Thinkpad R40 2722-BDG recovery

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

hi.(in mistkae i'v posted in another forum...sorry...)
i looked trough the forums but didnt find any answer to my question.
i have the thinkpad r40.i need the space of the recovery partition,so i made it visible and backed up all the files on a DVDR media.
i'v needed to reinstall windows,but even that i have all the recovery files on the DVDR i could not recover windows.so i'v need to install WINDOWX XP from a friend.but its illegal,i want MY LEGALL version of windows.
how can i Re-Create the service partion and copy back the files that i backed up?
If i can create the partition(i have Acronis disk director),how can i do it?
another question.when i press the ACCES IBM button,i dont have the recovery option.
that happend after i made the bios update.
at first when i got the laptop,i had a graphical screen on pressing of the blue button,since the bios upgrade its gone...why?
thanks allot for anyone who will help me.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

anyone...i see no answers...

[Kyocera]

I think even though you backed up the recovery partition you still need the CD that gets you into the R&R environment so you can recreate the service partition.

If I use CD's to recover to factory contents there is one CD that has the R&R environment on it, after that one is loaded from there I am prompted to load the rest of the CD's to recreate the recovery partition to return to factory configuration.

Sounds like all you have is a copy of the partition on DVD if I am reading your post correctly.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

first of all,thanks for the replay.
what do you meen by "CD that gets you into the R&R"
is there no other way to create the partition,using a software like "partition magic" or Arconis disk director"?
anyone can check his settings of the SERVICE partition and post them here?
is the R&R enviroment is not built in the thinkpad bios?(the ACCESS IBM button?)
i dont want to BUY the CDS from ibm,i think its not fair...i have spent allot of money on the laptop,i bought it when it was brand new.
is there anywhere i can get it without buying?
when i tried to install the R&R from th site.it always fails(i think its because i need the SERVICE PARTITION)

[Kyocera]

There are options on the ThinkPad to create rescue media and create recovery CD's, if you still have this option you could create the disks yourself. But if you deleted the partition this will not be an option any longer.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

so no chance for re-creating and partition itself and copy the backed up files to it?
*can anyone check is SERVICE partitons Setting with some program and post them here,i want to try to re-create the partition by myself.
thanks.

[LtTPfan]

I may very well be way offbase--if so, someone please correct me--but it seems like you could use Partition Magic to recreate your rescue partition (without disturbing what you have already), copy your saved files to it, then use R&R to recover your original image. It seems like there were R&R functions built into the BIOS of my T30 (press F11 at bootup?), if not then you can download it from IBM using your current "bootleg" OS. Your "rescue" partition may at least need to be named as it was originally, possibly sized the same. Are those the settings you asked about?

[Kyocera]

I shall test that theory as I have a drive at home that has no recovery partition on it just the OS. If your theory is correct I should be able to boot to the R&R because it is in the bios. I thought it was a function of the recovery partition, and that is why you need the all the cd's to recreate the partition on a blank drive. This is a good case for burning the CD's right after you unpack a new TP.

[LtTPfan]

What gives me the idea this "might" work is because of what happened with my T30.

I bought it without an OS and didn't bother checking if there was a rescue partition as there was no COA sticker. Even though there were issues booting right off the bat, I decided to install my OS and favorite apps, which with some effort I was able to finally complete, including downloading and installing all the IBM drivers and software. It was obvious there were problems with this machine so I decided to send it back for a replacement but before doing so I used R&R to back everything up to CD. As there was no personal data on it, including my name, I just used FDISK to wipe it. I noticed there were no additional partitions indicated by FDISK but wasn't sure if a hidden rescue partition would show up in FDISK. I attempted to bootup to make sure my installation was gone and got a "no OS found" message but I did notice the press F11 option for recovery so I tried rebooting again and pressed F11 that time. I don't remember the message but there was nothing to restore. I assumed if there was a rescue partition I would have been able to recover the factory preload. I'm now awaiting my replacement and hoping my backup will save a bunch of work.

[Kyocera]

Well I stuck the HD in and it does give the option so I pressed f11 and it just boots to windows. I do understand your theory and the more I think about it the more I think it will work, the only thing I could think of is wether the copied DVD image re-transfered back to the HD would boot when you pushed F11. My curiosity is up and I have a 10 gig HD I might play with and see it it works.

[LtTPfan]

Well I stuck the HD in and it does give the option so I pressed f11 and it just boots to windows. I do understand your theory and the more I think about it the more I think it will work, the only thing I could think of is wether the copied DVD image re-transfered back to the HD would boot when you pushed F11. My curiosity is up and I have a 10 gig HD I might play with and see it it works.

My guess is you'd have to go ahead and run R&R from Windows if the operating system is intact. That would mean the OP would have to download R&R.

My replacement T30 shipped today. I'll check to see if is has a rescue partition before I do anything else with it. Does anyone know if the hidden partition will show up in FDISK, or do I need to go into the BIOS setup? Where in the BIOS setup do I find the option of hiding/unhiding it?

[Kyocera]

I don't use Fdisk, been using partition commander for years now. The t30 does not seem to have the enable/disable desktop security in bios like t4x. But just to check and see if you have it look in disk management in XP and is will show up there as a fat32 partition of 1.6G or whatever size yours turns out to be. It should be there, my t30 is certified used and it shipped with all the R&R. If you have a CD burner you can make the CDs.

To the OP: sorry to get off topic, I think this is what you need to do, install the DVD image of the recovery partition on your HD, download the R&R repair disk from the IBM web site, boot from the disk, it should take you to the recovery environment, follow the instructions and see what happens.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

i try to install r&r 3 but it says something like "there is not enough free space in the boot sector to install Rescue and Recovery boot manager"
i have 4 gb free on the drive how can i change the size of boot sector?

[LtTPfan]

i try to install r&r 3 but it says something like "there is not enough free space in the boot sector to install Rescue and Recovery boot manager"
i have 4 gb free on the drive how can i change the size of boot sector?

It sounds like you might not have the fat32 partition. To check:

. . . But just to check and see if you have it look in disk management in XP and is will show up there as a fat32 partition of 1.6G or whatever size yours turns out to be. It should be there, my t30 is certified used and it shipped with all the R&R. . .

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

can anyone give me his fat32 partition settings?
i want to create it exactly.same size.same type(its supposed to be logical or primary?)
please anyone?

[Kyocera]

Mine is 1.64G, but that is for my T30 so yours may be a different size? Did you place the DVD image of your partition on the drive??

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

is there anyone ehre with R40 thats have the Recover parttition?

[LtTPfan]

Maybe someone here has the recovery CDs and would be kind enough to copy them for you for the price of the CDs and shipping. Any offers?

@Kyocera,
I read on IBM's site that if you get the F11 option that you have the partition, that this is a way to determine that. I was reading about a model other than mine, however. It also said there was a disk available for enabling, disabling, and deleting the F11 option.

[Kyocera]

Totally agree, check out the post I put in the Windows OS forum and download the Redbook it is a gold mine of information about the pre OS environment and pre desktop, I did not know they were two separate partitions, there is a link between the pre OS and pre desktop too for the R&R functions.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

can you show me the link?
by the way:

i try to install r&r 3 but it says something like "there is not enough free space in the boot sector to install Rescue and Recovery boot manager"
i have 4 gb free on the drive how can i change the size of boot sector?

can anyone tell me if there a way to resize the BOOT SECTOR?is it dangerous?

[LtTPfan]

can you show me the link?
can anyone tell me if there a way to resize the BOOT SECTOR?is it dangerous?

Thanks to Kyocera, here is the link.

As for resizing the partition, from what I've gathered so far from the Redbook link is that it's not that simple.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

thanks allot for all you guys!

[Kyocera]

It looks as though if you delete everything and do a clean install of windows on your HD you simply have the windows MBR which is enough to boot into windows and nothing else. The IBM recovery and restore install increases the size of the MBR due to the R&R (pre OS) environment is installed there to boot to when you hit F11. Even if you install an imgage of the recovery partition on the drive you still cannot boot to it because the MBR with the pre OS is linked to it to start the recovery software install. It may be futile to try to "repair" the MBR with the pre OS since it is essentially non existent. It appears as though you need the recovery CDs to install the proper MBR with the pre OS and the recovery partition pre desktop.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

i have Hiren's.CD.Boot
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hiren.thanki/bootcd76.html
andanother one called Windows PE(windows preinstallation enviroment)
could i do it with that?

[Kyocera]

Pretty sure that won't work, I appears that the IBM MBR is installed along with the recovery CD's.

You will need to get the IBM recovery CD's to reinstall the MBR and Recovery partition.

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

i got one tool named MBR WORK on the cd
http://www.911cd.net/forums/lofiversion ... t9507.html
and i can see it has from 0-3 MBR,the "0" has information,i guess its the windows MBR.
the data is:
starting head:1
starting sector:1
starting cylinder:0
File System Id:7
Ending Head:239
Ending sector:63
Ending cylinder:1023
Starting LBA:63
Number OF sector:78140097

Maybe if i pass this one to number "1" MBR and creat a NEW number "0" MBR with THINKPAD R40 Spesipication,i could install the R&R3?
do you think it could help?
can anyone check his data(i you have R40) and post it here?
thanks allot you guys for the help!

[K-a-M-u-Z-u]

found this info in the redbook:
IBM
Rescue and Recovery-Boot Manager Control (BMGR32)

The boot manager interface command prompt interface is bmgr32. It resides in the directory c:\IBMTOOLS\UTILS. Table A-3 describes Boot manager commands.

Table A-3
BGR32 switch

Result
/B0

Boot to partition 0 (based on the order in the partition table)
/B1

Boot to partition 1
/B2

Boot to partition 2
/B3

Boot to patition3
/BS

Boot to IBM Service Partition
/BW

Boot to Rescue and Recovery protected partition
/CFG<file>

Apply the configuration file parameters. (See the following section for details regarding the configuration file.)
/D<n>

apply changes to disk n, where n is 0-based (default: n=0)
/H0

Hide partition 0
/H1

Hide partition 1
/H2

Hide partition 2
/H3

Hide partition 3
/HS

Hide the IBM Service Partition
/P12

Hide the IBM Service Partition by setting partition type to 12
/IBM

System is an IBM computer
/INFO

Display HDD information
/M0

Rescue and Recovery environment is located in the Service Partition
/M1

Rescue and Recovery environment is located in the C:\ partition (dual boot Windows and Windows PE)
/M2

Rescue and Recovery environment is located in the Service Partition with DOS (dual boot Windows PE and DOS; IBM Preload Only)
/OEM

Computer is not an IBM computer. This forces a second check for the F11 (default) key press after POST. This may be required for older IBM systems. This is also the default setting for the OEM version of Rescue and Recovery.
/Q

silent
/V

verbose
/R

Reboot computer
/U0

Unhide partition 0
/U1

Unhide partition 1
/U2

Unhide partition 2
/U3

Unhide partition 3
/US

Unhide IBM service partition
/F<mbr>

Load RRE master boot record program
/U

Unload RRE master boot record program
/>

i think somethings here could be useful to recover the partiton?dont you thinks?

[Kyocera]

Did a test last night with a 10G HD I have for goofing around with. Put it in my t42 and used the 7 factory CD's to restore to factory contents. Since the drive is to small to accomodate both the service partition and XP I deleted the IBM_SERVICE partition re-allocated the unused space* (see note) for XP and let XP install. The result is a perfectly good OS without the recovery partition.

From windows I can hit F11 and it works, opens the ACCESS IBM stuff, etc, etc. But when shutting down booting up and pressing F11 I get the blank screen with "no operating system found". What I conclude from this is since the MBR is still in tact and correct it tries to boot into the recovery partition which it cannot find. Even though you can use ACCESS IBM from windows it really does nothing serious as far as recovering anything or backing up. So really all the rescue and recovery software is contained in the pre desktop area.


*note: windows will install in the smaller space, however, it will not convert to NTFS or load all the software drivers.