Any more ideas to install service partition?

[Msmax]

Trying to get the service partition back on my harddisk for a T43.

Till now I have tried the next (with info found on the forum):
- Disable in BIOS
- Use HItachi utility to clear MBR and erase HD
- Set in BIOS to normal
- Start with first recovery CD

It never installs the service partition and never asks for disk 5-7.
After disk 4, I have to remove the CD and restart with result that no boot device is found.

Are there 7 or 8 discs needed for a full recovery?
Any more idea's how to complete R&R installation?
Anyone can upload/send me working R&R discs for a 2669-46G machine?

Mine are not original and I think maybe it is not for this machine.
Is there a way to find out for which machine my R&R disc are?

Thanks for your help, Msmax

[richk]

What kind of hard drive? I believe there are 7, but I am out of town now and will be back home late this afternoon. I can check then. Where was the drive previously used? Which Hitachi utility? Fitness test? Featurtes tool? Be sure to delete all partitions before starting.

[Msmax]

Harddisk:
Hitachi P/N 0A25372
IBM ASM P/N 39T2520
IBM FRU P/N 39T2521
LENOVO P/N 39T2513

Model: HTS541040G9AT00

I bought the notebook used with this HD already fitted. Unfortunately there was no service partition on it and I like to have that available when needed.

I have used the Hitachi Drive Fitness Test utility.
I also used PC Doctor Dos to erase the complete harddisk.
Same result when using R&R.

Any idea's?
Is it possible that my R&R discs are the wrong one?

Regards, Msmax

[richk]

Make sure you don't have an HPA on the disk. (Hidden Protected Area) Download the Hitachi Features Tool (free) and there is an option (I think under features) to change the capacity. Make sure the full capacity is available. If there is an HPA, the capacity will have been set to look smaller. I assume that before you start, there are no partitions on the disk.

[Msmax]

Think you are right.
I can see with PC Doctor that there is 1 partition of ~54MB.

Why FDISK does not show this?

I will try to remove it with Hitachi Feature Tool.
Any other tool which can get rid of this small partition?

Regards, Msmax

[richk]

FDISK cannot see it. The drive firmware (which FDISK and drive fitness test use) was modified to show a smaller capacity. Some T4* computers (usually not T43) update the firmware to allow them to hide the recovery stuff in the part of the drive that is "gone". I expect your T43 recovery disks will not use that teshnique. If it does, you would be better off with a later version of recovery and restore.

[Msmax]

Still could not install the service partition.

There seems to be a partition which I can not get rid of.
Fdisk does not show this partition.
Run Fdisk /mbr
Check again and the partition is shown.
Delete it. Check again, and it is gone.
Format the disk, erase it with active killdisk.
Check with Fdisk, no partition.
Run Fdisk /mbr and it is back again.

Installed another harddisk in the notebook.
Now it complains that this harddisk is not to be used with this notebook etc...

Last try: put the harddisk ina USB drive and erase everything on another machine.

If I do not succeed then I have to install XP without the service partition. Never knew it was that hard to get rid of an unwanted partition on a harddisk. Done several installations already for the T2x series ...


EDIT:
Plugged in an USB drive. Windows Disk Management shows the total capacity is 37,25 GB (In properties 38147MB). No additional partitions are shown?!


Msmax

[richk]

You should not put on a MBR. FDISK puts on the wrong kind of MBR. Have you changed the capacity with the Hitachi Features Tool?

[Msmax]

Ok, I will forget the MBR part.
The disk is being erased now with killdisk.

After that I will put it back in the T43 and check again with HFT.
I remember it showing 40.1 GB last time (which should be ok), not sure will check it again.

Can my R&R discs be the wrong ones?
Do you have working T43 restore disks?
Any chance to upload the first disk?

As soon the first R&R disc loads, it should give me the option to install the recovery partition. My current disc only have one option: format and install XP. Which never succeeded as the resulting harddisk is not bootable.

EDIT:
Just checked the HD with HFT.
Design capacity and current capacity are exactly the same.
Will try R&R again.



Thanks for your help, Msmax

[Msmax]

Tried R&R again, same story.

But guess what?
I popped in my T23 R&R disc and it came up with the option to re-install the service partition. Off course I stopped there as the installation would not be 100% for a T43.

So, I desperately need working R&R discs for this machine: 2669-46G.

Thanks, Msmax

[richk]

The only time I had the problems you are describing, was when I already had a partition on the disk. I hope killdisk doesn't try to put a partition on. I have an image in an "nrg" file (the compressed format used by nero) There are free tools to convert this to an iso format if you don't have nero. If you have a place to put it, I can try to "ftp" it to you. My upload speed isn't that great, but I can run it overnight and hope it completes. I can offer to burn CDs and send them to you, but shipping to the Netherlands is slow (the post office estimates 6 - 10 days). The postage alone is over $20. If you want this I can send copies for a total of $40, including postage, packing and customs forms, assuming you have access to paypal. You would be better off if you can find them locally, but if you want to proceed with getting the CDs or the FTP, send me a private message.