Background;
I have a HP Pavilion dv5-1004nr laptop that failed and was set back to HP. The fix was system board and hard drive replacement and of course, they re-installed the OS.
Since getting the device back I have had issues getting it back to where it was before it failed.
The last issue was a problem getting my Samsung SyncMaster external monitor to display properly.
After several emails with HP Tech Support and updating the BIOS and ATI, the monitor still does not work properly, so they suggested sending me a disc set to re-install my OS.

My Question is - I have the HP Recovery disc set I created about 3 months after I bought this device. Will this recovery set re-install my OS AND ANY DATA that was on the system when the discs were created (I'm hoping to recover my Contacts)?
Thanks....

"Jim537" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:cb17f7a2eb752bc23a3f8af29c562a94@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

>
> Background;
> I have a HP Pavilion dv5-1004nr laptop that failed and was set back to
> HP. The fix was system board and hard drive replacement and of course,
> they re-installed the OS.
> Since getting the device back I have had issues getting it back to
> where it was before it failed.
> The last issue was a problem getting my Samsung SyncMaster external
> monitor to display properly.
> After several emails with HP Tech Support and updating the BIOS and
> ATI, the monitor still does not work properly, so they suggested sending
> me a disc set to re-install my OS.
>
> My Question is - I have the HP Recovery disc set I created about 3
> months after I bought this device. Will this recovery set re-install my
> OS AND ANY DATA that was on the system when the discs were created (I'm
> hoping to recover my Contacts)?
> Thanks....
>
>
> --
> Jim537

No user data at all is included in a system recovery. It will only reinstall
the OS and HP supplied software. If you run the recovery in destructive mode
it will also reformat and partition the harddrive, which will destroy all
existing user data, before reinstalling the OS, software and recovery
partition. More specific details about what you are trying to do could help
in sorting this out.

Getting an external monitor to work shouldn't require such extreme measures
in the first place. Install a Samsung monitor driver for your model and set
an appropriate resolution in the Display settings. Provided you aren't
trying to use settings that are out of range for either the monitor or the
graphics adapter that should be the end of it unless there is a problem with
the graphics adapter drivers or the graphics hardware. Make sure that the
graphics adapter driver you install is the correct version-- graphics
chipsets integrated on motherboards often require different drivers than a
regular video card with the same graphics chip would use.

Check that the way you want to use the external monitor is actually possible
with that computer. A graphics chipset may be theoretically capable of a
wide range of resolutions which is however limited by the amount of memory
set aside for graphics use. If there is a BIOS setting to adjust the amount
of graphics memory make sure you have allocated enough of it.

Some graphics chipsets can operate only in an 'either-or' mode between
internal and external monitors, others can run two monitors simultaneously.
Apart from a physical switch to enable an external connector there might
also be a BIOS setting to check. The video driver may allow both clone and
extended modes of operation, with the latter placing desktop icons and
taskbar only on the primary monitor. With the ATI driver a simple checkbox
enables/disables extended display mode. Display resolutions should be the
same on both monitors in clone mode but each can be different in extended
display mode.

Thanks, Ralfg...

The Samsung monitor had been running prior to the the hardware failures on the laptop. When I origianally installed it many months ago, it was simply plug and play.
The problem arose when I tried to re-install the monitor after I got the PC back from HP. I tried all the VISTA setup for external monitor and the ATI setup process to no avail. The screen appeared "elongated" and the task bar was below the screen frame where you could not see it.
I then started a email string with HP Support and they recommended and sent directions to do 3 things:
Set bios to default - did not resolve
Update the bios - did not resolve
Update video driver - did not resolve
Of course, updating the bios wiped out some other drivers and my wireless keyboard and mouse no longer worked anymore so we were just getting deeper into more issues as well as not resolving the monitor problem.
They then decided they would send me a disc set to re-install the OS/HP apps.
At that point I suggested using my HP Recovery discs, which they did not recommend. My hope was that I might salvage my contacts as they did not get re-installed when I ran my backup/restore.
But, as you so aptly noted, no data gets put back when the recovery discs are used, so I guess I'll wait for the HP disc set to arrive in a few days and start all over again!
Fortunately I have a back up with a HP mini netbook so I can still do email and browsing while this device gets recreated.

Press the auto tune button on your monitor and watch everything snap into
place.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Jim537" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:f5abd93ec16f8aa82fa70c59087e5443@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

>
> Thanks, Ralfg...
>
> The Samsung monitor had been running prior to the the hardware failures
> on the laptop. When I origianally installed it many months ago, it was
> simply plug and play.
> The problem arose when I tried to re-install the monitor after I got
> the PC back from HP. I tried all the VISTA setup for external monitor
> and the ATI setup process to no avail. The screen appeared "elongated"
> and the task bar was below the screen frame where you could not see it.
> I then started a email string with HP Support and they recommended and
> sent directions to do 3 things:
> Set bios to default - did not resolve
> Update the bios - did not resolve
> Update video driver - did not resolve
> Of course, updating the bios wiped out some other drivers and my
> wireless keyboard and mouse no longer worked anymore so we were just
> getting deeper into more issues as well as not resolving the monitor
> problem.
> They then decided they would send me a disc set to re-install the OS/HP
> apps.
> At that point I suggested using my HP Recovery discs, which they did
> not recommend. My hope was that I might salvage my contacts as they did
> not get re-installed when I ran my backup/restore.
> But, as you so aptly noted, no data gets put back when the recovery
> discs are used, so I guess I'll wait for the HP disc set to arrive in a
> few days and start all over again!
> Fortunately I have a back up with a HP mini netbook so I can still do
> email and browsing while this device gets recreated.
>
>
> --
> Jim537

Unless you back up the files you need using safe mode your personnel files
will most likely be lost since the recovery disks just reinstall the initial
OS that came with your computer.
Do I understand correctly that you have installed the latest ATI drivers
from the ATI Website for your graphics card using safe mode and not any
drivers from the MS website?

"Jim537" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:f5abd93ec16f8aa82fa70c59087e5443@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

>
> Thanks, Ralfg...
>
> The Samsung monitor had been running prior to the the hardware failures
> on the laptop. When I origianally installed it many months ago, it was
> simply plug and play.
> The problem arose when I tried to re-install the monitor after I got
> the PC back from HP. I tried all the VISTA setup for external monitor
> and the ATI setup process to no avail. The screen appeared "elongated"
> and the task bar was below the screen frame where you could not see it.
> I then started a email string with HP Support and they recommended and
> sent directions to do 3 things:
> Set bios to default - did not resolve
> Update the bios - did not resolve
> Update video driver - did not resolve
> Of course, updating the bios wiped out some other drivers and my
> wireless keyboard and mouse no longer worked anymore so we were just
> getting deeper into more issues as well as not resolving the monitor
> problem.
> They then decided they would send me a disc set to re-install the OS/HP
> apps.
> At that point I suggested using my HP Recovery discs, which they did
> not recommend. My hope was that I might salvage my contacts as they did
> not get re-installed when I ran my backup/restore.
> But, as you so aptly noted, no data gets put back when the recovery
> discs are used, so I guess I'll wait for the HP disc set to arrive in a
> few days and start all over again!
> Fortunately I have a back up with a HP mini netbook so I can still do
> email and browsing while this device gets recreated.
>
>
> --
> Jim537

Thanks for the replies..

Richard - if only it was that simple! That button has been pushed many times!!

Curious - I installed the ATI drivers HP directed me to (not in safe mode).
I had previously (before getting to HP Tech Support), installed drivers via PnP and the drivers on the disc supplied by Samsung with the monitor. No matter what I did the monitor would not display in the proper format. It's been frustrating.....

What is the model number of the monitor?
What model ATI graphics card/chip do you have on your system and what
release of ATI drivers are you using for it?
What interface are you using from the graphics card to the monitor/

"Jim537" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:f299eae51ca8a007679bf22c1009b5dc@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

>
> Thanks for the replies..
>
> Richard - if only it was that simple! That button has been pushed many
> times!!
>
> Curious - I installed the ATI drivers HP directed me to (not in safe
> mode).
> I had previously (before getting to HP Tech Support), installed drivers
> via PnP and the drivers on the disc supplied by Samsung with the
> monitor. No matter what I did the monitor would not display in the
> proper format. It's been frustrating.....
>
>
> --
> Jim537

The monitor is a Sumsung SyncMaster 931bf
ATI graphics is ATI Radeon HD 3200
ATI driver 8.563.00
Interface is standard monitor connection on laptop (which worked just fine with original OS build when new)

I note that your monitor is a 4:3 1280xx1024 monitor and therefore you PC
desktop should be set to 1280x1024.
If the driver is a 8.5 driver that normally would mean that it is a May 2008
driver which means that it is a year old not the latest one from the ATI
website which AFAIK is the 9.5 driver.

"Jim537" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:1475a67664a52322a274421c1e6a23f0@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

>
> The monitor is a Sumsung SyncMaster 931bf
> ATI graphics is ATI Radeon HD 3200
> ATI driver 8.563.00
> Interface is standard monitor connection on laptop (which worked just
> fine with original OS build when new)
>
>
> --
> Jim537

Yup - you are correct on the monitor. However, I can't set it to 1280x1024.
Every time I tried it was rejected and dropped back to the next setting.
As for the driver, the one I indicated is the one I just installed via HP Tech Support Yesterday.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt at this time to try the latest and greatest. Although I must admit to some skepticism as the monitor worked ok with what ever driver was on the system as of last September.