Recovery Partition Empty?

I'm trying to do a restore on my X120e, but having some problems.

First, the F11 for some reason disappeared on my machine. I might know the answer to this, since I was trying to prepare a hard drive previously used with Linux so has Grub installed. I was trying to use Diskpart and the Windows PE on my machine (holding F8 at Win7 startup) to clean up the external drive, but might've accidentally rewritten the MBR on my X120e instead, using the Windows Startup Repair. Later on I did manage to use diskpart to clean up instead, but my X120e will not see F11 instead.

Second, so instead of using F11 to boot, I held down F8 to boot into the same Windows PE environment, and Lenovo Product Recovery does appear under their. So I started that, and when that happens, after agreeing to the terms and conditions, it says "Cannot find the Backup Files". I opened a command prompt window, and did notice the contents of my Lenovo_Recovery partition is blank, folders are there but drive has 10GB free.

Is my only way out now using the recovery discs?

 

Looks like your recovery partition is hosed? You will have to call up Lenovo for recovery discs.

 

OK, so I pretty much confirmed my theory, my recovery partition IS indeed shipped empty. I can't even create restore discs. This was resolved, I called in and they are sending me recovery discs (abeit the wrong ones, my machine comes with 32 but they will be sending me 64).

But now I have a bigger problem now. It appears my machine came unactivated, and I asked around, it seems like my machine won't activate because the BIOS didn't came with the SLIC, however the key behind my battery is an OA key. I confirmed this with Everest, the SLIC under ACPI tables isn't showing a version number.

Now I'm wondering how can I explain this to support so I can get this second problem fixed. They confirmed my machine does indeed come with Windows 7. Because even with my restore discs, I probably can't activate it.

 

Replace the machine?

 

Try updating the BIOS, the newer BIOS fix the missing SLIC problem.

 

Tried that last night, flashed twice and SLIC still didn't appear.

 

Even if I want to do this, still got to convince Lenovo to do it...

Any ideas on how I can tell them?

 

If this is a new machine inside the return period, that should be easy. It's defective and you can't fix it. If it's outside the return period, have them fix it under warranty.

 

Do you have onsite service? If not you will have to RMA it to Lenovo. Adunno how it will work seeing as you are in Canada.

 

My question was how should I explain it to the Lenovo reps? I called and they seemed pretty clueless about what I'm talking about.

 

Tell them the machine was dead on arrival and won't boot.

 

OK called them again. First guy didn't know what I was talking about, then transferred me to someone in Georgia. He doesn't really know what I'm talking about still, but after me explaining he'll replace the motherboard in my machine.

I don't want to deal with their sales team again, waiting another month for a machine.