Making a Bootable USB Drive

[agarza]

Hi, I need to run the utility called Bootkil to be able to recover my T42p to factory state. However, there's a problem when I run the IBM Rescue & Recovery, because a error pops up saying that the program couldn't restore my system

I lack a Floppy DRive, could someone tell if there's a chance to make a bootable USB drive with the bootkil in it and be able to wipe all the hard disk contents including the HPA space?

[Kyocera]

Check the FAQ's at the top of the page, Chris Wolfe put one together.

[Nick Y]

There was a discussion about this a few months ago, somewhere in the thinkpads.com Support Community.

It mentioned use of an HP piece of software, for which I saved the link: (The link still works!)

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 23839.html

I do not know if it worked, but you could search further for the discussion or simply try it.

Hope it works,

Nick

[christopher_wolf]

The key thing is that you have to format the USB drive to a FAT type correctly, which that HP utility, and others, will do. The default Windows Formatter for the USB stick will *not* cut it, in some cases it has even lead to damage of the USB flash stick (which I find amazing).

In any case, you can follow the the tutorial that this "Wolfe" fellow put together (amazingly similar last names, no?If it weren't for the "e" at the end, it might *even be me*...imagine that. ). It is in the HOW TO and Articles section of the main forum index. It uses BartPE instead of Bootkil, but you could adapt it. Another thing to note is that you have to have a minimal set of files on the USB stick in order for it to boot into Windows (a few COM files and some drivers including the one that localizes Windows 2000/XP to the USB flash stick as a "Live" system during boot).

Here is the link to it

HTH

[Kyocera]

sorry Chris I " e'd" you