Predesktop Area

[slowfighter]

If I boot my T43p using a linux cd/dvd... using linux fdisk I not see any hidden partition!
If I disable the Predesktop Area in the BIOS I not see other available space on my disk.
This is the information from fdisk /dev/sda:

Code: Select all

80 GB 80026361856 bytes
240 heads, 10337 cylinders, 63 sectors/track
/dev/sda1 from 1 to 10337... all space available (... I think!)

If you read on http://linuxfocus.org/~guido/gentoo-tpt43p/ you can see that I will see a hidden partition /dev/sda2
Have I lost my Predesktop Area? But if I press 'Access IBM' button on boot... it starts RnR... ?!? Is this the RnR that I have installed?
NOTE: Access IBM button starts immediately RnR... but I cannot see any Predesktop Area Software (NO OTHER DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS!!!).
I wish to install just Linux (NO DUAL BOOT!) and it write its bootloader (GRUB) in the MBR ... I wish to delete ALL from my HD... but I must be sure: can I tomorrow return to the same configuration that I have now? Access IBM still works if I reinstall XP (using a standard CD form Microsoft) and all IBM drivers/applications/utilities?
Using RnR (never used... i don't know it!) can I make a backup of ALL my HD (XP partition, MBR and Predesktop Area.. if I don't lost it?).
Can you help me?
Thank you very much

[slowfighter]

GO UP!

[GomJabbar]

Here is what I think....

Not many users here are familiar with Linux. Not many users here are that familiar with Rescue and Recovery backups either. They may have made a backup to try it out (as I did once), but they find that Rescue and Recovery backups are very slow so they soon turn to other methods. I really don't remember reading of hardly anyone who restored one of their Rescue and Recovery backups.

That said, I could not determine whether or not you can still boot Windows XP in your present configuration. When you press the blue Access IBM button at the beginning of the boot sequence, that is, while you see the IBM logo screen, you will go into Rescue and Recovery. This is the Predesktop Area. From here you can restore a backup made with Rescue and Recovery (or Rapid Restore Ultra 4 on earlier ThinkPads that have Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore Ultra 4 - such as my T42). To do this, I believe the backup made with Rescue and Recovery must be made with the same version of Resue and Recovery that is in the Predesktop Area. You can copy files from a Windows Partition that will not boot to another media. You can also restore to Factory Contents. This will overwrite the C: partition with the factory install of Windows and factory supplied drivers and software. To boot into Rescue and Recovery, the security for the Predesktop Area must be set to Normal or Secure in the BIOS.

If you can boot Windows, make yourself a set of Product Recovery Discs and make a Rescue Media CD. With the Product Recovery Disc set, you can restore your hard drive with the software and OS as it came from the factory. These will also create the service partition, which is called the Predesktop Area. With the Rescue Media CD, you can boot into Rescue and Recovery and perform most of the same things as you would from booting into Rescue and Recovery from the hard drive.

If you install any operating system, be it Linux, Windows, or something else, you run the high risk of damaging the MBR for Rescue and Recovery (the Predesktop Area). This can usually be repaired with the Rescue and Recovery repair diskette (floppy). But of course you need a USB floppy drive to do this. If you have the security set to Disabled for the Predestop Area, you run the risk of overwriting it and damaging it. Having it set to Normal will not protect the MBR, and I am not sure if having it set to Secure will protect it either if you install another OS.

If you can boot Windows XP, you should see the service partition (if it's security is set to Normal in the BIOS), by going to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management. You should see the Windows partition and the service partition listed.

[christopher_wolf]

I really don't remember reading of hardly anyone who restored one of their Rescue and Recovery backups.

*Ahem*

I did that soon after I got my Thinkpad to test the base RnR backup and see how fast it would come up and how easy it would be. It turned out to be pretty quick for all the things it was doing (this is not simply a differential to how a set of given files were to how they are when the backup is instigated) and it had me up and running within 15 minutes from the Access IBM initiation.

[GomJabbar]

....it had me up and running within 15 minutes from the Access IBM initiation.

Interesting. It took me over 5 hours to backup 20GB to DVD's. I figured the restore wouldn't be much better. I backed up the same 20GB with StompSoft Backup MyPC in less than half the time (to DVD's). Also, R&R had no verify operation, but Backup MyPC did.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=17683

But like I said, I've read of people using R&R for backups. I just haven't read of many that tried the restore part of it. And most of those were ones that couldn't restore because of version conflicts. Of course in this case you are going to see the ones posting that had problems and not see the ones where the operation went smoothly.

I can see where Rescue and Recovery backups could be useful for some people. It just seems that here, few people actually use it. Many choose cloning their hard drive over backup. Do you still use R&R?