Recovering after failure with partitioning software?

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blue_harvester · #1 Post by **blue_harvester** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:10 am

I've just got a new R52 and want to spit the hdd up into c:, d:, e:, etc and I'm going to use the qtparted tool that comes with the SystemRescueCD from http://sysresccd.org.

I was just wondering if a failure occurs whilst using this, or any other type of software like this, such as PartitionMagic, is it possible to restore the ThinkPad to it's original state using the data on hidden partition?

blue_harvester · #2 Post by **blue_harvester** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:10 pm

Ok, I took the plunge and resized my c: using the SystemRecoveryCD and it seemed to work fine! I've then used 'Disk Management' in Windows to create and extended partition with logical drives.

My original question still stands though, if I use the IBM system recovery will this return my ThinkPad to it's original state i.e. only one partition?

croooowe · #3 Post by **croooowe** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:25 am

If you do a factory restore the extra partitions will be wiped out. If you do a backup now with Rescue and Recovery and include all partitions it will restore all the partitions. This is assuming that your recovery area is still accessible. Have you booted to the PDA since partitioning the system? Sometime mucking with the MBR will kill the systems ability to boot to the Pre Desktop Area.

blue_harvester · #4 Post by **blue_harvester** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:10 pm

How do I boot to the PDA so that I can test this?

#5 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:58 pm

blue_harvester wrote:How do I boot to the PDA so that I can test this?

Normally, starting with the laptop off, turn on the laptop and press the Access IBM button about once per second until you see the Rescue and Recovery workspace start to load (also called Predesktop Area or PDA). On some ThinkPads at least, I seen where people use the F11 key to boot into this area the same way.

blue_harvester · #6 Post by **blue_harvester** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:47 pm

GomJabbar wrote:
blue_harvester wrote:How do I boot to the PDA so that I can test this?
Normally, starting with the laptop off, turn on the laptop and press the Access IBM button about once per second until you see the Rescue and Recovery workspace start to load (also called Predesktop Area or PDA). On some ThinkPads at least, I seen where people use the F11 key to boot into this area the same way.

Oh no!! When I press the blue Access IBM button on restart it just says 'Missing operating system'!!!

So can I assume my recovery area is NOT accessible? If so is there any way to fix the MBR so that I can boot into the Pre Desktop Area?

croooowe · #7 Post by **croooowe** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:22 pm

Yes, the little blue button (Access IBM or the new ThinkVantage version), F11, or even the big blue button Enter should get you into the PDA if it is accessible. There is a command that is supposed to repair the MBR and I've seen it work and seen it not work. I'll have to try to find it again though.

#8 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:22 pm

You can try this: Rescue and Recovery - Recovery repair diskette

croooowe · #9 Post by **croooowe** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:27 pm

Even better! Thanks for the link!

blue_harvester · #10 Post by **blue_harvester** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:20 am

I don't have a floppy drive. Could I just burn the recovery CDs? Is this the same a recovering from the PDA?

#11 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:05 am

blue_harvester wrote:Is this the same a recovering from the PDA?

To answer that question, read from about the middle of this thread to the end. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=21159

You should have burned the Recovery CD's before now. It is possible that your partitioning and damaging the PDA will prevent you from making them now. The only way to know for sure is to try. You can always buy a set from IBM/Lenovo for about $50 US if you can't make your own.

If you use them, be warned that everything on your hard drive including all data and partitions will be erased.

croooowe · #12 Post by **croooowe** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:53 am

One thing you can try first is upgrade to the newest RnR, if you don't already have it. Uninstall the old version (hopefully 2.0) and download 3.0 (currently 1037) from the web. Usually this will repair everything. If not and you want your PDA back then I think a Factory Restore would be your best bet. I am not sure if that is still possible after altering the MBR. I would think it should be just looking for the IBM_SERVICE partition so it would work. Curious to hear what happens.

blue_harvester · #13 Post by **blue_harvester** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:11 am

croooowe wrote:One thing you can try first is upgrade to the newest RnR, if you don't already have it. Uninstall the old version (hopefully 2.0) and download 3.0 (currently 1037) from the web. Usually this will repair everything. If not and you want your PDA back then I think a Factory Restore would be your best bet. I am not sure if that is still possible after altering the MBR. I would think it should be just looking for the IBM_SERVICE partition so it would work. Curious to hear what happens.

I think I have already upgraded the RnR, before resizing the partition. If I have already upgraded it, should I uninstall it and reinstall it again?

I'm not currently looking to restore my system, I'm just thinking about a time in the future when I need to.

blue_harvester · #14 Post by **blue_harvester** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:48 am

GomJabbar wrote:You can try this: Rescue and Recovery - Recovery repair diskette

As I don't have a floppy disk drive on my machine, is there any way to create a bootable CD with this MBR repair utility on it?

#15 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:43 am

You can buy a USB floppy drive from IBM/Lenovo for about $50. That's what I have done. I don't have the information for creating a CD from this floppy. Some software such as Nero has an option for supposedly making a CD appear as a floppy, but I have not tried this. I am sure it could be done one way or another, but someone else will have to respond with the method.

blue_harvester · #16 Post by **blue_harvester** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:30 pm

Ok guys I've been making all this fuss about carrying out RnR but I didn't realise I could could completly wipe the hdd and carry out a fresh install of WinXP AND install all of the IBM tools! I guess I should have read the sticky by UCI_MECH!

Is this recommended? I know it's probably a bit more hassle if things go worng i.e. you can't use RnR, but then again it gives you more space on the hdd.

Any of you guys carried out clean install?

croooowe · #17 Post by **croooowe** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:40 pm

You said you weren't too concerned about RnR in and of itself right now, but more thinking towards the future so I would recommend leaving well enough alone. If you wanted to try it you could uninstall RnR for now and try re-installing it to see if that works but if not and you're in no hurry you can wait awhile for when they release the next version. They've been averaging every year or so, so if you can stick it out install the next one and you should be good. Did you at least make Factory Recovery Discs yet?

blue_harvester · #18 Post by **blue_harvester** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:12 am

croooowe wrote:You said you weren't too concerned about RnR in and of itself right now, but more thinking towards the future so I would recommend leaving well enough alone. If you wanted to try it you could uninstall RnR for now and try re-installing it to see if that works but if not and you're in no hurry you can wait awhile for when they release the next version. They've been averaging every year or so, so if you can stick it out install the next one and you should be good. Did you at least make Factory Recovery Discs yet?

Thanks for the advice croooowe, no I haven't made the Factory Recovery discs yet! Is it too late?

croooowe · #19 Post by **croooowe** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:56 am

It should work. Despite the fact that the MBR is not working properly it should be looking for, and able to find, the IBM_SERVICE partition to copy the information from. I know the process will at least start even if you can’t access the PDA and since it is not keeping any info from the current state of the computer I see no reason why it shouldn’t complete a working set of discs. At this point it would be an extremely good idea to create those. Just in case.

blue_harvester · #20 Post by **blue_harvester** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:13 pm

croooowe wrote:It should work. Despite the fact that the MBR is not working properly it should be looking for, and able to find, the IBM_SERVICE partition to copy the information from. I know the process will at least start even if you can’t access the PDA and since it is not keeping any info from the current state of the computer I see no reason why it shouldn’t complete a working set of discs. At this point it would be an extremely good idea to create those. Just in case.

How do I create Factory disks? I only see 'Create Recovery Discs' and 'Create Rescue Media'. I don't see options for factory discs.

#21 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:01 pm

Create Recovery Discs.

EDIT: BTW, press the Blue Access IBM button while in Windows, or go to Start > Access IBM, to learn about the features of your ThinkPad.

blue_harvester · #22 Post by **blue_harvester** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:16 pm

GomJabbar wrote:Create Recovery Discs.

EDIT: BTW, press the Blue Access IBM button while in Windows, or go to Start > Access IBM, to learn about the features of your ThinkPad.

I tried this but it came across an error, so I assume this was because of the damaged MBR.

croooowe · #23 Post by **croooowe** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:26 pm

What was the error and at what point did you get it? I have begun this process successfully without a working PDA, so curious about this.

blue_harvester · #24 Post by **blue_harvester** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 4:46 am

croooowe wrote:What was the error and at what point did you get it? I have begun this process successfully without a working PDA, so curious about this.

Sorry croooowe I'm in work at the mo, so I'll try this again later and post more details on the error I'm getting.

blue_harvester · #25 Post by **blue_harvester** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:38 pm

The error says 'Invalid backup path (parameter 2)'.

Any ideas?

croooowe · #26 Post by **croooowe** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:18 pm

The process should work for a while and then ask for a disc. Does it do this or just fail outright as soon as you select Create Recovery Discs?
What exactly did you do when you created the new partitions? If you go to Windows Manage and check out disk management do you still have a partition called IBM_SERVICE? And is it FAT32 EISA config?

Vypr · #27 Post by **Vypr** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:36 am

Is it possible to change the size of a partition without messing with the MBR? I'm also thinking about partitioning my hard drive, but still want to keep the functionality of the IBM service partition.

blue_harvester · #28 Post by **blue_harvester** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:12 am

croooowe wrote:The process should work for a while and then ask for a disc. Does it do this or just fail outright as soon as you select Create Recovery Discs?
What exactly did you do when you created the new partitions? If you go to Windows Manage and check out disk management do you still have a partition called IBM_SERVICE? And is it FAT32 EISA config?

Good news!!! I managed to repair the MBR by using the Recovery repair diskette kindly posted above by GomJabbar. I used a USB floppy drive to do this. I was then able to get access to the PDA.

I then successfully created a set of Factory restore disks! My machine is now back to factory state. However I think I'm still gonna carry out a clean install and get rid of the hidden partition to get some more hdd space. I'll use the Factory discs in the future if ever I need to reset the machine.

Thanks again for all the advice guys.

#29 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:22 am

I'm glad the Recovery repair diskette worked for you, and that you were finally able to make your Product Recovery Discs. Thanks for posting your results.

Vypr · #30 Post by **Vypr** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:05 pm

Does the Recovery repair diskette program work with a USB flash drive?

Recovering after failure with partitioning software?

Recovering after failure with partitioning software?

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