Recovery cd / dvds won't boot

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jo2008 · #1 Post by **jo2008** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:36 pm

Hi,

I recently started a thread concerning my hibernation problems on a brand new t61p. Now I finally gave up and want to try the recovery to factory settings. So, I created the CD (Startup Recovery Disk) and 2 Recovery DVDs from the ThinkVantage Tool.

Now, I tried booting from the startup disk (and later the dvds as well) and they are not bootable. After a short time, Vista starts normally. I checked the startup disk in vista and it prompts me to enter a new name for the assumingly empty disk. I checked it on an XP system and it shows me that the disk in fact has content that even looks right. So I'm not able to do the recovery with the DVDs.

I can boot from the recovery partition though, but there is no option to do the factory reset...or at least I couldn't find it. It would just let me choose recoveries from non-existing backups of a brand new machine.

I'm really tired already with this Lenovo bull****. It seems to me that they can't do anything reliably besides causing problems... and I only own that thing for 2 weeks.

I read in the clean install guide that the recovery partition along with the factory Vista installation can be restored from the recovery DVDs that can only be burned once.

What are my options now? How can I still achieve to set everything back to factory defaults?

Thanks

Jo

thormdac · #2 Post by **thormdac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:15 pm

as long as you still have the hidden partition, follow my post here:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=55856

if you dont,

after updating to a higher rescue and recovery version, you can burn a new set of recovery media,

if neither is possible,

send me a pm! (munich can be reached via dhl within 2 days)

jo2008 · #3 Post by **jo2008** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:29 pm

Hi,

thanks for your reply. I already tried your guide.

- Booted with the Acronis CD, then set the hidden partition as active.
- Rebooted and then Vista started again. Was I supposed to press the thinkvantage key when rebooting despite the new active partition?

Where is the factory reset in R&R?

thormdac · #4 Post by **thormdac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:48 pm

no, no need to press any thinkvantagge keys, as pressing them only activates booting into rescue and recovery hidden partition. this you have done by setting it active!

booting looks as if its vista, but then you end up in rescue and recovery.

search for "advanced recovery options", you will move to a new window, see a row of options on your left screen side, chosse system recovery/ systemwiederherstellung and follow the guide.

amongst others you can choose to recover from a backup media, dont, but choose not to save any files and proceed on.

in the following screen you can choose between full or custom recovery.
(if i remeber the order correctly, elsewise search a bit)

i prefer custom, as i can get rid of crap like norton etc.

once asked to reboot, dont forget to reboot from cd first to reset active partition to C: !!!!

#5 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:52 pm

Call IBM Support and explain about what you're going through. They should send you a set of recovery disks.

A far as your problem is concerned, only 1st disk is bootable which you can also recreate by simply creating a "Rescue Media" disk via "Create Recovery Media" option in ThinkVantage.

As thormdac suggests, upgrading to more latest version of ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery will also allow you to create another set of complete Product Recovery disks (assuming you haven't upgraded already):

How to create recovery media using ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery.

Full Restore option looks like following in v4.1 or later versions of ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery:

Full Restore.

thormdac · #6 Post by **thormdac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:00 pm

ryengineer wrote: Full Restore.

yeah, thats what it looks like, but if u look further down, you can access "advanced recovery"

and can choose what recovery does, same as xp rr allowed you to in version 3.x

#7 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:06 pm

thormdac wrote:yeah, thats what it looks like, but if u look further down, you can access "advanced recovery".....snip

I'm aware of that.

thormdac · #8 Post by **thormdac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:11 pm

ryengineer wrote:
thormdac wrote:yeah, thats what it looks like, but if u look further down, you can access "advanced recovery".....snip
I'm aware of that.

..thought you would,

... but seems like jo2008 might need some guidance

jo2008 · #9 Post by **jo2008** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:16 pm

Hmm... something is not right.

I set the hidden partition to active. Disk Director shows me after applying the changes that this partition is the active partition. But upon reboot, Vista starts as usual.

#10 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:19 pm

thormdac wrote:... but seems like jo2008 might need some guidance

Quoting someone on forums mean you're referring to them.

thormdac · #11 Post by **thormdac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:20 pm

delete all other partitions, reformat them and start over again!

if u can, do yourslf the favour and save an image of the hidden partition externally .

#12 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:20 pm

jo2008 wrote:snip...But upon reboot, Vista starts as usual.

Do you press ThinkVantage Blue Button during reboot?

I suggest you try from cold boot also.

jo2008 · #13 Post by **jo2008** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 6:41 pm

Ok, after reinstalling R&R I was able to boot from the rescue partition again. And thanks to thormdac's guide I found the full recovery part.

My problem was that I first looked in the desktop program of r&r as i thought it could be triggered from there. But even in the recovery "desktop" it is not communicated well that pressing the button for factory reset will only trigger another wizard with its settings. I was still looking for the custom config options and wouldn't want to trash the system until I was sure what to do.

Well after the custom (nothing ticked) restoration of only my C partition, everything worked fine again, even hibernate. The reasons why hiberrnation didn't work in the first place might be somewhere between the preinstalled applications and/or the repartitioning of the primary partition.

And why the boot cd was not bootable is still beyond my comprehension (&tolerance).

Thanks for your responses!

Jo

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