Hewlett-Packard Hidden Partition

**hamstar** · 12-01-2005, 08:33 PM

Hey guys,

I'm fixing my friends family computer and its an HP

Anyway, I'm taking XP off it as the machine should never had been shipped with such a resource hungry OS, but I do not want to download the drivers...

So I figured I'd just rip them off the hidden partition that I can access with Partition Magic 8's drive explorer...

But, I am not sure where to find the drivers... I have found a folder called drivers but only the .sys files arepresent there is no .inf or .cat files? Is this it or are they kept somewhere else?

Also, PM explorer is a rather crude program, and when I try to copyfiles from hidden drives, it doesnt work...

Can anyone recommend a better hidden partition program?

Cheers,

Hamstar

**Speedy Gonzales** · 12-01-2005, 08:38 PM

If youre not going to reinstall/install 2000 or XP. The drivers may not work, if u install 98 or ME. You may not have any choice BUT to find out what drivers are where, and for what, and download them.

**hamstar** · 12-01-2005, 08:56 PM

what?

Im putting Windows 2000 on it, and surely the drivers would be the same... same kernel...?

**Speedy Gonzales** · 12-01-2005, 09:00 PM

Windows 2000 picks up most things like XP. Depends whats in the case, I spose. It would install most drivers off the 2k cd, if you install 2k from scratch - a clean install.

**hamstar** · 12-01-2005, 09:11 PM

Yep, doing a clean win2k install...

But will the sys files in the drivers folder be enuff?

Cos I was thinking just copy them all put them in a folder and when the wizard wants them I just point it tothe folder.... but then again, doesnt the wizard look for inf files?

**Speedy Gonzales** · 13-01-2005, 08:35 AM

If u do a clean install, the drivers should install to the right place/folder.

And if 2k knows what the device is, it should install the driver. I used to have 2k installed, BUT the only thing was, it didnt detect (well there are no drivers for it / Win 2000 anyway), was my digital video cam.

Everything else worked / installed fine. I had to wipe it, and install XP. Coz XP finds and installs drivers for it quite happily. The only thing, you may have to install are videocard drivers, if u can find out what videocard u have.

As 2000 will most probably install some crap driver, that will only give u 8 or 16 colours! Or not let u change the resolution on the screen. It depends what else is in the case. With systems like Dell/HP/Compaq,you MAY have to go to the site and download drivers like the modem drivers / or sound, these systems are picky on what drivers u use. Default drivers from XP or 2k DON'T always work.

**Rob99** · 13-01-2005, 08:44 AM

What are the system specs, it could just be all the hp crap that is holding the comp back, and I can tell you some good tweaks you can make to XP to make it go faster.

I would say keep XP and dont down-grade the OS.

**Robby** · 13-01-2005, 09:18 AM

gidday,

I dont think changing the OS will stop the problems, as xp is based
on windows 2000 anyway.

It may be more prudent to look at ways of freeing the system up first.
xp is a pretty stable system, but it needs at a mimimum, 256mb ram,
if the computer is under that, then it would be a good start to increase
this.

HP machines tend to ship with software installed that you may not have a use for, and uninstalling these, would also free resources.

Finally run a cleaner like washandgo, and xpregscrub,

If you are thinking of installing sp2, check the HP web site before as there,
are patches that require installing before.

good luck,

Robby

**theother1** · 13-01-2005, 12:10 PM

Longhorn will be the death of Microsoft
Open Source will Reise!!!

What the!!! This is far too cryptic for me1

**hamstar** · 13-01-2005, 01:38 PM

OK, first of all, don't tell me to do something else as this is already what I'm doing.

I have cleansed the machine with adaware, and cleansing of the registry, installing firefox, however the machine still dilly dallys around.

XP is a sh*t operating system and I am cleansing the machine of this virus. 2000 will run faster than XP because it does not have all the bloat and 'features' that xp comes with. Going to Windows 2000 is an Upgrade.

There is no HP software running that I can see. Through sniffing through the run key, and the three fingered salute.

Why is it that people always offer alternatives rather than answering the question.

Please, I simply want to know if anyone knows where the drivers are kept on the hidden partition, I think I have found them but don't know if the *.sys files are enuff...

SYS SPECS:
1.3GHz Duron
128MB RAM
40GB Hard Drive