Exchaning Windows XP on the hidden partition

[raistlin_mm]

Hey,

Does anyone know if it would be possible to exchange the Windows XP installation on the hidden partition to a different language version? (same XP version). Or does anyone have any idea how to solve the problem of having a different Windows XP language version on the laptop and still having the option of quick restoration in case anything
bad happens?

Cheers,
Mathew

[Stargate199]

I would think so from what you told us. You will want to be careful when doing it so you won't mess it up. You could always find an English version of the OS and use the key on the COA for the key. My only concern would be that the partition is write protected so you wouldn't be able to do it. All I think you would need to replace is the I386 folder from the English version to that recovery partition.

[DAH]

I believe it's not possible. If you wipe the C:Drive you can not restore from just the hidden partition. You need a set of rescue and recovery Cd's, six in the case of a T60p. Yes there is stripped down OS on the hidden partition , but that partition by itself is not enough to recover your Thinkpad.

[carbon_unit]

After you restore from the hidden partition windows will ask you which language you want to use.

[ashleys]

Why bother with the hidden partition, just get rid of it.
I've never really understood the requirement to factory restore a system. Once your machine is dead, you want it back as quickly as possible *AND* as close to the last good system you had (not how it was 2 years ago and then have to forward recover it).

Install the latest Rescue and Recovery which will install the windows component and create a pre-desktop area. Once you've done that, create the rescue media. The rescue media is the stand-alone version of Rescue and Recovery and can be written as a bootable CD or to an external USB drive (disk enclosure).
You can now use Rescue and Recovery to make regular backups, either full or incremental and will be able to start it stand-alone from either your hard-drive or a CD/USB enclosure.

Take *REGULAR* backups of your running system and if/when you need to restore it (for example if Windows is broken) use either the pre-desktop area or the CD/USB enclosure to start Rescue and Recovery and restore the system from your backup device.
Whilst your backup device could be the same hard drive as your system disk it's recommended to use an external drive, for obvious reasons

[carbon_unit]

Well, It's nice when you go to sell the laptop. You can restore it to factory condition because the next guy may not want the same programs you wanted. Sell it to someone in factory condition and let them make their own changes.

[ashleys]

Fair point about selling the TPAD. However, if I were selling it, I would re-install it from my original product recovery disks and include them in the sale.