Recovery & Restore different sets ?

[tomkit66]

Since I am a "burned kid" loosing data and installing systems from the scratch by hand adding tons of programs I need, I want to make sure I do the right thing with my new T43p!

What I would like to do is make 3 different recovery sets.

1. Brandnew status (like it is now)
2. Adding all the programs I heavily use every day
3. Adding the software I run occasionally

Is IBM´s hidden partition the part where a recovery is made of? So this part grows whenever something new is installed?

Thanks
Tom

[GomJabbar]

The IBM/Lenovo software will let you burn only one set of Recovery Disks. These disks are for disaster recovery and/or if you were to replace the hard drive. Using them will overwrite all information on the hard drive, and restore it to the 'like new' factory state.

You have to use Rapid Restore Ultra to backup your hard disk after changes have been made. You can also boot from the Rescue Media (different from the Recovery Disk set) to restore your hard drive using one of the Rapid Restore Ultra backups that you have made. Of course, you can use third-party backup or imaging software instead. Third-party backup software may require you to have a Windows Install CD if you were to do a restore without Windows installed.

I recommend backing up to DVD's, external hard disk, or CD/R's (although that will take a few). If you back up to the internal hard disk and that hard disk subsequently fails - you will have no backup. Hard disk failure is not an infrequent occurrence.

[tomkit66]

Thank You GomJabbar,

I burned one recovery set (didn´t know that I can only make one of them!) and made an image using the IBM software package. Hope that it will work out at described if I need it. I would love to test it once but what if it fails...

Thanks
Tom