Thinkpads Forum

Hello. I searched the forums and found a nfw links, one I thought would help me out: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 54483.html but I am unable to install this software to a USB drive.

I have a new (just out of the box) x61. I tried to partition the hard drive using Paragon and the x61 froze up mid operation.

Now it will only boot up and ask me to insert a recovery disk, which was not included with my laptop! I have no discs and better yet, no optical drive anyways.

Is there some way to restore my x61?

You could've created Product Recovery disks before performing any operation on your machine:

How to create recovery media using ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery.

Anyways, what does the ThinkVantage blue button do when you press it when the Thinkpad logo screen appears during the boot?

When I hit the button I get the "Startup Interrupt Menu" with three options:

esc: resume
f1: bios
f12: temp startup device

When I hit f12 and asks me to select:

4: ata hdd
5: pci lan

none of the options take me anywhere.

Is their some key combo that will take me into the restore partition like on Dells?

sloth911 wrote:snip.....Is their some key combo that will take me into the restore partition like on Dells?

Unfortunately, that was the key combo, you seemed to have corrupted your boot sector.

Your hope is the same package you mentioned:

Rescue and Recovery - Recovery repair diskette.

And you would need a floppy disk drive for that.

Ok, thanks. One could only hope.

Is there a some third party software that I can put onto a usb drive that will help me solve this situation, or am I pretty much stuck until I can hook up an optical drive (w/ a recovery disc) or a floppy drive?

Well, all I can suggest is to google on installing a Windows (if you've a copy) or a Linux distro from USB drive otherwise buy an external USB optical drive to install from Product Recovery disks or a floppy disk drive to fix your boot sector.

Ok. I will see what I can come up with, I have a ide->usb adaptor that I can use to connect a desktop cd-rom drive to a usb port. I think that might work.

I also have a few boot cd's around that i will load onto flash drives and see what happens.

If i call Lenvo will they send me out recovery cd's?

I do have a copy of xp-home that I can install to at least get the pc functioning (assuming the ide->usb works), but if I did that (and did not get record cd's) would I be able restore/reinstall factory OS with access to the hard drive in an XP environment?

sloth911 wrote:snip....but if I did that (and did not get record cd's) would I be able restore/reinstall factory OS with access to the hard drive in an XP environment?

Nope unless you fix your boot sector. Also, during the installation of Windows XP home if you would choose to wipe out all of your HDD then there is no point for the recovery partition to exist. On the other hand if you install Windows XP home and don't disturb the hidden partition then you still have a chance to fix your corrupt boot sector, again with the floppy disk drive method.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.

I think I am making this more complicated than necessary.

If I buy a USB floppy drive, make the boot disk from lenvo's site, use the disc, hopefully my boot sector will be fixed and I should be ok?

Assuming the boot sector is the problem?

sloth911 wrote:snip.....If I buy a USB floppy drive, make the boot disk from lenvo's site, use the disc, hopefully my boot sector will be fixed and I should be ok? Assuming the boot sector is the problem?

Yes assuming the service partition is still present and healthy which I believe it is.

Ok. I got a USB 3.5 and ran the above mentioned MBR utility. It appeard to have fixed something, however when the computer was restarted, no matter what (blue button and all), I was still getting the same error above, asking for a recovery media/cd.

I than attached a USD CD w/ Win XP Home in attempt to install a new OS.

XP Setup tells me that it cannot detect ANY hard drive.

I than restart, go into the BIOS and run the hard drive diagnostics program, the test has been running for about 5 minutes, is still at 0% and is on two "*'s" of the progress meter.

Any thoughts, ideas?

In an unrelated question, if install Vista from someone's install discs and use MY cd-key from the MS sticker on the bottom of my thinkpad, will it be considered a "legit" os?

Thanks.

The HDD diagnostic is still at 0% but 3 "*'s" and it game the following error:

"Error code 0000: Read verification failed"

sloth911 wrote:snip....XP Setup tells me that it cannot detect ANY hard drive......snip

You need to switch HDD settings from SATA to Compatibility mode in the BIOS to be able to install the mentioned operating system.

Thanks, will do.

At this point should I assume that whatever damage I caused, I will probably be unable to use the system restore?

sloth911 wrote:snip.....At this point should I assume that whatever damage I caused, I will probably be unable to use the system restore?

Reading from your previous post, it seems as if Paragon has demolished your recovery partition. All you need at this moment is a set of Product Recovery disks to be able to use factory installed operating system, drivers and applications again.

In Windows XP setup

I can see:

C: Partition 1 (ServcieV002) [NTFS] 4781 MB (411 MB free)
__Unpartitioned space 109689 MB

Nice, well I have no recovery disks because I am an idiot.

Are you saying the installing Home XP will not be successful? If it will (seems good so far) I will go through w/ the Home XP install for the time being.

It looks like I can download all the necessary drivers from Lenovo.

Is it worth my time to contact Lenovo to get some Vista recovery discs? Is that an option?

I seem to remember reading about people getting "downgraded" to XP in order to get XP recover discs for Vista machines, is that still a viable option?

sloth911 wrote:In Windows XP setup

I can see:

C: Partition 1 (ServcieV002) [NTFS] 4781 MB (411 MB free)
__Unpartitioned space 109689 MB

Partition 1 is your service partition; recovery partition in other words. You can leave it untouched, install Windows on the unpartitioned space and try to apply the above fix once you're up and running.

When you would be in Windows and you do:

Right Click on My Computer > Manage > Disk Management you would see something like the following:

Partition

and if it is healthy then you've more chances of fixing it and booting into Predesktop console again.

sloth911 wrote:snip.....I seem to remember reading about people getting "downgraded" to XP in order to get XP recover discs for Vista machines, is that still a viable option?

Downgrading from Windows Vista to Windows XP.

Yes it is worth a try to contact lenovo for the recovery disks, I have sent you a pm, please check it.