Recover/Repair Windows partition w/ThinkVantage disc?

Hi all,

As I've complained, my nVidia card's software doesn't really work on my T520. So instead of simply uninstalling the drivers I went whole hog and uninstalled EVERYTHING from drivers to engine. I planned to go boot into safemode via the msconfig option, wipe everything, and reinstall.

Unfortunately the machine is stuck in a restart loop @ classpnp. I've managed to save a vast majority of my files using a Linux live CD but I didn't have enough space to save my photos.

I put in the Thinkvantage product recovery boot disc and it brought me to a screen giving me two restoration methods: "Restore Windows partition (C partition only)" or "Restore to factory default state (all data on the system hard disk drive will be lost)."

Which should I choose to avoid fully wiping my drive? I'm running Home Premium x64 but I have a x64 Professional disc at home somewhere.

 

Well been there... The best solution is to backup everything to some external hd. Because on T520 even when i had C: (70Gb) for system and D: for anything else it was not posible to choose that first option so i have to backup everything, reinstall with second option (wipe all) and all the drivers was as sh**y as before. Next time i will reinstall it with normal W7 installation not with the lenovo backup disks.

 

I have both options, though. I can choose either one but I would like to know if the first option will give you the option to repair the Windows install.

 

I also have both but the "only C" solution gives me some kind of error, I don’t remember it specifically, but before anything backup!!! And then try the first one if it fails which i think it will then you have no choice...

 

So after some tomfoolery I got it to work (by work I mean boot normally) and it's throwing a Code 39 from the PCI express controller and doesn't detect the nVidia card.