Method for optimal system availability via resource recovery

A method, system, and apparatus for recovering system resources to provide a minimum system configuration in a data processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a firmware component within the data processing system, during initial program load, determines that a first resource has failed. The first resource is then deallocated. Responsive to a determination that deallocation of the resource has resulted in less than the minimum system configuration for operation of a data processing system, the firmware component determines which of a plurality of deallocated resources suffered from the least severe failure. The one of the plurality of deallocated resources that suffered from the least severe failure is then reallocated for use by the data processing system.