Thinkpads Forum

Hi all.
I have Thinkpad Edge 14 with Windows7 Professional 64-bit.

My Windows is down - whenever I start the computer it freezes after 5 minutes. I cannot do anything.
RESCUE AND RECOVERY
I have tried to start rescue and recovery before it freezes but I cannot move to the next step of the process.
I don't have any recovery disks (they didn't come with the laptop) and when I put to recover from local disk it still doesn't work.
In recovery it says if my windows is completely down than I can use the Vantage button. If that's the blue button I don't have it.
HIDDEN PARTITION
My friend has R61 and when the system starts you can just press blue button and then follow the instructions and restore the system from hidden partition.
It seems that my EDGE also has hidden partition with Windows on it but I don't know how to start the installation.

I don't know what to do, I tried to look into manuals but they just mention recovery disks which I don't have. Can I restore Windows from hidden partition.

Please help. Thanks

If your laptop is under warranty, you should call support. They may send you a set of recovery discs. If you don't mind losing the recovery partition, you can download a Windows 7 disc here and you can do the intsall yourself.

Yes, call the support center. I had the same problem (got infected by a rootkit) and didn't know what to do. Since I was still under warranty, I called the support phone number. Lenovo was very helpful and shipped me the set of recovery DVDs the very next day.

Thanks, I will try.
But I am surprised that there is no way to install Windows from the hidden partition. I wonder why they removed the blue button.

I know nothing about the Edge, but can you still access a recovery partition by pressing F11 at boot like older ThinkPads?

Sorry for answering so late. I have tried it, it does not work.

No, the 14" Edge shipped with Win 7 does not have a blue ThinkVantage button. There is another way to access recovery. I'll post the info for you
as soon as I can. I only use Windows when I absolutely have to, so I have to boot into it to get the info you need.

As you know we get no manual of any kind either, or not a paper manual. Its in the Windows install. Did you get the paper on top of everything
that instructed us to run backup and restore and burn the DVDs before using the Edge any further. A real pain I know but it must be
done. Most computers ship this way. You can thank Microsoft for it. They are so paranoid that they may not be able to force all
of us to buy Windows 7 twice, once at discount when we buy a new PC and again at their very inflated retail price that they give
manufacturers powerful incentives to not include reinstall CDs with new PCs any more. Still another reason I use Linux.

I must warn you that many users report that the on board recovery systems fails when Windows crashes and plenty of users report the
discs they burned fail too. So, don't feel too bad about not burning the discs right away.

--Bruised

ivobooks wrote:Sorry for answering so late. I have tried it, it does not work.

I've posted this here and I sent it to you PM

Looks like you have access to a computer and the internet. Go to the link below. In the box on the right, enter the product number that's on the bottom of your Edge and press "go" This will take you where you can download documentation for your specific model of Edge.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ind=522472

or
enter your product number here and then click click "users guides and manuals"

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ry=019923U

One of the guides or manuals will tell you step by step how to get into ThinkVantage and what to do to recover Windows
functionality. I hope you got your Edge new and not used or refurbished. In either case, the Lenovo recovery software and tools may be corrupt or gone, that is, unusable.

You can find out from the page of the Lenovo support site at the link below how to reach support and request a set of recovery discs, the drivers and Windows 7... --If your Edge is still under warranty.

If not, you should consider using the link someone else gave you in this thread. Follow the instructions step-by-step
to download the legal free Windows 7.

If your experience with computers is too limited to do either, you can take your laptop to a local authorized Lenovo
service shop and have them restore your drive to factory condition. Ask for the price before you leave your Laptop with them.

Two other options. You can go to a local computer shop and have Windows 7 restored. The charge should be no
more than $85 to $100. If you have an Office Depot store nearby, they have techs who restore Windows for a set price, for less than $80.

Or, you might consider this option. Obtain a free Ubuntu 10.10 (Linux) live CD. Press F12 and select boot from CD\DVD.
Ubuntu Linux will load up easily. It will run slow, running from the CD. There is software on the CD that will install Ubuntu to your Edge.

There are a few things you must learn about Linux to fully use Ubuntu but it is easier than using pirate paranoid Microsoft Windows. Ubuntu will auto detect your Edge Ethernet and wireless; it is easier to install your printer than in Windows (in most cases, it sets up your printer for you in seconds).

Once thing you must know up front or you will go bug eyed and curse Linux & me. Linux uses a different file system
than Windows. There will be no 'C' drive. Everything is a file in Linux. You have to learn this system which is consistent and simple, just different. Untold
potential Linux users run from Linux when they cannot find "C:" or their USB connected devices. There is no good reason why a project like Ubuntu or PuppyLinux or LinuxMint (which blow their horn about being user and newbie friendly) couldn't rename a few things so to newbies they will feel like they are using Windows desktop. They can always learn the Linux desktop conventions later, after they are comfortable with Linux and will not drop into a cold
sweat and flee from Linux fast, convinced they escaped the darkside, that they had nearly drove their computer into the twilight zone.

There is an excellent help community and the best place there to post questions and calls for help is the "Beginner" section of the community forum (just search "ubuntu forum" to find it. register so you can post questions. Give Ubuntu some time. You will quickly get used to it and soon you will wonder why you did not switch long before now.

Cost of this option? ZERO.

--Bruised

Thank you for your time and effort that you've spent in writing this detailed answer. I will try this option.
Actually as soon as I've got my Edge my brother installed me Ubuntu 10.04 and it's perfect, I didn't use Windows at all. On one occasion I entered to Windows to install you tube downloader( I didn't know at time that I could do it in Ubuntu) and after that I couldn't do anything. It seems that youtube downloader was infected with virus.
Any way, I just want to restore my Windows because I may need it for some things(Matlab or Mathematica) and after all I payed for it. Except that, I really don't mind, because after using Ubuntu (even though I am just a beginner in Linux) I don't have any desire to use Windows unless I have to.

Than you all for your help.
Regards.

I understand. I've used Linux for 4-5 years now but I always keep windows installed, using it ONLY when I must. I am impressed
by how far the major Linux distros have evolved in just two years. Ubuntu 10.10 really impressed me when I installed it in my Edge
and found wireless was ready to go immediately upon boot up. Just three years ago, many users gave up trying to
get their distro to run their Wifi. [To understand the magnitude of this accomplishment, you need to know that drivers usually
have to be something akin to reverse engineered by Linux project teams, as giant Microsoft Cartel manages to get many hardware
makers to observe a no cooperation with Linux policy. Hewlet Packard is an outstanding exception. HP provides its drivers
to Linux teams, even producing a printer driver program of HP making for Linux users. (Of course, HP is big enough to defy the
wishes of the Microsoft Cartel.)]

I highly recommend three things to you 1.) get a standalone copy of Linux partition software and learn how to use it. A great version
is Parted Magic, a live CD iso and burn it to CD. (Brasero, which is under applications in Ubuntu, is an easy CD burner for burning ISO
images) You just boot from it. It has a GUI desktop for ease of use. You can use it to delete your Ubuntu install to make space for 10.10
2.) Familiarize yourself with WINE. I am impressed how far WINE has progressed just in the last two years. It may be in you current
version of Ubuntu. Most major distros include it. You can run Windows programs within Linux by using WINE. There are a few other
options. Get into WINE and you'll find what they are. 3.) Make Lenovo send you the recovery discs before your warranty runs out. Make
sure they send you the Windows reinstall disc. You can always get the drivers from the Lenovo site. Another thought, you can download
and burn to CD the free Linux RescueCD ISO, a collection of repair utilities. Many computer shop techs use it to remove viruses, malware
and repair Windows. (get info & free Linux ISO downloads @ distrowatch.com

One further thing. Always get free Windows downloads from download.com. CNET (owns & operates download.com) makes sure you get no
viruses or malware when you download from their site. The advised way to download Firefox add ons is directly from Mozilla Firefox.
Either source is safe, download.com or the Mozilla Firefox site. By the way, when you go for Add Ons for Linux Firefox, Mozilla's site
makes sure you get the Linux version. Sourceforge.net is where you get portable versions of software. You do not install them; just put
a portable version on a USB flash (or cd, dvd) and run them from there. There is a portable virus scanner or two.

If you need a virus scanner and firewall (for Windows) two excellent free ones are AVG** (virus & malware) and ZoneAlarm.
download.com has both. Excellent free maintenance programs are CCLEANER (registry scan and repair, registry efficiency, complete
uninstall, etc), Auslogics & SmartDefrag (both good, fast hard drive defrag utility programs). Most Windows slow downs, freeze ups and
crashes are caused by accumulated (or single) registry problems and serious hard drive file defragmentation. These events are often
mistaken for virus or malware infestation (A first class corporation (unlike Microsoft) would educate buyers about these goofy design
flaws, or at least supply decent utilities to correct these problems. Alas, Microsoft's focus is ridiculously huge profits & buyer be *&^%ed.)*
Make sure you get free versions when you download and READ the download boxes or you likely will end up with unwanted browser toolbars.
The free program authors defray expenses by promoting these things. Just uncheck them and no toolbars will be attached to your browser.
You don't want them. They'll shrink you viewable Internet page box.

I've been able to move from needing to use Windows a few times a week four years ago to using Windows about once a month at
most. I need to use it so rarely that when I do I must wait for the virus scanner, Windows, & System Mechanic to update before
I begin working.

A FINAL NOTE. Check Linux Alternative programs (alternatives for Windows programs). There may be Linux Programs that do what
you want from the couple Windows programs you must use and the Linux programs are free and often BETTER. I'll take OpenOffice
or GIMP any day over overpriced and over copyright paranoid Windows Office Suite or unintuitive and huge Adobe graphics programs.

*When Gates & two dozen other early Microsoft staff (including a secretary and janitor) became breath takingly rich, users could
freely share their Windows disc and were free to install Windows on all their PCs, all without entering any ID or Product Code. This
was true up to Windows 2000 Pro, which isn't much different from XP, except XP has a script that prevents Win 2000 programs from
working in XP. Yet, Microsoft publicly and repeatedly assured us that nearly all of our programs should work in XP! Rendering programs
obsolete is a service Microsoft supplies big software companies to keep them loyal to Microsoft. To hardware makers, MS gives ever
bigger and resource hogging Windows versions so as to make hardware, especially PCs, obsolete.

**AVG's full Virus\Security scanner has gone commercial (but it's radically less expensive than McAfee or Norton and as good or better)
but enthusiast's say the more basic version is still good. Search startpage.com (uses Google & other top searches instantly but unlike
them does not store information about you) for top or best free virus scanners. Free AVG is no longer the best but is still among the top 5.


--Bruised

Click this link. Read the instructions carefully for a legal, free download of Windows 7. Note: instructions include how to get the precise
Windows 7 you need.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... Repository

--Bruised

Ok.Thanks for help. I really appreciate it.

Regards