Automated System Recovery on a T30

[baertracks]

I just purchased a used T30 on eBay. It came, as expected, with a 60Gig hard drive and with no operating system installed.

As I was getting ready to install Windows I noticed, however, that the unpartitioned space on the hard drive is 57232 MB.

Might this mean that there is a hidden partition (with 2768MB of space) that includes the Automated System Recovery? If so, how to I re-install the original configuration and software?

I tried running Automated System Recovery during the boot process, but it prompts me to inserts recovery CDs which I do not have with this laptop. I tried clicking the "Thinkpad" buttion during the boot process, but that doesn't do anything either.

Thanks for your assistance.

FRANK

[jdhurst]

Somebody could have screwed it up, but you should be able to press F11 on startup and recover the machine to its original contents. The T30 uses a hidden partition (where the T4xx's use PARTIES instead). There exists (I think) a batch or like file to reset a T30 so that F11 will work if the hidden partition is OK. Search here in the forum, or perhaps some kind soul will provide a pointer. ... JD Hurst

[brainpicker]

A 60 GB hard drive only has 57252 MB as the way manufactures measure is different that the way Windows does (and is misleading as 1 KB is not really 1000 B it's 1048). 60000 MB / 1.048 = 57252 MB so you have a (nearly) correct measurement (within reason). I'll bet against a "hidden" partition.

Yak

[baertracks]

A 60 GB hard drive only has 57252 MB

I was afraid that that might be the explanation.

F11 didn't work. And when I checked in Bios it doesn't allow me to change the startup setting for the "IBM Product Recovery Program Prompt"

Looks like I'll have to install from scratch.

Thanks anyway,

FRANK