does Rescue and recovery to factory defaults remove the OS?

[Murcielago]

i am trying to reformat or recover the laptop to it;s original state, ie simply OS with the thinkpad recovery software( straight out of retail shop state)

when i was at the rescue and recovery screen, there were several options for recovery. 1 of which is to recover to factory defaults, does this leave the thinkpad with OS and the recovery software?

[ThinkPad]

When you choose the 'restore to factory default' option, it keeps the recovery partition, but wipes out your entire C: drive and reinstalls windows. You will lose any personal information and the computer will be in the state it was like it came from the factory.

The rescue and recovery software will still be there if you ever need to do it again,

[Murcielago]

When you choose the 'restore to factory default' option, it keeps the recovery partition, but wipes out your entire C: drive and reinstalls windows. You will lose any personal information and the computer will be in the state it was like it came from the factory.

The rescue and recovery software will still be there if you ever need to do it again,

so the windows XP will still be there when it is done right?

thats what i need to know.

[dcouzin]

YES.

[phonemad]

Hi

Firstly please forgive me as am not technical and this is my first post.

I have gone through the recover and restore process by loading all the recovery discs, however my machine just goes back to the main restore and recovery screen after and does not carryon to boot through to windows.

Anyone got any ideas.

Kind regards.

Stuart

[Harryc]

After you load the CD's, you still have to go back in and select reload factory defaults...because at that point XP is still not loaded. The CD's just create the recovery partition, they do not install XP.

[phonemad]

Hi

Any advice on how to reload factory defaults would be great. Sorry if this is basic stuff.

Stuart

[makai]

Reloading from the CDs should all be automatic... except that after the last Cd is loaded, you will be prompted to remove the CD and restart the machine. From then, the OS should load up fully with all relevent drivers.

Didn't you get the prompt?

[Murcielago]

but for those sold without cds, complete recovery with OS can be done with access ibm right?

[makai]

Yes.

All you have to do is restart the machine and press the blue Access IBM key before it boots to Windows. You will be presented with the Access IBM screen where you can choose, among other options, to Recover to Factory contents.

Be warned that you will not be given a chance to confirm your choice as the Recovery will take place immediately.

As mentioned before in this thread, if you have important data on your disk, back it up first before doing this.

Once the recovery has finished, your machine will have the OS (XP) installed and it will be just like when it came from the factory.

[marvel]

In my case the RaR-cds didn´t load after choosing the "restore to factory setting". I just had to use a generic win xp cd and add drivers later. Never had this kind of problem with my first cds (T40p).

[Murcielago]

something's not right.

i chose restore to factory settings then i selected no to file backups
it skips alot of steps before telling me that the recovery portion has been deleted.

shouldnt it be like a clean format then reinstalling the OS?

[marvel]

I agree: After selecting "factory settings" the RnR should ask for cd 1 and start installing the system. My old T40p had just the system cds, with the first cd bootable. Just pop in and start restoring.

Maybe my cds are corrupt, or they simply require a functioning IBM_SERVICE partition in order to work.

[brynwulf]

I'm not sure this is the correct thread, but it's certainly relavent. first, hi! New poster and forum member.

I think I need to do this R&R as well, and I don't have the factory disks, but it sounds like that will be okay if I use IBM Access.

What happened is my company closed its doors, as in went out of business. They did the best by us they could, including giving us our laptops. But first they said they had to reformat and wipe them clean (due to privacy).

When I worked for them and used this machine (it was my primary work computer with docking station) it was amazing and I loved it. Now that I've gotten it back from them, it runs slower than I could have imagined any machine being, take forever to boot up, takes a full minute for applications to load and I can no longer play any type of video media, be it online or just on my HD. I have no idea how they could have messed it up so badly.

So, I'm hoping doing a restore will do the trick, but if not, perhaps simply totally reformatting the HD and reinstalling Windows XP (I'd have to buy a copy) will do the trick? I think this a great little computer and don't want to trade it in when I know what it's capable of.

If anyone has better suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks,
Meg

[marvel]

Installing from a generic windows xp service pack 2 would suffice, provided that you install drivers and software specific for your thinkpad. Check out the type of thinkpad you got and download the equivalent drivers and software from lenovos website, install after win xp installation and you´re good to go. I normally save the drivers to a USB disk, since the network cards don´t install properly from the winXP disk.