New HDD install; reproducing IBM service partition

[Joseph_N]

I want to install a new WD Blue Scorpion PATA disk drive (160Gb) into my T43/p, M/T 2687. Will a full restore from Rescue and Recovery 4.x onto the new disk create the IBM service partition? If not, would there be any harm from first restoring the factory disk image (which, I assume, would recreate the service partition) and then restoring from the RnR backups? In particular, I'm concerned about whether restoring the factory disk image would be a problem in view of four years worth of firmware upgrades, e.g., the wireless and video components.

JN

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
Personally I don't bother with the recovery partition, if it's for my own use.
If it's a 'known to me' model (i.e. had one before), I load an image of a previous install onto it with Acronis TrueImage.
If it's a 'new to me' model, I use the recovery disks from a similar model, without creating the recovery partition.
If no recovery disks available, I install from a corporate XP/SP3, then install System update, and run updates as available.

[SteveS]

As you suggested, restoring from the service partition will lose the updates you have made to the system.
My experience with a T41 and T40 is that a full restore using Rescue and Recovery does not recreate the service partition. Using the IBM recovery disks will create it.

Note – in order for this to work, the new drive must be raw as you receive it. If it has been formatted and a primary partition installed, the rescue CDs will not create a service partition. Also, they will not automatically register Windows, and during the install you will be asked to enter the Product ID from the Windows sticker.

As RealBlackStuff commented, you don’t need the service partition if you intend to keep the T43. But it is nice for the new owner if it is on the drive when they buy it.

On his last comment, be aware that loading XP from a generic MS Windows CD will probably not install the correct HAL for the T43. The default one that will probably be installed will not support the Trusted Platform Module chip, and some of the power saving features in the power manager.. Installing XP using the IBM recovery disks insures you get the correct HAL for the T43. You can then upgrade to SP3 after the base XP is loaded.

[Joseph_N]

I'll post my experiences in case they come in handy for anyone else.

1. I tried as a first step to restore the factory disk image, including the service partition, from a Rescue and Recovery CD, thinking I would then, in a second step, restore my most recent RnR backup. The restore process did not work, because I had bent a pin on the HDD--or it came with a bent pin--so the computer wasn't recognizing the new disk.

2. I entered the BIOS as administrator/supervisor and changed the treatment of nonapproved disks to continue with the boot process instead of the default setting of pausing. This isn't necessary, but it seemed convenient.

3. After repairing the new HDD's pin, I decided to change my approach. This was also partly because at the time I was unsure if the bent pin really was the problem earlier, although now I am sure that it was. I removed the CD and instead booted from the external, USB HDD that contained my RnR backup. The idea was to skip the first step of restoring the factory image, proceeding instead to the second step of restoring my last backup. The computer booted properly and went into the Rescue and Recovery workspace. (Note that this only works if the USB disk was made bootable in addition to--and separately from--containing the backup files.)

4. I selected to restore everything, including my Windows ID and p/w.

5. RnR (version 4.21) recreated the service partition, reinstalled the backup files (the USB disk contained a copy of the backup files that were on the removed HDD), and generally proceeded surprisingly smoothly.

6. When I first logged on, the computer did not recognize the TPM chip. I had to log on with my Windows p/w. After logging on, though, the machine registered the HDD, and a reboot worked fine with the TPM.

All in all, yet another vindication of IBM's ThinkVantage Technologies.

[RealBlackStuff]

I would like to expand on the use (or not) of the recovery partition.
Using it will wipe your current installation completely.
You then have to get rid (again) of all the crud that comes with it (like Norton AV, old Acrobat Reader, etc.).
Next you have to run all the Windows and Thinkpad update stuff, because the restored Windows version is so old.
You then have to install all your own programs and (hopefully from a backup) restore your own data.
Apart from it being a waste of space, I really doubt if many people find that recovery partition so attractive.
In general you'd be better off taking an image of the installation, and restore that, if anything goes south.
Of course you need to make regular backups of user data.
For one thing, re-imaging it is at least ten times faster, and you don't have to reinstall everything!
My $0.02...

Footnote: if you can afford a Thinkpad, you can afford an imaging program. (And it's cheaper than recovery CDs!)

[Joseph_N]

I agree that the issues are worth clarifying, but you're confusing several separate components/issues.

Reinstalling the service partition is not the same thing as restoring the factory image. There is a factory image stored in the service partition. Restoring the factory image could be required in a variety of circumstances, and you are correct that doing so would nullify all the updates installed since the machine was prepared at manufacture. But the service partition also contains the apps required to create separate rescue disks and a set of product recovery disks. A rescue disk, I believe, is a necessity, and product recovery disks are just good insurance.

In any event, I reinstalled the service partition at the same time as restoring my backups (not restoring the factory image), and, for the reason noted in the next paragraph, the resulting machine was completely up to date. I did not restore the factory image (although I first thought I would have to). The machine, after restoration, included everything: a fully stocked service partition and also all my data, apps, settings, and updates from the last four years; I didn't have to reinstall one thing. As for space, the storage required for the service partition is minimal, storage is cheap, and the whole effort I went through was in order to install a larger disk.

As for using an imaging program, I didn't use disks (although, again, I thought I would need to at first). I used the ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery program. I have used Acronis TrueImage and Norton Ghost in the past. In comparison, Rescue and Recovery is far, far, ahead of them in speed, sophistication, and options.

JN