RnR (from CD) can't restore predesktop partition

[believekevin]

I've wiped out all of the data on my hdd including the predesktop area. I ordered the CD backups from IBM but have been disappointed to discover that they will not work.

Apparently, this is due to the fact that I replaced the MBR when I used GRUB with a dual-boot ubuntu linux / windows xp install in the past.

When I try to "restore factory defaults" with the RnR CD, it never asks me to insert the other CDs, thus never restoring the predesktop partition.

Does anyone have experience with this situation? I'd hate to have wasted 50$ on those discs!

[GomJabbar]

See if the following will work for you...

With the Security for the Predesktop Area set to Disabled in the BIOS, boot up a PC Doctor for DOS CD and zero out or erase the hard drive. Go back into the BIOS and set the Security for the Predesktop Area to Normal. Now try using your Product Recovery Disc set.

[believekevin]

No luck.

I suspect that the custom thinkpad MBR is required here. I tried installing a "vanilla" XP but this didn't help with the pre-desktop issue either.

I either get the "Error 1802: Invalid image..." message, or it starts up Ramdrive and I see output from PKunzip with screenfuls of error messages.

This happened even after I blew out the entire drive and all partitions.

Pretty disappointing! These disks seem pretty ineffective. What do people with HDD failure do?

[GomJabbar]

I used the discs I burned myself successfully on my T42.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=24843

[believekevin]

I think my situation is a little bit different. I am primarily a linux user but prepping this laptop to give to a friend. I hoped that the RnR CDs would allow me to give him a fresh machine with all of the Thinkpad specific drivers / software.

Instead, I installed another Win XP license I had around and downloaded all of the specific drivers / software from Lenovo.

(Google: thinkpad t40 drivers)

[al7kz]

You could have restored the custom IBM MBR using
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-54483

Then the recover CDs will work. Sound like you found a workaround tho.. Cheers...

[believekevin]

ahh yes. i saw this after i was already well into my hacked work around.

i'd have to dig up a usb floppy drive to use it. does that work from the recovery console?

[al7kz]

deleted

[J Rock]

I understand that the OP has hacked his way through this, but I am posting to help any future users who have this problem.

My solution was to follow these steps:

1. In the BIOS go to Predesktop Area and set it to disabled
2. Use MS-DOS fdisk to delete ALL partitions off the hard drive
3. Boot up with the recovery disks, which will prompt you to recreate the Restore partition
4. After that has finished the PC will restart and continue to reinstall the OS and other apps
5. Once the whole process has completed and you are able to log into Windows, restart to the BIOS and reenable the Predesktop Area

You should now be good to go. Hope this helps someone.