T61 recovery - partition is hosed, need help

Alright, I have made a big mess and could use a little help.

Here's where I am -

I upgraded the HD on the T61. Before I did, I made a partition on the new disk for the hidden restore data and copied it over. Now I want to restore Vista onto the machine from that partition. However, when I try to boot the Restore & Recovery on that partition I get an error: "Non-System Disk or disk error."

Of course, I didn't create backup boot CD/DVDs and I'm kicking myself now.

I have been all over the Internet looking for an answer. The Thinkwiki page is very helpful. I have a all kinds of utilities to help me but nothing is working out.

I am wondering if somebody out there can send me these two utilities from the Lenovo help tools: bmgr32.exe and BMGR.exe.

Any other advice would be appreciated....

 

OK well, don't everyone help at once...

I have discovered that the Rescue & Recover software, when installed, will fix the master boot record when it installs. So no need for BMGR.exe. I had to first download the Admin Toolset to blank the MBR and then install R&R.

I have still not fixed the issue though. When I get it fixed I'll write up the method so nobody else had to endure this pain.

Greg.

 

How do you have a 14.1 WSXGA screen?

 

Yep. Why would that make a difference?

 

He only wonder since WSXGA doesn't exist in laptop panels, most likely your screen resolution is WXGA (1280x800 pixels), or either you have a 4:3 SXGA+ (1400x1050 pixels)

Either way, you could always head up to forums.thinkpads.com, the people over there could be more helpful.

 

Well, you do boot it so it's probaby a dish error. It can't hurt to check the error log.

Renee

 

Nope, it's 1440x900 (WSXGA). I'll check forums.thinkpads.com, thanks

Greg.

 

that is the WXGA+ (1440 x 900), WSXGA+ = 1680 x 1050... there is no such thing as WSXGA resolution.

 

Question for you, Greg and feedback - any feedback on my notes from anyone appreciated too ;-)

1 - Where did you download that admin toolset? Was it necessary to blank the MBR? I thought (from some experience with the R&R versions 4.10 /21) that the R&R DVD did wipe out the MBR.

2 - Or maybe I didnt understand your note. Installing the R&R on a working system will not change the MBR, if I recall correctly.

3 - In similar cases where the MBR was hosed, with an existing set of recovery R&R DVD 's I was able to wipe and reinstall the MBR (i think that 's what it did).

4 - For whoever has any information I'd really like to find a doc that explains what R&R does re the MBR. I have also seen the service partition installed at the beginning of the HD (not ideal) and also at the end of the HD on different T60's.

The pragmatic answer of course is to wipe it with fixboot and use as a standard OS with all other Thinkvantage utils, except the R&R. Or live with an installed R&R.

What is really not good about R&R is that you *cannot* use HD backups from an R&R save if your laptop is hosed. Only DVD backups. I wish it were all explained somewhere in simple FAQs.
One your laptop is hosed any R&R images you made on other HD media are useless.

 

Here's where I am now and some more background...

When I went to install the R&R software it complained that there wasn't enough room on the MBR. So next I downloaded the Admin tools from the Lenovo support site. There is a command line tool the blank the MBR in those tools. After that R&R would install.

So here's where I am now -

- R&R is installed and will start normally if I press F11 on boot.
- The recovery partition is still on the disk and intact.
- The recovery partition still will not boot when I attempt to boot from that partition. This is where I'm stuck.
- R&R will not help me because I don't have the R&R recovery DVD, only the boot CD. As you point out, it won't use the recovery files from the hard drive.

I am tempted to just buy the Windows 7 upgrade and get rid of this whole Thinkpad recovery mess once and for all. Except that I want to sell the laptop, which is why I'm recovering Vista now.

 

Hey Greg:

Can you clarify: 1- pressing F11 on boot, R&R starts normally (from the service partition) but then doesnt find the recovery sets on the recovery partition?

2 -And you can't boot into the recovery partition directly (which also contains its R&R boot program btw) ..

Yeah at this point a windows 7 upgrade (esp if you buy the 3 pack home version) is simpler. I've given up on R&R unless it is functioning perfectly and even then I use it sparingly and do not depend on it, preferring other imaging software.

Or do a straight Vsta reinstall if you have the licnesing keys.
Cheerios and all the best,
Axel in NYC



Axel in NYC

 

Greg:

sorry but it doesnt look good at all. R&R recovery partition isnt going to work except with its original install even if you get it to boot. That's been my experience with USB external bootable recovery partitions.
Much simpler to reinstall Vista if you have the isntall keys and forget about R&R. I only use it if it is working and then only minimally - prefer to rely on other imaging software.
Cheerios and all the best,
Axel in NYC

 

Alright here's my final update.

I did finally get the recovery partition to boot, but the restore still failed. What I had to do is this:

1. Delete all partitions on the disk.
2. Make a new ~8gb partition
format = ntfs
name = SERVICEV001
flags = boot
3. Copy all of the recovery partition files into the new partition
4. Reboot

The Thinkpad recovery software starts normally now.

However, when I do the full restore, it formats the entire drive. Along with the Thinkpad recovery partition I am working from.

Now, the last time I did a full restore this way it worked. So obviously I still have something wrong. I believe if you don't have everything EXACTLY the way Lenovo R&R expects it to be it just won't work.

So, I gave up and ordered the recovery DVD set. I hate giving up but, oh well.

Greg

 

Greg:
well congrats on getting the recov partition to boot - tho I wonder how you could ascertain it is that recov partn and not the service partition which booted. I take it the full restore did not restore to a Vista install, only to a formatted drive (and the service partition).
Understood about giving up - it is frustrating when you could be so close
HP 's high end laptops are great too.
XL