides, in most cases if the computer has a recovery partition you can boot directly from it via either special key command or advanced boot options // startup repair // then to factory restore through advanced options…
Awesome, it worked, had to do a full file search for them (hpdrcu.*) but it worked
Rang HP and they were very unhelpful
Thank you
Steve’s solution (and Grille 12) is correct.
thanks
I was given an HP dv6 Notebook PC running Vista Home Premium. I remember when she got it, we created the recovery cd’s. She can’t find them. Now that *I* have the laptop, it’s a mess, and it NEEDS to be reformatted.
Funny thing — WHY is there no SYSTEM REFORMAT on this machine? This is crazy! I’ve done System Reformats soooo many times I can’t even count anymore. It doesn’t make any sense to me. The only way I can figure this out is to make another set of recovery disks, and — guess what? I can’t, because they were already made. So, here I am — reading. :) Wish me luck!!!
Well — open mouth, insert foot. While searching for all these darn hpcd,sys files, in the still non-existent SMINST folder, I finally did a search for the recovery folder, hoping to cut and paste to my desktop as in an above-mentioned comment. Found the System Recovery folder, and it led to a few files. One was the Disk Creation — didn’t work, obviously. And one was a Recovery Manager, but it was NOT the same Recovery Manager that I had actually had been using from the Start Menu Orb — it was different! I actually had the option to do a System Restore to Factory Settings! Whoop! :) I don’t know WHY this one is different, but it’s now restoring, and hopefully, it’ll let me do another set of recovery cd’s. I didn’t need anything on this laptop — it was just my mom’s stuff. I’m definitely going to take note of all the wonderful information above though before I get started, and make sure all files are there!!!
So, thanks for the few years of info, and yikes — what a mess…
Works perfect…
Tested on a HP laptop 8710p.
Thanks man!
This worked perfectly for me:
Delete or rename:
C:/Programfiles (x86)/sminst/HPCD.sys
and
D:/HPCD.sys
for a Presario SR5130NX hpcd.sys existed only on D:\ I deleted it and was able to create recovery discs.
Cheers
D:/HPcd.sys (rename)
C:\Windows\SMINST\hpcd.sys(would not come up in search) had to find it.
HP pavillion dv5, Windows vists
Awesome info, now I can make back up disks.
i have a hp touchsmart iq846 how do i do the recovery disk since mine was created but now lost them please someone help me guide me through this
i have a hp touchsmart iq846 disk was created but lost , i am not a teck person would someone please help me a guide me through this please
i have an hp pavillion G6 notebook..
it is only 3 weeks old…but wanted to do this fix before i burn my restore discs…
have scoured the tinterweb for last 3/4 hours…
have searched for ALL the files thats been mentioned…
i aint got no SMINST folder…
aint got no recovery folder either…
anybody any ideas ?
cheers guys ;-)
hp pavilion sleekbook 15
The only file I needed to delete to restore recovery media creation was the following:
D:\recovery\UCRD.flg
D:\RMCStatus.bin
I have an HP Probook 6570b and i cant find any of the files.
what can i do?
Thank you to all who contributed to this thread and helped me figure out how to run a 2nd DVD Recovery Copy.
I’m guessing both solutions work (deleting hpcd.sys or hpdrcu.prc) depending on the version of Win7 and the model of HP. On my (AMD 64) Pavilion with Win7 Home Premium, I found only the hpdrcu.prc files. However, as Win7 lacks a proper search (Find) feature, some may find it hard to find both files; e.g.
1) If you have partitioned your drive, you may have removed the drive (letter) for the Recovery Partition. As a result, my search with the Everything tool didn’t find the file-name on the un-lettered partition. You need to use diskmgmt.msc to Add a Letter for this partition.
2) If you are ultra cautious and chose to rename the *.prc files (instead of deleting them), Win7 does not give you confirmation of successfully renaming them. For peace of mind you can use the DOS Command – CMD in Run – and navigate to the two drives and folders. Using the Attrib *.* command, you’ll see both your files renamed, if that was your intention.
Hope this helps a little more.