Flaws in HP Recovery Manager
This posts shares some major drawbacks I’m experiencing in Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ) Recovery Manager software. (Recovery Manager is a software shipped with computer systems using which it is possible to retrieve your files when a system has crashed and you’re unable to boot)
This is how HP recovery manager works:
1. Insert Recovery disc you might have created for your new laptop
2. You may opt to take backup of the files existing in your HDD or proceed and restore the system to factory condition.
Now,
If I choose to take backup of the files, the application asks me “what all type of files you want to take backup”. I can choose out of a set of options like photos, videos, songs, documents etc. Once I select my preferences (like “retrieve all documents and photos, ignore other contents” it asks me to insert a USB device into which the data can be backed up.
Theoretically that looks fine. But this entire process just didn’t serve my purpose last time when my system had to be reset to factory condition. Besides other files, I had a word document, in .docx format (Microsoft needs to stay in Business by bringing in new files extensions ;) ), on which I had spent nearly 7 days of effort.
Problem starts here:
One: The application doesn’t tell you what all files it is backing up and what all it is ignoring. It doesn’t allow you to select a specific file.
Two: It doesn’t tell how much space the USB device in which contents are being backed up should have. I inserted 2 GB pen drive, it said there’re not enough space. I could proceed with backup only when I connected a 120GB USB hard drive. (120GB HDD to backup a 20kb word file!-Not everyone will keep a 120GB HDD on standby)(Total backedup files measured around 30GB space, due to the format in which backup files were created by the recovery manager. The contents I could make use of, was less than 1 GB- All I was interested was one single .docx file sized less than 150 kb)
It doesn’t recognize many of the file formats. For example it didn’t recognize .docx as a word document and didn’t back up the same. I just lost it forever. Similarly I’m sure it wont backup several other formats crucial for certain people (You might be working on specific files depending on your work. If HP RM cant backup those files you’re at risk of loosing them)
Is it not possible to design a recovery software which gives me access to the directories and lets me select what files I need and what I don’t? (Instead of blindly saying “backup all music files”)
Since this is a recovery software and I can create recovery disc only once, I’m stuck with this incompetent utility for rest of the life of my HP laptop. (I.e. it is not possible to fix this problem by means of patches, updates etc)
Anyone has got any work around?
I’m not sure how recovery softwares of Sony, Dell and other notebook vendors work. Someone using those products please write your observations.
Update: This review, cross posted on Mouthshut was identified as review of the day on 7th Feb 2008.
Related: HP vs Dell vs Sony vs LG vs Lenovo vs Acer vs Sahara vs other notebooks
This is how HP recovery manager works:
1. Insert Recovery disc you might have created for your new laptop
2. You may opt to take backup of the files existing in your HDD or proceed and restore the system to factory condition.
Now,
If I choose to take backup of the files, the application asks me “what all type of files you want to take backup”. I can choose out of a set of options like photos, videos, songs, documents etc. Once I select my preferences (like “retrieve all documents and photos, ignore other contents” it asks me to insert a USB device into which the data can be backed up.
Theoretically that looks fine. But this entire process just didn’t serve my purpose last time when my system had to be reset to factory condition. Besides other files, I had a word document, in .docx format (Microsoft needs to stay in Business by bringing in new files extensions ;) ), on which I had spent nearly 7 days of effort.
Problem starts here:
One: The application doesn’t tell you what all files it is backing up and what all it is ignoring. It doesn’t allow you to select a specific file.
Two: It doesn’t tell how much space the USB device in which contents are being backed up should have. I inserted 2 GB pen drive, it said there’re not enough space. I could proceed with backup only when I connected a 120GB USB hard drive. (120GB HDD to backup a 20kb word file!-Not everyone will keep a 120GB HDD on standby)(Total backedup files measured around 30GB space, due to the format in which backup files were created by the recovery manager. The contents I could make use of, was less than 1 GB- All I was interested was one single .docx file sized less than 150 kb)
It doesn’t recognize many of the file formats. For example it didn’t recognize .docx as a word document and didn’t back up the same. I just lost it forever. Similarly I’m sure it wont backup several other formats crucial for certain people (You might be working on specific files depending on your work. If HP RM cant backup those files you’re at risk of loosing them)
Is it not possible to design a recovery software which gives me access to the directories and lets me select what files I need and what I don’t? (Instead of blindly saying “backup all music files”)
Since this is a recovery software and I can create recovery disc only once, I’m stuck with this incompetent utility for rest of the life of my HP laptop. (I.e. it is not possible to fix this problem by means of patches, updates etc)
Anyone has got any work around?
I’m not sure how recovery softwares of Sony, Dell and other notebook vendors work. Someone using those products please write your observations.
Update: This review, cross posted on Mouthshut was identified as review of the day on 7th Feb 2008.
Related: HP vs Dell vs Sony vs LG vs Lenovo vs Acer vs Sahara vs other notebooks
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