Major Problem with Recovery CD's

Message

superfungus · #1 Post by **superfungus** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:04 pm

Hi, over the summer I bought an X61 tablet for college this fall. Over the summer I re-partitioned my hard drive, one partition for Ubuntu and another for /Home so i could mess around with Linux. When I started school, Linux was no longer useful, everything we do for school is in XP, so I tried to restore my hard drive to factory defaults using a set of recovery disks I made through a USB CD/DVD drive. I successfully booted into Rescue and Recovery and was able to start the "restore factory contents" process fine. However, every time I try to recover I get the same error for copying a file named something like x:\predesktop\PYTHON_24\Lib\ (i don't have the actual file name, but i can try restoring again to get it). This happens about 3/4 of the way through the first disk it appears. It says there was an error with the "inpage operation". My initial reaction was "Oh this is just a bad burn" so I had Lenovo mail me some recovery CD's of theirs, which have the same issue.

I've tried just about every BIOS setting I can think of, but i from what I understand all I should need is the boot order:

My USB CD Drive
My hard drive
Everything else....

and SATA set to compatibility mode for the CD's to work.

Lenovo has also sent me a second hard drive, though I am able to install XP on either no problem so I don't think this is a hardware issue.

I have also tried completely wiping the disk before running Rescue and Recovery, but to no avail.

Any Ideas/Help would be extremely appreciated. I have completely run out of ideas and am frustrated because I cannot even understand what is wrong.

al7kz · #2 Post by **al7kz** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:20 pm

Hi, if you overwrote the master boot record with grub, then you have to repair it before you restore the system. You can do that with the Lenovo utility from a floppy. If you don't have a floppy, you can copy the program to a bootable CD.

#3 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:42 pm

Try doing a low-level format of the hard drive, then use the Recovery CD's. If possible, use the appropriate utility below to do the format. Each utility below runs from a floppy disk and only works on the same brand of drive as the utility.

Hitachi Drive Fitness Test

Fujitsu Diagnostic Tool and Erase Utility

Samsung HUTIL

One other thing... The security for the Predesktop Area in the BIOS setup menu should be set to Normal.

superfungus · #4 Post by **superfungus** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:18 pm

Ok, i booted into the hitatch drive fitness test and did a low level format, which took forever. I double checked all my BIOS settings by setting everything to default through f9, resetting my boot order, setting SATA to compatibility, but I wasn't able to find any predesktop security bios setting that could be set to "normal". I still get the exact same "x:\Preboot\PYTHON24\LIB\SITE-PACKAGES\_XMLPLUS\DOM\EXT\READER\_INIT_.PYC could not be copied error 999 = Error performing inpage operation." message and the restore fails. I don't think I should have to restore the MBR because I've completely erased it and Rescue and recovery should restore it right? Thanks for the ideas, but I'm still in the same situation, help!

#5 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:07 pm

Take a look at the following link. This is a BIOS simulator for the X60/s. From the opening page, click on Security, then on Predesktop Area, then on Access Predesktop Area: if you need to change it back to Normal.

BIOS simulator - ThinkPad X60/s

If you have this set to Normal and still cannot get the disks to work, give Lenovo a call and explain your situation. Perhaps they will send you a set of disks without charge.

al7kz · #6 Post by **al7kz** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:55 pm

Are you possibly having an issue with your USB-DVD? The microsoft info on your error message would make me suspect that, since you have tried 2 sets of cd's.

Another and faster way to clear the disk is to use Lenovo's "secure data disposal" and use the L option, which only takes a couple of minutes.

BTW GomJabbar, that bios simulator is great.

superfungus · #7 Post by **superfungus** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:18 pm

Gomjabber, my laptop is an x61 tablet, not an x60 and the bios appears to be different, that predesktop option does not appear after security. This is possibly because my harddrive no longer has a predesktop area?

AL7KZ, thats kind of what i've been thinking, a problem with my usb dvd drive is my current theory, but i don't have a second to test with at the moment. Also it seems odd that the bios can accept it to boot from and for installing windows/linux but not for copying this specific file.

Thanks for your help guys, please keep the ideas comming and I'll hunt around for a CD or a DVD drive to borrow. One idea, could I map my roomate's computer's DVD drive as a shared drive and boot from that? Also does anyone know what an "inpage operation" is i've had little luck figuring that out. Thanks again for you help.

al7kz · #8 Post by **al7kz** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:13 am

One other thought is that your DVD reader may not be keeping up with the CPU writing to memory, so you might try going into the bios >Config>Power and setting cdrom speed to HIGH and speedstep technology to DISABLED to slow down the cpu.

#9 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:57 am

superfungus wrote:Gomjabber, my laptop is an x61 tablet, not an x60 and the bios appears to be different, that predesktop option does not appear after security. This is possibly because my harddrive no longer has a predesktop area?.........snip...........

*61 series does not have Predesktop Area option in the BIOS. *60 and prior series did.

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:16 am

I did not find a BIOS simulator for a X61 or X61 tablet. Both the X60 and X60 tablet have the Predesktop Area setting in the BIOS. Sorry I wasn't up to date regarding what ryengineer stated above.

superfungus · #11 Post by **superfungus** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:31 pm

Hi again,

Gomjabber, don't worry about not knowing about every bios change, I actually thought you'd come back and tell me that the predesktop security was somewhere else that i hadn't looked.

al7kz, i've tried both the settings you described, still no progress however.

Thanks for your continued help everybody, I still need it.

superfungus · #12 Post by **superfungus** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:58 pm

Hi again all,

I've just tried something a little different and have made some progress. By choosing "restore my entire hard disk from a backup" and choosing the CD/DVD drive as my backup I'm able to start basically the same restore process. However, after I hit the error i've been having with "restore factory contents" and the recovery process ends i get a message telling me to restart my computer to continue the recovery process. I try and boot to the recovery partition but because it wasn't installed successfully/completely rescue and recovery is unable to boot and my computer restarts and tries again in a loop. I can boot int R&R with the CD and it will ask me for the last CD in my recovery set, but when i swap out the CD's R&R can't do it's job because the CD isn't available. Does this help? I've also tried installing just the rescue and recovery executable in xp and then recovering from inside of windows, but the version i downloaded doesn't seem to work.

Thanks again everyone for trying to help me out, I'm still open to all your suggestions.

tlsrulz · #13 Post by **tlsrulz** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:07 am

superfungus, what version of RR is your boot CD...
I had the exact same error (with a different file) in same folder PHYTON when I had made my RR boot cd with v4.... I then tried RR3 and made ONLY a boot CD with it (cus of course you can't make more than 1 copy of the system

)... and then presto.. it worked. The rest of my image was on the original 1 DVD which I had created with RR4.... but yes my issue was EXACTLY the same with the initial boot CD failing at like 3/4 of the way.

superfungus · #14 Post by **superfungus** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:55 pm

Hmm, well this is interesting. I'm not sure which version of R&R I have, but I assume 4 because i just got the disks recently from lenovo. Is a version 3 image available on Lenovo's website? I've done a quick search of the site and come up with nothing, but i'll continue to look. Do I have to just download R&R 3 and then make the disks from that? Sorry for the slow turnaround on my reply, I've been a little busy. Thanks again for the help, I really do appreciate it.

tlsrulz · #15 Post by **tlsrulz** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:13 pm

Well what happend was I decided to restore my org hdd after I got the new 7200-160GB.. so I swapped em .. and then low and behold it crapped out.. this was on the weekend.. but to my luck my collegue at work with the EXACTLY same T60 model had RR 3! ... so when I got to work I took a look at it and said hmm.. maybe I'll give this another shot with RR3 .. ofcourse I could do this since it was only the boot disc that was damaged... the actual recovery image (on dvd) was fine.

Only thing I can think of is.. see if u can download RR3 and install it... assuming all you need is the boot disc... then create one ... cus u can create as many boot disc as u want..

Hope this helps.

superfungus · #16 Post by **superfungus** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:26 pm

Yea, thats what I'm trying now, downloading R&R 3 and trying to make a disk from that, I'll let you know what happens. And thanks for your help, this is the best lead i've gotten yet.

superfungus · #17 Post by **superfungus** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:35 pm

OK, I finished Downloading R&R 3, but it won't install, there's a problem with a certain driver. I think this may be related to a number of hotfixes I had to install to get my certain hardware elements in this installation running, I'm going to fresh install xp and install it there.

tlsrulz · #18 Post by **tlsrulz** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:59 am

ok kwel...pm me.. and I might be able to help u out.. if you have an ftp location I can use... save u a reinstall of xp, but its 500+Mb.

superfungus · #19 Post by **superfungus** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:22 am

Ok, i just tried using an R&R 3 cd. 3.01 to be specific and it didn't work. What was the exact version you used again? Also, I have a liscence for win xp tablet edition through my school that i've been using so i wont need your xp install. Thanks though.

tlsrulz · #20 Post by **tlsrulz** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:32 am

check ur pm

superfungus · #21 Post by **superfungus** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:53 pm

Ok, that disk from tlsrulz gets me alot closer than before but it still doesn't quite work. I can install R&R, and the first 5 CD's copy fine, but at the very end of the sixth disk it says that it can't find the specified file and chokes. Again this is a disk that was pressed by lenovo, so I know it's good. So what's my next step? Low level format? Your quick response is appreciated, i have to return my second hard drive soon...

#22 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:11 am

hey fungus..

what hardware are you using to do the restore..?

and did you ever get it to work..?

reason i ask is that with my X series, i had problems restoring with ANY hardware but ibm/lenovo hardware..
and the best way is to use the X60 series base with the CD drive installed..

inquiring minds want to know..

#23 Post by **ryengineer** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 4:28 am

Bill, I once experienced similar problem of restoring a machine using a particular brand of external drive, changing it to different one solved the issue.

#24 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 4:50 am

IBM/lenovo support admitted as much..
some odd behaviour of the X40/X60 series..
very critical of non-thinkpad option CD drives connected via USB..

well, let me clarify (as my memories come back) that the critical behaviour related to writing the recovery set from the HDD with the factory image as well as recovering from most any set..

#25 Post by **ryengineer** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:45 am

BillMorrow wrote:snip.....well, let me clarify (as my memories come back) that the critical behaviour related to writing the recovery set from the HDD with the factory image as well as recovering from most any set..

Bill, is there any specific error or prompt you receive during the process?

Also most external drives won't run properly at times unless you attach their AC adapters to provide extra power, the singly usb lead is not enough for them to draw adequate power from the hub.

chuckb74 · #26 Post by **chuckb74** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:41 pm

Hello Gentlemen,
I am the one who has now inherited this problem and I have pm'd everyone in this thread to ask how this turned out?

I have a non ibm/lenovo external usb dvd rw drive. So after readiing the previous post I tried to reinsall vista from some recovery cd's I created prior to this whole process.

I was able to complete/successfully reinstall vista with my Liteon drive.

so hopefully I will be able to get xp reinsatlled with this drive or I will be out of luck......or buck up and buy the lenovo accessories.

My next question....I now have vista back on my drive and I would like to perform a low level format and try the xp recovery disks again.

How do I get my system to a point at which I can reformat?

Vista will not allow me to go to cmd and type "format c:" and when I run the xp recovery disks i am stuck in the lenovo rescue and recovery program. Is there a way around these two predicaments.

Thanks
cb

Do you know how this post was finally resolved?

link: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... t=init+pyc

do you know what he did to overcome the problem...

I have the same problem now.

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
cb

#27 Post by **ryengineer** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:23 pm

I received your pm and replied to yesterday too, I believe.

Look for a tool corresponding to your HDD manfacturer in the following post to perform a low level format:

Hard drive utility links.

chuckb74 wrote:snip.....and when I run the xp recovery disks i am stuck in the lenovo rescue and recovery program. Is there a way around these two predicaments.....snip

Try this:

(Your machine) with Rescue and Recovery keeps on booting in a loop and not entering Windows then all you need to do is:

GomJabbar wrote:While in Rescue and Recovery (with all CD's removed from your optical drive) you need to tell it to Restore Factory Contents. All the CD's really do is install Rescue and Recovery and the files needed to Restore Windows and the original Factory software.

chuckb74 · #28 Post by **chuckb74** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:31 pm

I have been able to perform a Low level format but am still getting the same error as previously discussed in this thread.

I still get the exact same "x:\Preboot\PYTHON24\LIB\SITE-PACKAGES\_XMLPLUS\DOM\EXT\READER\_INIT_.PYC could not be copied error 999 = Error performing inpage operation." message and the restore fails.

Very frustrating?

Any insights from anyone??

by the way mr Rye....I do not understand the snips you included in the previuous post. The R and R program just errors out when you take out a disks from the optical drive..........

Thanks for your assistance just the same?

#29 Post by **ryengineer** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:42 am

Don't worry about what I wrote earlier in those quotes, I have a clear picture of your situation now.

Your HDD is good so is your external Liteon drive, the problem is with lenovo image I believe. Your best bet is to find an alternative set of Product Recovery disks with Rescue and Recovery 3.0 preferably.

What's the 7 character product number of your machine?

chuckb74 · #30 Post by **chuckb74** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:49 am

I believe it is 7675 CTO....Is that what you are looking for?

Where can I get R & R 3.0?

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