Thinkpads Forum

1) Will the software allow the user to create multiple copies of recovery DVDs (or is a run once only thing)?

2) Can you create recovery DVDs and create recovery files on a USB drive?

3) If using a USB drive does it make the drive bootable or just stick a copy of the files it needs there but still requiring a boot DVD?

4) If using a USB drive can that drive be used for other things too or is it dedicated for the recovery files?

I can answer your first question - No, only one set. I have tried to go back and it won't a second set to be burned.

(I was born & raised in Hartford )

You could always image your drive before making the recovery set.
Or, if it works, pull the image into VMWare, and use it to make an ISO to archive.

Given that media goes bad and/or get's lost its seems strange to limit the abililty to make backups.

Can someone confirm that a full set of disks is:

1) Boot CD
2) Apps 1 DVD
3) Apps 2 DVD

I did all of mine on DVDs, but yes, 3 disks.

nikki605 wrote:I did all of mine on DVDs, but yes, 3 disks.

I used 3 DVDs as well, but the boot disk was only 221MB.

I have a new T510 on the way and will need to create the boot disk as well. What type of disks do you need? I need to buy some of whatever works best.

By "type" are you asking CD/DVD or brand? As I posted above, I used 3 DVD disks because the steps in the creation procedure don't specify CD or DVD so I chose DVDs to make sure I had the available space. I used Sony DVDs.

When I make my recovery discs, I like to make an image of the discs, then I can toss the originals and make as many copies as I want.

Sorry about the lack of info in my question. Is it batter to use a CD or DVD disk to create your recovery disks.

I used DVDs.

FredGarvin wrote:When I make my recovery discs, I like to make an image of the discs, then I can toss the originals and make as many copies as I want.

Great idea! I just created iso files from my 3 recovery disks.

I used Nero since I already had it installed. Funny thing - Disk # 2 (the largest) was split into 2 files on disk:



Not sure why that is!?! Hope it isn't a problem later.

I created my set today; one CD-RW for the start-up disk, and two DVD-RWs for the rest. It worked a treat.

nikki605 wrote:I used Nero since I already had it installed. Funny thing - Disk # 2 (the largest) was split into 2 files on disk:



Not sure why that is!?! Hope it isn't a problem later.

It'll probably do that if you have it set to output the ISO's to a FAT32 formatted partition, or alternatively, it does it so the files will be backwards compatible with a FAT32 partition.

Colonel O'Neill wrote:It'll probably do that if you have it set to output the ISO's to a FAT32 formatted partition, or alternatively, it does it so the files will be backwards compatible with a FAT32 partition.

The HDD is definitely formatted NTFS, so maybe it's for backward compatibility.

EDIT: Oops, I lied! I saved the iso images to a flash drive formatted FAT32. You were correct. My bad!

I like ImgBurn for making the recovery .ISOs. It's free and works well. Nero is so farty and bloated, who'd want it on their PC?