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 COLUMN
Revamping recovery THERE'S A CERTAIN magical quality to the operating system that comes with some PCs. It's there, but it's not there.
"I just bought a Windows XP computer from HP," wrote one reader shortly after XP's release last fall. "But there is no Windows XP CD in case something goes wrong, not even a recovery CD. I called HP asking for a CD, and was told that the hard disk has a recovery function built in, so I do not need it. You figure whatever it means, that hard disk has recovery ability! I asked them 'What do I need to do to get a CD?' and was told that the only way I can get CD is to buy a Windows XP copy from my local computer store!" Readers who called HP to complain were told that XP was so big that half a dozen or more CDs would be required to deliver all the recovery files. HP had therefore decided instead to put it all on the hard drive in a protected partition, at least theoretically allowing the recovery program to be accessed even when there was damage to other parts of the hard drive. Most readers were less than satisfied with HP's assurances and unhappy about having to give up four-plus gigabytes of hard drive space for the recovery program. Even less happy were those who discovered that the recovery files weren't always accessible when there was a problem. "After having my HP Pavilion 9905 since October 2001, I ran into some problems where I couldn't boot into XP and couldn't run HP's recovery program," another reader wrote. "So, I'm sitting here with a PC that at the moment is nonfunctional. HP's support's solution is to ship the whole tower back so that they can reimage my hard drive . ... What? Had I realized what kind of relationship I had unknowingly entered with HP [I wouldn't have purchased from them]. No one at HP volunteered the information that there are no recovery CDs shipped with your PC order. This to me means that unless I install another OS, HP controls my use of the PC that I paid them for." As the complaints mounted, readers reported a change in tone from HP. In January, the company announced that a set of Windows XP recovery CDs was available by calling HP customer service. To defray some of the costs of producing and shipping the CDs, however, HP decided to charge $9.95. Of course this didn't sit well with those who expected the recovery CD to come with their computer. But what really triggered a whole new wave of gripes was the fact that HP wouldn't send the recovery CDs to just any Pavilion customer ready to pay the $9.95. First, you had to answer some questions. "I called, and they said they couldn't send it to me," said a reader who wanted to have the recovery CDs as a backup option. "If you don't have an immediate need for it, they won't let you order it. So I've got to wait until my hard drive crashes and then sit around with no computer while I wait for the CD to arrive." HP's Web site states that customers can get the recovery CD set for three reasons: if their hard drive has failed, if it has been upgraded, or if it has been reformatted or repartitioned. Customers who just want to have the recovery CDs on hand in case something happens are out of luck. And why did HP feel obliged to ask why customers needed the CDs? Callers were told it was due to HP's "contractual obligations" to Microsoft. More than one reader noted ruefully that this puts users in a position of having to ask HP, and presumably Microsoft, for permission to create a Linux partition on their hard drive. HP officials say they are just trying to provide the best recovery solution they can. "For many years, one of the primary reasons for support calls have been people who have lost their recovery CDs," says Bruce Greenwood, North American marketing manager for HP's Pavilion line. "Our primary motivation was to avoid that. We went to the strategy of loading it on the hard drive because it's faster and it's selective. If you just want one particular driver, you don't need to reburn the whole disk like you do with many recovery CDs. And when we look at the metrics, our support calls have gone down. So we've been surprised at what an emotional issue this has become." Greenwood stresses that HP is still open to finding ways to further optimize its recovery solution. "We recognize that people have some valid concerns, and we're looking at things we can do to mitigate these issues." Providing customers with both the CDs and the disk-based recovery program is not an option though, as that would violate HP's agreements with Microsoft and other software partners. "They aren't asking us to be draconian in this -- they're just asking to have customers give us a reason ." Given all the problems readers have had with recovery CDs in the past, it is certainly possible that HP's disk-based program will prove on balance to be the better solution. Of course, a better solution still would be turn back the clock to the days when the bundled OS actually consisted of the same disks you'd get if you bought it in the store. Those days seem to have vanished; a disappearing act that it's safe to say is not HP's doing. What do you think about HP's new program on recovery CDs? Write Ed Foster, InfoWorld's reader advocate. Contact him at gripe@infoworld.com.  RELATED SUBJECTS  Operating SystemsDiscuss this article in our online forums MORE > SPONSORED WHITE PAPERS 
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