*FOUND* X31 recovery discs

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#1 Post by **KristianJ** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:16 pm

Since I have an X31 on its way to me in the next few days, I'm looking for a set of XP Pro recovery discs (don't know whether XP Pro is standard or not for them but assume it'd probably be). I'm happy to pay a reasonable price for the media and postage and although it'd be more convenient if an Aussie member had some I'm not fussed about location.

Please PM me if you can assist. TIA

Website · #2 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:20 pm

Hey Kristian, check out Ken Fox's post in this thread.

#3 Post by **KristianJ** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:47 pm

I had noticed his post but wanted to see whether I could get hold of a copy closer to home before I accept any offers or enquire to US members. But I can't imagine the postage would be too astronomical from over your side of the Pacific anyway

Ken Fox · #4 Post by **Ken Fox** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:41 am

tfflivemb2 wrote:Hey Kristian, check out Ken Fox's post in this thread.

I was genuinely disappointed with the set of X31 recovery disks I had laying around that came with my old X31, long since replaced by an X32. Not only did they take FOREVER to load (HOURS), and require lots of disk swapping and interminable delays while the stuff got loaded, but they failed to make any sort of recovery partition. There has to be more than one version of the X31 recovery disks, and since the ones I got came with one of the earlier ones, a 1.3ghz X31, I'm thinking that better set(s) exist.

I have never actually used the X32 recovery disk set I made. They were produced from a lost then found again 40gb hard disk that shipped with the X32 and which I immediately replaced with a 7K60 7200rpm Hitachi first generation fast notebook hard drive. In retrospect I pulled that 7K60 hard drive from the old T42 and ended up using the recovery partition from that machine in the X32; it worked fine and I did not know the difference for a year, even using the service partition once when I desperately needed it to recover the communications card drivers on the laptop that had become corrupted during a long trip in France.

The service partition that recently recreated the factory install on the X32, and then later produced this set of recovery disks, makes a 4-5gb service partition. But I think the real X31 service partition is one of the earlier ones and is smaller, maybe the 600mb sized one that was on my former T42 or something like that.

Somewhere I have a ghost file image of that smaller service partition which did work with my X32 until I replaced it a couple of months ago with the one that originally shipped with the laptop.

How much of this stuff is compatible with an X31 or an X30 I do not know. Right now I have my X32 with its original service partition that was carefully grafted back in when I discovered what had happened. So I have a real and complete set of recovery CDs for an X32, plus a very early version of recovery CDs for an X31. The X32 set is good for an X32, but I'm not sure I'd want to use the X31 set at all as it does not create a service partition and I'd want that functionality if I was going to the trouble of restoring my hard disk.

#5 Post by **KristianJ** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:14 am

Thanks for your input, Ken. I'll see what others might have - have had one offer but will wait a day or 2 to see what else there might be.

#6 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:03 am

Ken Fox wrote:The service partition that recently recreated the factory install on the X32, and then later produced this set of recovery disks, makes a 4-5gb service partition. But I think the real X31 service partition is one of the earlier ones and is smaller, maybe the 600mb sized one that was on my former T42 or something like that.

The service partition on my X31 is 4.1 GB, so I think it's the same as the X32.

I have created a set of recovery CDs from mine, but never having tested them I really don't know how well they would work.

mpcook · #7 Post by **mpcook** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:22 am

tomh009 wrote:
Ken Fox wrote:The service partition that recently recreated the factory install on the X32, and then later produced this set of recovery disks, makes a 4-5gb service partition. But I think the real X31 service partition is one of the earlier ones and is smaller, maybe the 600mb sized one that was on my former T42 or something like that.
The service partition on my X31 is 4.1 GB, so I think it's the same as the X32.

I have created a set of recovery CDs from mine, but never having tested them I really don't know how well they would work.

I have a set that I got for my X31 which I have used about 5 times. It creates a recovery partition fine, and I have used it on 2 X31's, an X30, and a T23. For the latter two, I had to install TP Software Installer after all was installed, and download and update some drivers from the website. However, all machines booted into Windows fine (XP) and have the recovery partition. Of course I would not try to use the recovery function on the X30 or the T23 from this set of disks.

It did take quite a while to go through the whole process. I also remember there was a trick to get the recovery partition to install, I think the drive has to be completely wiped and clean with all partitions removed.

I have sent out copies of the X31 set to others with no complaints about them failing to install properly. If you would like, I can send out a set for a small cost. You can pm or email me.

#8 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:28 am

Kristian, I suggest you take Mike up on his offer. I could do the same, but his CD set is proven to work while mine has yet to be tested in the heat of battle.

#9 Post by **KristianJ** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:37 am

mpcook wrote:
I have a set that I got for my X31 which I have used about 5 times. It creates a recovery partition fine, and I have used it on 2 X31's, an X30, and a T23. For the latter two, I had to install TP Software Installer after all was installed, and download and update some drivers from the website. However, all machines booted into Windows fine (XP) and have the recovery partition. Of course I would not try to use the recovery function on the X30 or the T23 from this set of disks.

It did take quite a while to go through the whole process. I also remember there was a trick to get the recovery partition to install, I think the drive has to be completely wiped and clean with all partitions removed.

I have sent out copies of the X31 set to others with no complaints about them failing to install properly. If you would like, I can send out a set for a small cost. You can pm or email me.

About to send PM

Ken Fox · #10 Post by **Ken Fox** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:13 am

tomh009 wrote:Kristian, I suggest you take Mike up on his offer. I could do the same, but his CD set is proven to work while mine has yet to be tested in the heat of battle.

Sounds like the best approach. I'm sure that my X31 set will restore the Windows partition of an X31 but not sure it will make a service partition. I don't recall there being any options I was presented with and the disk I tried to install it on was virgin. Whether I needed to do something with the bios I don't know.

As to the X32 set, which I just made very recently, I'm pretty sure it would work although I haven't used it. There was one hang up when I restored to factory contents from the original service partition on the original disk. It was something like "does XXX.XXX refer to a directory or a file?" There are many dialogs such as this that come up when using recovery disks however unlike the others this one was not "answered" automatically. After it sat for 10 minutes I looked at it, it had the appearance of being a file and not a directory, so I typed in "F" or whatever was needed and the install completed.

boon · #11 Post by **boon** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:14 am

I got the original hidden partition to transfer from old to new hard drive using part of this method

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=hpa

with the exception I moved all the files and all copied into a dvd. And then create a bootable dos command prompt with cd-rom support. And it does work.

I am using the 1.3 pent M recovery disk and it's old, not recommend because you have to update to service pack 2 and it takes time to do so.

#12 Post by **KristianJ** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:40 am

Well, I'm almost settled on a set, so I've put the FOUND up and this can be locked. Thanks to everyone for your help

FOUND X31 recovery discs

FOUND X31 recovery discs

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