Compaq Quick Restore without the CD!
Compaq kindly shipped some systems without including the Quick Restore disk. However, all is not lost as the images and restore applications are present on the small system partition on the hard disk. Here is the procedure we used to fix a Presario 1200 Notebook that required a restore, for which we didn’t have the CDROM or floppy restore disk.
1. Created a Windows ME startup disk
2. Added a RESTORE.SCR file to this disk. The file contained the following PowerQuest Drive Image commands:
SELECT DRIVE 1
SELECT PARTITION 1
DELETE
SELECT FREESPACE LARGEST
SELECT IMAGE 1
RESTORE
SELECT PARTITION 1
SET ACTIVE
3. A RESTORE.BAT file was created with the following DOS commands:
d:\cpqs\tools\pqdice.exe /cmd=a:\restore.scr
(continuation of last line) /img=d:\data\en\factory.pqi /nrb
echo Now remove the disks and reboot!
4. Booted the system from the startup disk
5. Ran the RESTORE.BAT file which kicked off the drive image restore. Many minutes later it was finished!
6. Rebooted the system and cancelled any restore utilities that attempted to run.
Hope this helps out others with a similar problem!
DISCLAIMER:
This procedure is for information purposes only. We cannot guarantee it will work for you! Use it at your own risk!
October 19th, 2007 at 4:20 am
Thank you very much for this.
This process also works on a Presario 5000 Desktop.
October 19th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Thanks for the feedback. Nice to know it can be used on other models.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I was given a Presario 1200 with a failed harddrive to recover. With lots of patience I finally kept it running long enough to network it to my dell and copy the d:\system_sav
to my hard drive. I then installed the new drive. setup windows xp demo version and copied the restore section over to the new hard drive. was then able to extract all the files to the c drive. But it would not overwrite the xp. and for what I need me is fine. Using your method I’ve gotten the quick restore up to 78% in 4 minutes, then it hangs. Probably corruption or maybe just some other level of compaq protecting us from ourselves. I messed with fdisk and pqmagice so much I don’t doubt it to be corrupted. Since the system_sav files are on my machine with dvd burner I think I’ll start over. format the drive, copy the dvd to d:system_save and try again. Thanks
Paul
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 am
This also works with a XP boot disk!
For FAT32 partions use as is, for NTFS partions (CHECK FIRST) because OS partion won’t show up with the boot disk, modify RESTORE.BAT as follows:
c:\cpqs\tools\pqdice.exe /cmd=a:\restore.scr /img=c:\data\en\factory.pqi /nrb
Still all one line!
To make the Restore automatically start add this (RESTORE.BAT) to the AUOTEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk!
September 10th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
GIANT thumbs up! For some reason my $20 (yard sale) Presario 5400 wouldn’t use the floppy drive, (I/O errors, etc.); yes I tried different known good FDDs and cables, and the FDD is correctly recognized/defined in the CMOS (BIOS) setup menu. Either the O/B FDD controller is faulty, or system BIOS is corrupted/infected? So using another PC with working FDD and UBCD4WIN “Live CD” and Small CD writer I made a bootable CD to which I copied RESTORE.SCR and RESTORE.BAT. I also used that same floppy as the boot image for Small CD writer. I used a Win98SE boot floppy which has no config.sys or autoexec.bat or CDROM support, not a “start” floppy, because I didn’t want my “Restore” CD to ironically enough, have CDROM support. After booting up into pure DOS with my homemade “Restore” CDROM, I simply entered RESTORE.BAT, et voila! It worked! I got some error message about open files at the end of the image write, but all was well upon reboot. Using a “keyfinder” I saw that the “CD Key” was different than the one on my case “COA” sticker. It is probably the same one as all or at least most Compaqs use, because they load the same image onto all of the same, or similar ‘puters at the factory. No “WPA” “activation” either. Now to remove all of that “junk” (e.g. AOL, Compuserve, Compaq Advisor) and update with C’T ofline updater! Not bad for a 20 dollar yard sale ‘puter. P.S. As an aside, I was outsmarted by this ‘puter’s BIOS. It wouldn’t boot with a modded 1 Ghz Tualatin Celery processor with the “upclock” modification (break off one of the BF pins, I forget which one, just “Google” it, (133 FSB, 1.3 Ghz CPU clock), even though that very same chip works fine in my Tualatin Gigabyte mobo. Compaq must be part of the M$/Intel “Evil Empire” too!
September 10th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
P.S. Yesterday I chatted at length with an HP/Compaq techie on their support website, which was very nice of them considering that this antique is about seven years old. He was clueless! He pointed me to an HP website which had information which might work with newer Compaqs, and told me to repeatedly press F10 at the beginning of the system boot to enter “recovery mode”, all to no avail. He finally told me that I needed to order the CDs from HP. I guess that even the HP/Compaq people, as generous as their support is don’t know all there is about their own, albeit older (ca.2001-2002?) ‘puters! I did however surmise/suspect that being as the D:\ (System_sav) partition was FAT32, I thought that the “restore” process probably involved using DOS “7″. So I googled it, and after finding this site, I checked the paths and files mentioned above against my “system_save” partition, and as everything checked out, I gave it a try! Either you’re a Compaq insider, or a genius! Thanks a lot!
September 10th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Glad you found the post useful. It is also great that you took the time to comment to help other people who come along in the future.
We certainly aren’t Compaq insiders so it must be the other option that applies!
January 14th, 2009 at 1:37 am
i wonder how you can create and add the files
restore.scr and restore.bat. please let me know this as I spoilt my computer which was a gift to my little daughter.
January 14th, 2009 at 2:04 am
This subject is highly technical, but the information you appear to be asking about is simple. May we suggest that you find someone who understands the technical side of this post or you may mess things up even more.
You can always run the Recovery Disk (CD/DVD) through the system to get it back to normal. These can be purchased from HP Compaq if you’ve lost or not made them.
Sorry but we cannot provide free technical support on this subject.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Awesome, this work for presario 5bw120. My wife could not understand why I’m so happy restoring win98
but for me it was a nice reminder of a Intel386, 486dx2 times (quake, voodoo, duke n3d and multi config.sys ‘games’, ‘work’ with all magic dos commands 
. Thanks again
February 28th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Thanks Weblog……this DOS fix worked perfectly to restore my system. Couldn’t find the info anywhere else.
February 28th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Thank you everyone for the feedback.
Glad we managed to help you out.
August 8th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Thanks for sharing this. Worked perfectly.
HP/Compaq gives no clues on restoring from the save partition when windows won’t boot.
August 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am
HP/Compaq probably wanted to sell you a Recovery disk set! Glad you’re all sorted without forking out a wad of cash to HP.