HP m7100e, m7100y, m7160n, m7163w, m7167c Troubleshooting

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PC Troubleshooting and System Recovery Guide

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Table of Contents

Recovering from Software Problems .............................................. 1

PC Repair Overview .................................................................................1

Restarting Your PC ....................................................................................1

Turning Off Your PC ..................................................................................1

Updating Drivers ......................................................................................2

Microsoft System Restore ...........................................................................2

Application Recovery and Driver Recovery ..................................................2

System Recovery Overview........................................................................3

Creating System Recovery Discs .................................................................4

Creating a Recovery Tools CD....................................................................4

Running System Recovery from Recovery Discs.............................................5

Running System Recovery from the Hard Disc Drive ......................................5

Hard Disk Drive Space ................................................................... 7

Troubleshooting ............................................................................. 7

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iv PC Troubleshooting and System Recovery Guide

Recovering from Software Problems

NOTE: If you are replacing a hard disk drive, you

only have to run the System Recovery.

The PC uses the operating system and installed software programs during normal operation. If your PC works improperly or stops because of the software, you may be able to repair it.

Some software repairs are as simple as restarting your PC, and others require performing a System Recovery from files on your hard disk drive.

Your hard disk drive contains a System Recovery image that includes all the software files that were originally installed on your PC at the factory. In the unlikely event that you need to recover your system, it is easy to do so using this recovery image.

Because all the necessary information is contained in the System Recovery image on your hard disk drive, recovery discs are not included in the accessory box.

As a backup, you can make your own copy of this system recovery image onto CD or DVD discs as described in “Creating System Recovery Discs“ later in this document.

You should also make the HP PC Recovery Tools CD. This CD contains utilities that allow you to make changes to your hard disk drive. See “Creating a Recovery Tools CD“ for more information.

NOTE: It is important that you perform the PC repair methods in the order described in this document.

Additionally, your PC may include a Software Repair Wizard (select models only). You can use this wizard to access many of the repair methods described in this chapter, including:

• Creating System Recovery discs

• Microsoft System Restore

• Application Recovery and Driver Recovery

• System Recovery

You can start the Software Repair Wizard by doubleclicking the desktop icon or clicking Start, All

Programs, PC Help & Tools, and then Software Repair Wizard.

Restarting Your PC

Restarting is the simplest repair method for your PC. When you restart, the PC reloads the operating system and software into its memory.

To restart your PC:

1 Close all open programs and windows. 2 Click Start. 3 Choose Tu rn Off Com puter. 4 Click Restart.

Turning Off Your PC

PC Repair Overview

This section lists the available methods to fix your PC if you are experiencing software problems. Detailed instructions about each method are in the sections that follow. You must perform the procedures in the order listed here.

• Restarting your PC

• Turning off your PC

• Updating drivers

• Microsoft System Restore

• Application Recovery and Driver Recovery

• System Recovery

When you turn off your PC and then turn it on again, you force the PC to reload the operating system into its memory, which clears some tracking information. This may eliminate some problems that can remain after performing a restart.

To turn off your PC:

1 Close all open programs and windows. 2 Click Start. 3 Choose Tu rn Off Com puter. 4 Click Tur n Off. 5 Start your PC by pressing the On button.

PC Troubleshooting and System Recovery Guide 1

Updating Drivers

A driver is a software program that allows your PC to communicate with an attached device, such as a printer, a hard disk drive, a mouse, or a keyboard.

Complete the following procedure to update a driver, or to revert to an earlier version of the driver if the new one does not solve your problem.

1 Click Start, right-click on My Computer, and

then click Properties. The System Properties window displays.

2 Click the Hardware tab, and then Device

Manager. The Device Manager displays.

3 Click the plus sign (+) to expand the device whose

driver you want to update or rollback, (for example, Keyboard). Right-click the specific item (for example, PS-2 Keyboard), and then select Properties. The Properties window for the selected device displays.

4 Click Update Driver or Rollback Driver, and

follow the onscreen instructions.

Microsoft System Restore

Microsoft® Windows® XP includes a feature that allows you to restore your PC configuration to that of a previous time when a current software problem did not exist. The feature does this by creating a “restore point” where it records the PC settings at that time and date.

When you add programs by clicking Add New Programs in the Add or Remove Programs window (accessed by clicking Start, Control Panel, and then Add or Remove Programs), the operating system automatically creates a restore point before it adds the new software. You can also set them manually.

If you experience a problem that you think may be due to software on your computer, use System Restore to return the PC to a previous restore point.

ARNING: Always use this System Restore procedure before using the HP PC System Recovery program.

To start a System Restore:

1 Close all open programs. 2 Click Start. 3 Choose All Programs. 4 Choose Accessories. 5 Choose System Tools. 6 Click System Restore. 7 Click Next. 8 Follow the onscreen instructions.

To manually add restore points:

1 Close all open programs. 2 Click Start. 3 Choose All Programs. 4 Choose Accessories. 5 Choose System Tools. 6 Click Create a Restore Point. 7 Click Next. 8 Follow the onscreen instructions.

For more information about software restore points:

1 Click Start. 2 Click Help and Support. The Help and Support

Center displays.

3 Type system restore into the Search box, and then

click Search.

Application Recovery and Driver Recovery

If an individual factory-installed driver or software program (also know as an application) accidentally gets erased or damaged, you can reinstall the software program using the HP Application Recovery program (select models only).

NOTE: To ensure your PC includes the program,

perform steps 3 through 5 of the following procedure. If HP Application Recovery is listed in the PC Help & Tools folder, your PC includes the program.

2 PC Troubleshooting and System Recovery Guide

NOTE: Do not use the Application Recovery program

to reinstall software programs that came on CDs or DVDs included in the PC box. Reinstall these programs directly from the CDs or DVDs.

To start an Application Recovery or Driver Recovery:

1 Close all applications and folders (skip to step 3 if

you are recovering a driver).

2 Uninstall the damaged application:

a Click Start, Control Panel, and then Add or

Remove Programs.

b Select the program you want to remove, and

then click Change/Remove. 3 Click Start. 4 Choose All Programs. 5 Choose PC Help & Tools. 6 Click HP Application Recovery. 7 Click Application Installation or

Driver Installation, and then click Next.

8 Select the driver or application program to install,

and then click Install.

9 Repeat steps 7 and 8 to install other drivers or

applications.

10 When you have finished recovering applications or

drivers, close the Application Recovery program. Then click Start, Turn Off Computer, and then

Restart to restart the PC.

WARNING: Do not skip this last step. You must restart the PC when you are finished recovering applications or drivers.

System Recovery Overview

After you have tried the previously mentioned methods of repairing your system software, you can run the System Recovery program as a last resort to reinstall the operating system and the application software.

System Recovery provides two recovery options:

• Standard Recovery — This option recovers

factory-shipped programs, drivers, and the operating system without affecting any data files that you may have created since purchasing this PC. Some data files may be difficult to find after the System Recovery, so it is best to back up all hard disk drive files before performing a System Recovery.

• Full System Recovery — This option completely

erases and reformats the hard disk drive — this includes deleting all data files you have created. The full System Recovery reinstalls the operating system, programs, and drivers from the recovery image or discs. However, you must reinstall any software that was not installed on the PC at the factory. This includes software that came on CDs included in the PC accessory box, and software programs you installed since your purchase.

NOTE: If your PC has a blank or corrupted hard disk

drive, you will see only the full System Recovery option.

Additionally, you have to choose from the following methods for performing a System Recovery:

• Recovery Image — Run the recovery from a

recovery image stored on your hard disk drive. The recovery image is a file that contains a copy of the original software. To perform a system recovery from the recovery image on your hard disk drive, see “Running System Recovery from the Hard Disk Drive.”

NOTE: The recovery image uses a portion of the

hard disk drive that cannot be used for data storage.

• Recovery Discs — Run the recovery from a set of

recovery discs (CDs or DVDs) that you create from files stored on your hard disk drive. To create recovery discs, perform the procedure in the next section.

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