Thinkpads Forum

From the R32 forum

TomKroscavage wrote:I have been messing around a lot with my "predesktop area" and I found that if you rename the service partition it will no longer boot when you hit F11. I think when you hit F11 the Bios looks for a partition named IBM_SERVICE. So can you build a "predesktop area" or
"Hidden Protected Area" from scratch like this?
1. Make a partition
2. Add DOS and boot utilities
3.Make it active, and hidden
4. Name it IBM_SERVICE
5. Hit F11 to enter the world of DOS

Harryc wrote:That would be an interesting experiment. Try it and let us know how it works .

proaudioguy wrote:[Definitely worth a try. In my experience when you get rid of the recovery partition, the F11 option goes away. I have never tried to keep the partition there and just install a different OS. I'd be interested in knowing the outcome.

So here goes.
The test machine is a T43. The C drive has two partitions IBM_SERVICE and IBM_XP. The D drive had one partition called MY_DOCUMENTS. First I renamed the IBM_SERVICE partition to IBM_SERVold, and verified that it would not boot into "The Hidden Protected Area" (HPA). Next I created a 4.7GB partition at the end of the D drive and named it IBM_SERVICE. I made it hidden and primary. I copied all the DOS files from the working HPA into the new partition. I ran the Rescue and Recovery - Recovery repair diskette with option one. It adds the beer files (not joking) makes the partition bootable and shows the F11 prompt. Well my first attempet did not work. I tried booting into the HPA with the F11 option ten times and it booted into XP every time. I'll try again soon on the C drive.

This is what I do with all my HPAs. The HPA comes with DOS 8.0 extracted from Windows ME. I back-up the whole hard drive. I Unhide the IBM_SERVICE partition. I make sure the XP partition remains active not hidden and primary. I turn off system restore to the HPA, and empty the recycle bin to keep XP from taking over. I add all my old dos applications, Power Menu and the entire Ultimate Boot CD. I edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT to drop me into DOS. Then I Hide the IBM_SERVICE partition it should be hidden not active and should be primary. Then I run the F11 diskette if needed, and I get aggressive hitting F11, sometimes its tricky on the first boot.

Every few days I hit F11 slip into dos, back up to a pen drive play some chess, and think about the BEER-PARTY TECHNOLOGY that made it all possible.

proaudioguy wrote:[Definitely worth a try. In my experience when you get rid of the recovery partition, the F11 option goes away. I have never tried to keep the partition there and just install a different OS. I'd be interested in knowing the outcome.

Ok I opened up the HPA again and added the contents of a win 98ce install disk. ran startup from the HPA installed 98 and keep getting a insufficient memory error, but I booted into 98. CAUTION this makes your xp partition unbootable. IT sets that partition to logical. JUST reset all of the partition attributes, and run the diskette.

I don't think you can put a HPA (BEER, Parties area) on a T43. The T43 should have a Type 12 service partition.

See the following documents for more info.
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/th ... r20mst.pdf

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-46023

GomJabbar wrote:I don't think you can put a HPA (BEER, Parties area) on a T43. The T43 should have a Type 12 service partition.

Is there a way to tell what type of hidden partition I do have? How many different types of partitions are their?

GomJabbar wrote:The T43 should have a Type 12 service partition.
not a beer party

Building a Custom R&R. Type 12 in the PreDeskTop area

Thats boring