Z60m Rescue & Recovery onto partitioned disk

[Davidhs]

I have a 12 month old Z60m 100 GB disk, 2Ghz with XP Home.
For verious reasons (Bluetooth and the Ricoh 4 in 1 both not working properly) I am considering restoring the OS back to its original state.

I have partitioned my disk into a C: for the OS, D: for all my data and E: for a couple of games. (The hidden R&R drive is R: )

Several questions arise from thinking about how R&R might work:
1. Will R & R just recover the OS onto the C: partition, leaving D: & E: untouched? Or will it insist on resetting the entire disk back to its original state - a single C: partition? That would mean a lot more work for me in recovering files from backup.

2. Will R&R leave the BIOS and embedded control program versions as they are, ie. with the most recent versions installed? Or will the BIOS also be reset?

3. Does R&R recover all the various non IBM/Lenovo add-ins that I have carefully removed? I suppose so if it sets out to rebuild C: to its virgin state.

4. Where is any documentation describing such points about the workings of R&R? Is there a good redbook about it? I want something more than the help, but perhaps not more than a chapter in a red book.

Of course I will have to reinstall all my applications, including some that are in program folders on D: & E:

Despite owning several IBM PCs and Thinkpads over the years, I have been lucky so far and never needed to do an OS rebuild. But it now looks as if I shall have to learn about must be a painful and time wasting process.

The reasons?
Bluetooth is sick. The device seems OK, but the software won't work and won't uninstall or reinstall. "More recent version already present, install cannot continue." More recent than the latest from Lenovo? I think I must have installed the wrong update at some point and now I can't get rid of it.

The other problem is with the Ricoh device. Sw install won't work. It loops through retries and if I kill the install: Whoops: BSD! I don't know what the problem is and didn't notice when the trouble began.

Plus a few other lesser oddities....

The confusion between ThinkVantage Software installer and System Update over the last 12 months has not helped me to keep this box in a good state. Both have seemed to make different suggestions, to be out of date compared with the downloads web page, and to not always achieve the update indicated.

How have others fared with those tools?

[GomJabbar]

EDIT: I just realized you cross-posted this question. Cross-posting is against forum rules. I moved my answer to your other thread in the ThinkPad - General HARDWARE/SOFTWARE questions forum. Please review your other thread for answers.