recovering from hdd recover partition?

[zaku]

i've read from lenovo site that we can recover to factory settings from the recovery partition in the hard disk and i see that i have the utilities partition there.

it says to press the access ibm blue button to get into the recovery menu at the start up. but when i press it, it doesn't show anything but continues the normal load up of windows??? then how can i access that recovery menu without the recovery disks?

[Kyocera]

Shut the machine off completely wait a few seconds, reboot and press F11 when prompted. Follow the restore to factory contents directions.

[zaku]

it doesnt prompt for the F11 key.. at the start up it just displays to press the access ibm button to interrupt startup.

by the way i tried pressing F11 from a complete shut off and waited a few secs. but still the same it just loaded windows normally.

[carbon_unit]

See if this helps: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-54483

[Kyocera]

carbon unit is probably right, you may have a corrupted boot sector, if you look in disk maangement and can see a healthy fat32 partition of around 4gigs then fixing the boot sector should work, you'll need a floppy drive. Check out the HD Clone thread for a lot of information on this.



HD clone link below.

[carbon_unit]

The .iso file in the link will make a bootable cd.

[zaku]

thank you guys! i'm gonna try that out now

[zaku]

ok now i got this iso cd and inserted for the start up, after it loads up, it gave me 2 options:
1- repair the current master boot record (try this first)
2- replace the current master boot record

these 2 options doesn't seem to mean any "recovery" but instead for repair a broken boot device??

what does actually the 1st or 2nd option do??
do i just choose the 1st option and the F11 key will then work? will choosing the first option actually delete all my current data or it's just fixing up the hidden partition?

[GomJabbar]

I used this CD before, and my experience is in the link below. All this CD does is repair or replace the Master Boot Reoord. All your data will still be on the hard drive. I believe this CD will only work if you have a good service partition on your hard drive.

My experience was with a T42 that has a type 12 FAT32 service partition. Older T4x series ThinkPads do not have a separate FAT32 service partition. They use a virtual partition on the C: drive and hidden sectors on the hard drive. You should follow the on screen instructions if your ThinkPad is older than a T42, or if you do not see the FAT32 service partition listed in: Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Managment.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 729#237729

[Kyocera]

ok now i got this iso cd and inserted for the start up, after it loads up, it gave me 2 options:
1- repair the current master boot record (try this first)
2- replace the current master boot record

these 2 options doesn't seem to mean any "recovery" but instead for repair a broken boot device??

what does actually the 1st or 2nd option do??
do i just choose the 1st option and the F11 key will then work? will choosing the first option actually delete all my current data or it's just fixing up the hidden partition?

Use #1, reboot the machine and see if you get the F11 option, if not try #2. I've done this before, it works great. Like I mentioned above, if you do not have a fat32 partition that you can view in disk manager or with some other partitioning software then someone removed the service partition and this procedure will do you no good, you'll need recovery CD's.

[zaku]

yes i've checked the hdd has the 4GB healthy FAT32 partition

now the next problem is that i did those steps and the F11 key works now. but it shows this error called NTLDR error.
is it because i have a different partition (i've got 2 partitions on my hdd) than it originally came or the format is wrong (i formatted NTFS while the recovery partition is FAT32)?

if so, what did the T43 partition came in initially? only one C:/ partition?

thanks again

[carbon_unit]

The recovery partition is supposed to be FAT32. It came from the factory that way.

[zaku]

The recovery partition is supposed to be FAT32. It came from the factory that way.

i didn't mean the recovery partition but the partition that the OS was installed. cuz now i get that error because of the partition i installed windows was wrong (i have created C:/ for windows and D:/ for my files both NTFS format as of now)

[carbon_unit]

OK, Here is how the restore works:

From the factory there is a Fat32 recovery partition and a Fat32 C:\ partition with windows on it. On the first boot it converts the C:\ partition to NTFS.
If you run the restore from the hard drive it will replace the C:\ partition wth the factory supplied on erasing everything you have in there. It will not bother your D:\ drive.
If you run the restore discs it will wipe all the partitions on your drive and replace then with a Fat32 recovery partition and a Fat32 C:\ partition with nothing on it. Then it will oot to the recovery partition and restore the C:\ drive to a Fat32 C:\ partition with windows on it. On the first boot it will convert the C:\ partition to NTFS.

[zaku]

um... so should i reformat my current C:/ drive to FAT32 (the original state you said it should be?) before running the recovery partition from the hard disk?

because i'm getting the NTLDR error message when i run the F11 key recovery. i don't know why it shows an error if i have the factory 4GB recovery partition intact there...

[GomJabbar]

You might give fixboot a try.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=27221

[zaku]

You might give fixboot a try.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=27221

from what i read in that thread, isn't fixboot to fix machines that can't find the OS to load up?
my laptop has no problems to load up the OS. i'm curently running it on win xp pro (C:/ for windows and D:/ drive for my files) just that i'd like to revert it back to the factory windows, settings and softwares from its recovery partition in the hd...

thank you guys for the continuous help

[Kyocera]

um... so should i reformat my current C:/ drive to FAT32 (the original state you said it should be?) before running the recovery partition from the hard disk?

because i'm getting the NTLDR error message when i run the F11 key recovery. i don't know why it shows an error if i have the factory 4GB recovery partition intact there...

You won't be able to reformat your NTFS partition back to fat32 and really the fact that you have created a D partition to store files on which is also NTFS should not stop the recovery processl, NTLDR is a file needed to boot so apparently you still have a damaged or corrupted boot sector. If you have any partitioning software which you can view exactly how your drive is partitioned use that. Also if have you tried to create the recovery CD's from your machine? Try running the boot fixer again using option 2 "replace the current boot record". One other peice of advice, if you have any files you need get them off the drive before you do the recovery process because you'll lose them.

[zaku]

i think i could go through a fresh install of windows to format the partition to FAT32 cuz there is that process of formatting though before the installation of windows..

and that was i did to chose the option 2 to replace the current boot sector and it showd successful. then i restarted and run F11 and it says NTLDR is missing message.

i can't create recovery cds because i have this machine with no OS when i bought it. so i partitioned the drive (leaving the utility partition there), formatted on NTFS and installed windows on C:/
that's why i was wondering since the hidden partition is still there if i have any chance to roll back to the factory windows and settings...

here's a shot of my current drive informations if this helps..
http://img255.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0177tc7.jpg

and i just noticed the hidden partition has 100% free space??

[Kyocera]

Yeah you could reinstall windows and leave it as fat32, but you'll have to stop the process of converting which is automatic.

I meant it is virtually impossible to take your current NTFS partitions and convert them back to fat32 without extra software like partition majic and others.

I'm kind of out of suggestions at this point.

[carbon_unit]

I would not worry about making the C:\ partition Fat32. IBM does that for their own restore process and then immediately converts it to NTFS before you use it.
Sounds like the hidden partition is empty. You need to find some recovery discs somewhere. Maybe someone here on the forum can help? Try asking in the Marketplace.

[zaku]

ah.. ok.. so is that means my hidden partition is useless since it's empty? if so i'll just delete that partition and get the extra 4GB of hd space
or if i get to buy the recovery cds it'll then fill up that partition as well so i better not delete that partition?

[GomJabbar]

I would say you are correct. Your hidden parttion is useless to you at tihis point, so you could delete it to reclaim the space.

When you use the Product Recovery Discs, the hidden partion as well as the C: Windows partiton will be created. You will lose all existing partitions and data on your hard drive. Your ThinkPad will have it's software restored as how it came from the factory when new. You also can use these discs on a brand new unused hard drive.

[vpn-user]

When you use the Product Recovery Discs, the hidden partion as well as the C: Windows partiton will be created. You will lose all existing partitions and data on your hard drive.

Wrong. Only the first primary partition will be formatted. It even won' t be resized or repartitioned! You may want to customize the partitions first, recovery will only take place in the first primary partition (Drive C)

But when your recovery area got lost, you should first set HPA security in BIOS to "deactivated", then completely erase your HDD (Use Hitachi Drive Fitness Test for this), use the recovery CDs to recover the HPA, set back to "protected", partition as you like and then do the recovery from the HPA. Otherwise you would get one huge drive C which usually is not what anyone really wants. You should always use a seperate partition for your data files so they don' t get lost when the next recovery/reinstall is on the run... You may want to move your Users "My Files" folder to the data partition.

BTW: HPA means "hidden protected area" so that' s the hidden recovery area. It' s even not a partition! It' s just a reserved area at the end of the HDD. Setting HPA security in BIOS to "protected" fools the OS to think the HDD is smaller than its real size so the HPA can' t be seen or overwritten. So that option defenitely should be used if you want to keep the HPA.

[carbon_unit]

When you use the Product Recovery Discs, the hidden partion as well as the C: Windows partiton will be created. You will lose all existing partitions and data on your hard drive.

Wrong. Only the first primary partition will be formatted. It even won' t be resized or repartitioned! You may want to customize the partitions first, recovery will only take place in the first primary partition (Drive C)
"snip"

GomJabbar is correct.
When you recover from the HPA it only replaces the C:\ partition.
When you recover from the discs it wipes all partitions, creates the HPA and C:\ partition, then restores the c:\ partition from the newly created HPA.

[GomJabbar]

When you use the Product Recovery Discs, the hidden partion as well as the C: Windows partiton will be created. You will lose all existing partitions and data on your hard drive.

Wrong. Only the first primary partition will be formatted. It even won' t be resized or repartitioned! You may want to customize the partitions first, recovery will only take place in the first primary partition (Drive C)

But when your recovery area got lost, you should first set HPA security in BIOS to "deactivated", then completely erase your HDD (Use Hitachi Drive Fitness Test for this), use the recovery CDs to recover the HPA, set back to "protected", partition as you like and then do the recovery from the HPA. Otherwise you would get one huge drive C which usually is not what anyone really wants. You should always use a seperate partition for your data files so they don' t get lost when the next recovery/reinstall is on the run... You may want to move your Users "My Files" folder to the data partition.

BTW: HPA means "hidden protected area" so that' s the hidden recovery area. It' s even not a partition! It' s just a reserved area at the end of the HDD. Setting HPA security in BIOS to "protected" fools the OS to think the HDD is smaller than its real size so the HPA can' t be seen or overwritten. So that option defenitely should be used if you want to keep the HPA.

Using the Product Recovery Disc set is different than recovering from the hard drive itself.

Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak...
Below is what happens when you Restore Factory Contents using the Product Recovery CD's

When you use the Product Recovery CDs, all data and partitions on your hard disk are deleted. The end result will be a single C: partition containing the original factory contents.

Below is what happens when you Restore Factory Contents from the hard drive's Predesktop Area (Rescue and Recovery).

Using the Restore factory contents method

1. Make backup copies of your data files, if possible. Any files on drive C that are not backed up will be lost.

2. Turn off your computer for at least 5 seconds. Turn on the computer. When the following message is displayed, press the blue Access IBM button: "To interrupt normal startup, press the blue Access IBM button." The IBM Rescue and Recovery workspace opens.

3. Click Restore factory contents and follow the instructions on the screen. Additional help is available from the Rescue and Recovery workspace.

The security settings for the Predesktop Area in the BIOS are: Secure, Normal, and Disabled.

The Predesktop Area is different on the T41 than the T42. Beginning with the T42 series, the Type 12 FAT32 service partition was introduced. This is what is on the current models that Lenovo sells.

Installation on IBM computers with the Rescue and Recovery application preinstalled in a type 12 partition
IBM computers that are announced in the first quarter 2004 and come with the Rescue and Recovery environment preinstalled feature this configuration. See the following figure.
* Location: 100 percent in a type 12 partition.
* Location of factory recovery and system diagnostics: entirely in a type 12 partition.
* Location of backups: NOT in the type 12 partition.
* Partition link: Links to the PARTIES partition to initiate a restore of factory contents or diagnostics.
* Advantage of a type 12 partition: When the Rescue and Recovery environment is placed in a virtual partition, several files are placed in the root of the C drive where an end user could possibly delete them. The filter driver does not protect these files because some are common with Windows boot files (for example, NTDETECT.COM). If they are deleted or otherwise become unusable, the end user would be unable to boot to the Rescue and Recovery environment. However, when the Rescue and Recovery environment is placed in a type 12 partition, Windows prevents all users from accessing that partition and the files required to open the Rescue and Recovery environment are highly protected. Note: With the Rescue and Recovery environment secured in the type 12 partition, only a corrupted MBR would prevent access to the Rescue and Recovery. In that case, an external version of the Rescue and Recovery environment must be used. Currently IBM supports CD and USB hard disk drive-based versions of the Rescue and Recovery environment that are created with the Create Rescue Media applet in the Access IBM folder of the Start Menu.

Rescue and Recovery version 3.0 consists of a bootable partition containing various system recovery tools, including full recovery of the preinstalled Windows XP partition. It can be activated by pressing the ThinkPad, Access IBM or ThinkVantage Button during system boot. It contains a FAT filesystem (labeled "IBM_SERVICE"), and has partition type 0x12 ("Compaq diagnostics" in fdisk).

As opposed to a Hidden Protected Area Recovery partitions are ordinary partitions, accessible through the partition table. As they are ordinary partitions they are accessible by ordinary partitioning tools. They should be dealt with carefully.

I hope this clears up any misconceptions.