Fixing HPA protected MBR with IBM Custom Boot Record Tool

[borez]

Hi there all,

I've got a T43 2669, and I've used Partitionmagic to partition my HDD. Unfortunately, I think it messed up my MBR, and it gives me a "No Operating System" error whenever I use F11. I remember setting the HPA to "Secure" before commencing my operations though. (Not sure if this helps).

Nevertheless, I came across on this forum that there seems to be a Custom IBM Boot Record tool that allows one to fix the MBR to access the HPA. Jus tto ask, could anyone point me in the right direction for downloading this baby?

Just to ask, will this tool mess my existing partition tables in my MBR?

Thanks a lot!

[monkey243]

first of all,you should make sure your first partition was setted active.
scend,use the Recuse and Recover CD too restore your system.

[snife]

look for bmgr32.exe on your system - this is the tool to restore the customised mbr from within windows. I don't have it on my system anymore but i think bmgr32 /? from the directory containing the file from a command prompt explains how to use the tool to restore it.

[boofoo]

I had a similar issue and downloaded the floppy-based MBR repair tool. It fixed the problem.

See http://www.lenovo.com/think/support/sit ... MIGR-56091

(Think this link should work though it's down right now)

[borez]

Hi all,

This doesn't seem to work...
I also tried using the bmgr32.exe located in my Thinkpad, and it mentioned that it's a IBM MBR, but the sectors are wrong.

I think it could have been due to my system using a customized IBM MBR instead (this is a campus notebook).

Nevertheless, thanks all. Will bring it down for servicing.

[rssb]

Thanks to snife, the bmgr32 works for me.

I created a 30MB Fat32 partition and install dos ( win98 command prompt) via sys.com. Label this partition as IBM_SERVICE.

Then use the bmgr32 to install the bootmgr.bin, finally set the partition type as 12 ( partition magic thinks it as compaq diagnostics ?? ) .

Reboot computer and press the access IBM button or F11, and it boots into the 30 meg partition.

Earlier someone wanted to try to install linux into this partition, may be it can be done.

Whether this partition would be as secure as parities space, is a question, because this parition shows up a EISA in windows, where as the parities space is not even reported by the bios.