[. . . ] 6 Restore to a previous date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 Performing a recovery Recovering from the recovery discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Recovering from the dedicated recovery partition (select models only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ] If the partition is present, an HP Recovery drive is listed in the Hard Disk Drives section of the window. 1 2 Creating recovery discs HP recommends that you create recovery discs to be sure that you can restore your system to its original factory state if you experience serious system failure or instability. NOTE: If your computer does not include an internal optical drive, you can use an optional external optical drive (purchased separately) to create recovery discs, or you can purchase recovery discs for your computer from the HP Web site. Note the following guidelines before creating recovery discs: You will need high-quality DVD-R, double-layer DVD-R, DVD+R, double-layer DVD+R, BD-R (writable Blu-ray), or CD-R discs. If you use CDs, up to 20 discs may be required, whereas only a few DVDs or BDs are required. NOTE: Read-write discs, such as CD-RW, DVD±RW, double-layer DVD±RW, and BD-RE (rewritable Blu-ray) discs, are not compatible with the Recovery Manager software. If necessary, you can exit the program before you have finished creating the recovery discs. The next time you open Recovery Manager, you will be prompted to continue the disc creation process. To create a set of recovery discs: 1. Select Start > All Programs > Recovery Manager > Recovery Manager. NOTE: If you are operating the computer on battery power, you will be prompted to connect to AC power before you can go to the next step. Follow the on-screen instructions. 2 Chapter 2 Creating recovery discs 3 Backing up your information 3 When to back up On a regularly scheduled basis NOTE: Set reminders to back up your information periodically. Before the computer is repaired or restored Before you add or modify hardware or software 4 Chapter 3 Backing up your information Backup suggestions Create a set of recovery discs using Recovery Manager. Create system restore points using the Windows® System Restore feature, and periodically copy them to disc. Store personal files in the Documents folder and back up this folder periodically. Save customized settings in a window, toolbar, or menu bar by taking a screen shot of your settings. The screen shot can be a time-saver if you have to reset your preferences. To copy the screen and paste it into a word-processing document, follow these steps: a. Open a word-processing document, and then select Edit > Paste. Backup suggestions 5 Using system restore points When you back up your system, you are creating a system restore point. A system restore point allows you to save and name a snapshot of your hard drive at a specific point in time. You can then recover back to that point if you want to reverse subsequent changes made to your system. NOTE: Recovering to an earlier restore point does not affect data files saved or e-mails created since the last restore point. [. . . ] NOTE: Recovery Manager recovers only software that was preinstalled at the factory. Software not provided with this computer must be downloaded from the manufacturer's Web site or reinstalled from the disc provided by the manufacturer. Recovering from the recovery discs To restore the system from the recovery discs: 1. Insert the first recovery disc into the optical drive and restart the computer. Follow the on-screen instructions. Recovering from the recovery discs 7 Recovering from the dedicated recovery partition (select models only) NOTE: If your computer includes an SSD, you may not have a recovery partition. [. . . ]