Help needed

Hi,

I've just bought a Lenovo T401i and an OCZ Vertex 2 80gb SSD.

Using thinkvantage recovery, I backed up the files into my 16gb USB drive.
However, when I replace the thinkpad hard disk with the SSD and plugged in the USB boot drive, my computer could only recognize the SSD and said there was 'no bootable partition' within my usb. Why is that so and what should Ido?

Any help would be much appreciated. I have browsed around the forum but there seems to be a paucity of information related. Thanks again!

Larahir

 

Further information:

1. When Itried to boot, this message appeared:

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel Boot Agent.
No bootable partition in table.

I have already changed the bios to boot USB FDD first...

 

Well, I'll take a very basic stab at your situation:

* No telling what happened to the USB backup at this point.

* You -do- have the old hard drive, righto? (Never discard original until the replacement is proven to work).

* You need to debug your backup on the USB, so -if- you have the old/original hard drive, swap that back in and boot it up; check things out.

* Your backup -to- the USB is likely not bootable, so you need another approach to what is, effectively, cloning the hard drive to your new SSD. I don't use thinkvantage recovery, but I'd guess it didn't copy over boot info to your usb gizmo drive. Backing up files is -not- the same thing as cloning a drive.

SO, all of the above said, I'd recommend you start over. If you have limited experience cloning new drives and setups, either get some local help or research this thoroughly on the web before starting again.

What -most- people do is something like this:

* Backup the original drive to somewhere; another drive connected via USB port is an example. A second (D:\) partition on the original drive might be another location.

* Either hook up the new drive and restore the backup directly to the new drive, -or- boot up the restore software via a CD/DVD and have it run the restore to the new drive.

* Swap drives, boot & test the new drive.

The above process works best if you have capability for -both- new & old drives to be hooked up to your laptop at the same time. Otherwise, it gets more complicated.


If you did something like dispose of, wipe, or other misc. thing to render your original drive useless, then you're learning the hard way(as most experienced users do at some point) that you -never- scratch a drive or make too many changes at once. Doing so is asking for disaster...

 

Thanks for your help!

1.) yes, I do have my original hard drive (the one that came with the notebook). There is no valuabel information in there though, it's brand new. I only want to extract the windows from it and install it into my SSD

2.) There are some new developments. I borrowed a USB docking station from my friend and Iwas able to connect the SSD to it. So I have my Thinkpad (with stock HDD in it) connected to a dock with SSD on it. Is there a way that I can 'clone' the HDD into the SSD? What software would help? Would thinkvantage do the trick?

 

ThinkVantage utilities won't help you. You need something that you can create into a bootable CD.

Acronis TrueImage is a good solution, though you'll have to pay a few bucks for it; the Home version should do well enough. It may be that the 30-day trial edition will work too. Install it on a system other than your ThinkPad, create a bootable Rescue CD, and use it to clone one drive to the other.

I've used the free Clonezilla Live CD to do this too, but Clonezilla isn't nearly so user-friendly, and unfortunately, it won't clone from a bigger disk to a smaller one, even if the files will fit, so that's out in this case (I'm guessing your hard drive is probably larger than the SSD you're installing).

 

Isn't Thinkvantage Rescue and Recovery suppose to have a create bootable recovery DVD option?

 

Yes, but the OP decided to use a USB flash drive instead of CD+DVDs. I suspect something went awry during the procedure. (I gather that the USB drive must have been formatted as FAT32 instead of NTFS. But, in general, I'm not familiar with the USB scheme to offer any suggestions.) Even if the OP now wants to re-do the R&R onto CD+DVDs, ThinkVantage won't allow it because it may be done only once.

I've come across the Acronis TrueImage solution, as suggested by LoneWolf15, in various forum threads. I hope it will be helpful.

 

Hi, I have just downloaded the Acronic Truimage free trial solution. I tried to backup the new thinkpad onto the SSD directly and create a 'rescue disk' on a USB. But when I booted up arconis loader popped up but when Iclicked on 'recovery' in the procedure and tried to boot with the SSD alone, it did not work. Can anyone walk me through the back up and install procedure?

 

There is an option on thinkvantage to create a backup of the harddrive, I did this on my laptop when I lost the recovery drives when I was installing a new HD, I was able to make it work, just too more disks than I would have liked, then i restored from the image that was made...

 

if you're going in for an SSD, you're better off with a clean install. My advice:

1) put the original disc back into your laptop
2) Save the serial number and activation key on to a USB drive
3) download the windows 7 iso
4) install the SSD into the laptop and do a clean install
5) apply the serial number and activation on to your new install.

there are plenty of threads in the forum which give you details of how to do steps 2, 3 and 4.

Re-imaging does not align the SSD properly and might lead to degraded performance.

 

"Acronis TrueImage is a good solution, though you'll have to pay a few bucks for it; the Home version should do well enough."

Hi Lonewolf!

People keep recommeding Acronis when Windows has a fine backup. How come?

Renee

 

Cause it's better in my opinion of course.

 

Hi, thanks for all the input.
I have just downloaded a windows 7 .iso of my appropriate version. Can anyone show me a forum post on how to extract the serial and then reinstall using a usb? Thanks very much!

 

This may be a stupid idea but I'm also looking to update my HDD to a SSD when my T420 gets here, so bear with me.

But since the T series has two SATA ports (one may be swapped into the Ultrabay) could you not unhook the Optical Drive, connect the SSD and then continue to use software to clone the main HDD's contents over to the SSD, unplug and swap. Voila!

Sorry if that was worthless input, especially since I don't even know what swapping out the ultrabay entails and I would guess that starting the computer at that stage may pose a problem (shouldn't think so though), but I guess I'll find out when I swap my HDD (wiped clean) and SSD around =)

Question: how large is the OS and Lenovo software in size?

PS. why not just use DVD's rather than a USB?

 

Some input here:

I just called thinkpad support and they agreed to send me a set of recovery disks after hearing about my situation.

Returning to your questions,
1) your option certainly sounds theoretically possible, but i neither have the hardware to connect my ssd to the ultrabay nor the software the clone the hard disk.
2) i kinda regretted using a USB because i thought it would be more convenient to boot up, but the technician explained that the thinkvantage rescue and recovery software is actually flawed. to create a recovery usb requires installation of this patch which i had no knowledge of

Rescue and Recovery Cumulative WER patch for Windows 7, Vista, XP
Lenovo Support - Rescue and Recovery Cumulative WER patch for Windows 7, Vista, XP

Once that I have made a USB recovery copy, they wouldn't allow me to do it again so I'm stuck because of their bug.

3) the size for T410i is approximately 9 gb

 

Great. That's perhaps the best way to image your SSD.

I'm weary of the R&R USB scheme: I've come across various reports of problems/difficulties in different forums. Your frustrating experience finally reveals a PATCH that most of us didn't know about.

 

Hey Thanks for your help! However, is it true that the Recovery disks wouldn't optimize the SSD leadingto decreased speed and that a 'clean install' would yield better effects? If so, can anyone direct me to instructions of how that is done? thank a lot!

 

I doubt that the Lenovo Recovery discs are "optimized" for HDD. Anyway, the official link is here:

Lenovo Support - Windows 7 Clean Installation - ThinkPad

 

So one needs to buy a new copy of Windows 7?

 

I don't think so. There is a legal .iso version for download and you just need to use the serial number of your thnkpad. It's quite... cumbersome though, I admit.

 

Nevertheless, I wonder if there is a more friendly guide offered by someoe other than lenovo on the issue?

 

@larahir - I'm sorry for the delay, just saw your PM. just follow this thread, you should be able to do a clean install.

Save you the hassle of reading through...I'm assuming you have the following now

1) your original HDD
2) your T410
3) your new SSD
4) the lenovo recovery discs.
5) the windows iso (32 or 64 bit) you have downloaded from the link above.

here's how you go about...

1) put your lenovo recovery discs away safely
2) burn the windows iso to a DVD. Use imgburn (its free) and burn at the lowest speed possible to avoid any errors
3) download the ABR utility from here
4) Ensure that your laptop has the original factory hard disk inside it. Boot into windows.
5) put the ABR utility from step 3 on to a USB drive and plug it into your laptop.
6) run the utility - you should have two files generated. the activation key and the serial number. Do not proceed further unless you have these files.
7) shutdown the laptop and remove the original hard disk. Keep it away safely.
8) install the SSD into the laptop.
9) Insert the windows 7 DVD into the laptop
10) Install windows - the windows installer should recognize the fact that it's an SSD and optimize installation accordingly.
11) Do not enter the serial number when the installer asks for it - instead, just select the correct version of windows and clicking on "I'll activate windows later"
12) Let the install complete
13) When the laptop boots up from the SSD, insert the USB drive
14) run the ABR utility again to restore the serial number and activation key
15) You should have a fully functional, activated windows install on your SSD now.
16) Install an antivirus of your choice.. I recommend MSE
17) Go to the lenovo drivers site and install the thinkvantage update utility
18) Once it's downloaded and installed, run the utility. It will pull all device drivers without a hitch.
19) Presto - you should have a superfast windows installation now
20) [optional] you can rep this user for a detailed guide ...just kidding!

 

About points 3,5 &6.

Just to clarify: The ABR tool gets used twice - once when you run it to find out the Windows Activation Key that comes with the OS on the system. This is saved onto a USB stick. The second time is when the new OS (from 32 to64 bit) is installed to input the Activation keys got from the first step.

Am I understanding this correctly?

 

may i ask why you are so hesitant in making the recovery cd/dvd's? they are most reliable form of recovery. Even if you don't like all the extra "stuff", you can always remove them. For laptops, Thinkpads business class (T,X series) have the least amount of junk software and they are easily removable.

 

If the question was directed to me, then I would say that I will certainly make the recovery DVDs before I clean install the 64-bit version of the OS. I was just asking about the ABR routine.

 

You are definitely right. Win 7 is quite intelligent when it come to hard drive partitioning. SSD needs special handling. Look at what happens when a SSD doesn't have TRIM function build in.

 

Still, I think it is prudent to generate those disks. It is a lot of work get the right drivers together. Although, this WER fix is critical, the Lenovo update will upgrade it automatically anyhow. What exactly this WER fix does?

 

Perfect. When you extract the utility, these are the files you'll get...

1) activation_backup.exe
2) activation_restore.exe
3) License.txt
4) Readme.txt
5) Version 1.7 Beta 1.txt

on the original hard disk, run activation_backup.exe. Run it as an admin (right click, select "Run as Administrator". This should generate two more files

6) backup-key.txt
7) backup-cert.xrm-ms

do not proceed with your install if these files are not generated. Also, keep these in safe storage.

When you're done with your clean install, run the activation_restore.exe (again as an admin). That should restore your activation.

 

@v_310...Thanks. Makes life so much simplier. All I have to do is to wai for Monday.