Which version of Rescue and Recovery for T23?

Message

wolverine · #1 Post by **wolverine** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:59 pm

Hi, I managed to destabilize completely the OS on my T23, and want to reinstall it anew. I bought the laptop second hand, and I think the guy that had it before had cleared the recovery partition (not so sure about this, how can I find out?). Anyway, after I reinstall WXP, I want to install IBM's rescue and recovery program, but I can't get coherent messages from IBM's website:
R&R v.3 doesn't list the T23 as a supported system.
R&R v.2 does.
T23 drivers matrix site says R&R v.3 is the version I should install.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-57669

So wich one should I install?

skygodtj · #2 Post by **skygodtj** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:57 pm

Forget the R&R disk. You're better off using whatever flavored OS you want (98/ME/2000/XP/Linux) and d/ling the drivers/files off the driver page:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-57669

Doing the re-install yourself allows you to partition(or not) the drive as you want it, not how IBM thot it should be.

Click on the "Update your files automatically!" and the work is done for you.

TJ

wolverine · #3 Post by **wolverine** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:35 am

Thanks. That's what I usually do. But this time I was thinking that after I install a fresh OS and all the proper drives, I want to make an image of it so I wont have to bother much in the future. I thought that's what the R&R program was for. Do you recommend any other thrid party imaging software, like ghost or akronis? I just though that this R&R would be somhow optimized for thinkpads, since it has different versions for models and all... I just can't understand by their website which is the version I should be using...

But thanks for the tip, anyway.

skygodtj · #4 Post by **skygodtj** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:33 pm

I actually never do images myself... I always do fresh installs, gets rid of bugs and stuff... I just do backups of stuff I need and burn it onto CD's.

As to IBM's R&R, yeah, they are type/model specific, but I despise the way they run the partitions. I have C: as the main partition and a 2-4gb D: for all the original install files, backups and non-shared folders.

After my fresh installs, I run the Software Updater which puts on the proper files/drivers. Painless

Have a great Christmas, or the holiday of your choice

TJ

wolverine · #5 Post by **wolverine** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:06 am

Thanks! Those were actually good tips.
Merry Christmas to you too!

stephanpark · #6 Post by **stephanpark** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:19 am

I just wanted to chime in as I couldn't find a better spot. This is a bit of a rant so I warn ahead of read.

Windows Update had broken the login by corrupting the system name and I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I opted to rebuild and image the base install.

Somewhere along the way, Rescue and Recovery 3 popped into view. I installed after reading how it performed on the T60. Now, I don't know if much tweaking is necessary to get R&R3 to perform well, but I CAN say that dealing with it's poor UI and un-responsiveness off the bat made the chore a far greater one. The mess doesn't stop there, R&R3 never did build an image for me. I just have 4 or 5 DVD-R coasters and several hours wasted in the end.

I haven't tried to use this from my T60 yet...but if you own any of the T2* series, I am pretty certain you will regret using R&R 3 on it. I'd advise against installing it from the start.

- - -
T21
OS Win 2K SP4
IE 6, Media Player 9
AntiVir Classic
Select Lenovo services via Software Installer (.Net 1.1 needed)
* Rescue and Recovery 3 - Removed!

ashleys · #7 Post by **ashleys** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:00 pm

Forget the supported list.
I'm running the latest RnR 3.1 on a T30 (which is also not listed as supported) and it runs fine. When vendors say it's "unsupported" they just mean they haven't tested it on that hardware.

I've used RnR for quite some time now and found it no problem at all. I too have a C: partition for my system partition and D: for all user data etc. I use RnR to backup C: only and have tested it can fully restore my system, which it can. Furthermore, if you pre-partition the drive you can do a full restore and it will maintain the partition configuration you require.

Ps. As soon as I got my Thinkpad I removed the hidden partition nonsense. What use is a "factory restore" ? I need a system back now and how it was four hours/days ago *NOT* four years ago and then have to forward recover it

stephanpark · #8 Post by **stephanpark** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:59 pm

wolverine, hope you don't mind me asking here for tips.

R&R is free. And for being free, it's a fairly competent tool as I've read here in these forums but, my experience didn't confirm that.

* Can those who've rocked the R&R house sing their tale here?
* Is there an established thread or other link that speaks on R&R?

I've resorted to Acronis realizing R&R3 (latest I'm sure) was not working for my rebuilt T21. I am hoping there will be posts before I've finished migrating to my T60 to back that bad boy up.

Here's a snap shot of my toil.
1. 400+ MB download for an R&R software? (most consumer grade are less than 30MB)
2. Caches install files but doesn't give option to clean during uninstall, 400+MB/16GB just sits there unless you specifically search and destroy. (not critical, just annoying)
3. Took up 16 GB out of 37 GB drive (presumably for images) that Windows can't see.
4. Compression options gave erratic out up estimates.
rough recall: 3.4GB (no compress), 28 (high), 39 (med), etc.
5. Burned a Recovery startup disk (30-40MB) every attempt without option to bypass during backup session.
5. Failed to complete Non-Compress backup 5 times in a row (total of 5 CD-R and 5 DVD-R and 4 hours) indicating power failure as a fault on a UPS backed Laptop and external USB Burner.

You're experiences were better? Did I need to know more than the directions on screen? Is this bloat/cloogeware?

Acronis backed up smoothly with caveats. But that story is perhaps meant for another thread.

ashleys · #9 Post by **ashleys** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:34 am

My experience of Rescue & Recovery ...

I have a T30 which is almost 4 years old which is running Windows 2000 Professional. It's the original preload system that has *ALL* the current W2K fixes and current Thinkpad software installed.

Its partition configuration is as follows,

C: System Partition including all Program Files etc.
D: *ALL* my user data including E-Mail stores, Documents, Spreadsheets etc.

I have removed the hidden partition.

RnR was not originally included on the T30 but I have used it ever since it was available as a download. I am currently using the latest version, 3.1.

I use it to backup my C: partition at least every week (this is a full backup). If any service is applied during the week, for example the
security updates on a Tuesday, I will then take an incremental backup after they've been applied. Backups are taken to an external USB disk device.
The external USB disk is partitioned as follows,

F: RESCUE - partition which contains my RnR backups and the bootable pre-desktop of RnR.
G: BACKUP - User data backup from my desktop which I restore (using XCOPY) to my ThinkPad to keep the Thinkpad up-to-date.

I have also created a bootable CD with RnR on it to facilitate a stand-alone restore using that route as well.

I have used RnR to sucessfully restore my system using both the bootable CD, the bootable external USB drive and the pre-desktop area on my C: drive (using F11).
The restore process has been used following a disk upgrade and after trashing my system to help out with the problems reported in this thread,
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=35249

To summarise, it does exactly what I want and have not had any backup/restore problems. My only criticism is that the backup process is quite slow but that's because the data compression (which has a ratio of about 2:1) is a CPU hog.

stephanpark · #10 Post by **stephanpark** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:26 am

Hm. Maybe R&R 3.1 was too much software for my lil T21. Could be the 40GB HDD replacing stock 10GB? In anycase, I'd rather use software that talks nice and has a big green button that says "do it" then does it. Too many fiddly options frighten and confuse me.

My mistake, on the last post...I didn't use Acronis, I used Paragon Exact Image 7.5 self boot. Also, R&R 3.1 worked just fine on my T60p and also my T30. But I still think it should talk nicer and have a big (ok Sky Blue) button.

ashleys · #11 Post by **ashleys** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:42 am

You're right to go with what works for you and what your happy with.

The main thing is to ensure you data is backed up/migrated correctly and you have robust measures in-place when you need to recover or move your data. The mechanism by which you achieve that is more personal choice.

stephanpark · #12 Post by **stephanpark** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:07 am

Sorry about the bump. But I thought this latest glitch should be put here.

I've uninstalled Rescue and Recovery but now and then, a little message box with no message pops up in front of the login screen when coming back from standby. There is just options "Yes" and "No". Don't know what for so I close the blank Rescue and Recover message box and continue to log in.

I'm not sure how to get rid of this thing and would welcome advice or ideas on what litter R&R might have left behind.

Which version of Rescue and Recovery for T23?

Which version of Rescue and Recovery for T23?

Waste of time.

Advice?

Good Good.

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