X1 Carbon - Create Recovery Media

So, I have a new X1 Carbon, I intend to run Linux, I don't expect to be putting windows back on but in the case that I do, or want to resell it I would like to create re-install media.

I am wondering if anyone has used the ThinkVantage Tools -> Factory Recovery Disks to generate USB keys that could be used to re-install a clean set of software on the machine?

I see that the hidden partition is about 14Gb in size but I have no idea, and cannot see any information anywhere, on what size of USB drive I would need to create both boot and data media using the tool.

Has anyone done this?

Also, does anyone know if there is a way of just getting re-install media from Lenovo in emergencies? i.e. I might just wipe the machine and if I ever do decide to re-install windows on it go to them and pay for media.

Thanks in advance.

 

I have seen mixed reports on the use of USB sticks versus DVD media when building the recovery disk set, AND actually using it for a restore.

 

Boot into a linux environment (like the Ubuntu Live CD, for example) from a usb stick, and plug a second usb stick or usb hard drive into the other usb port. Then image the hard drive with dd:

Code:

dd if=/dev/sda | gzip > /mnt/usb/hda.img.gz

where /dev/sda is the internal hard drive device, and /mnt/usb is the path where you have mounted the second usb drive.

This compresses the image on the fly; the compressed image should work out to be around 24GB or so. If you ever need to restore for any reason a single dd operation (again run from a usb-booted linux operation) will allow you to restore an exact copy of the disk (including all weird Lenovo partitions).

 

Thanks for that, I saw this suggestion already.

I am still wondering if anyone has used Lenovo's tool though, and if so, what their experience was.

I may end up just doing this though, thing is I have already played a bit on the windows partition so it would not be an absolutely clean install if I wanted to re-sell the machine.

 

You could always do a factory recover before grabbing the partitions.

I've created restoration DVD materials on prior Thinkpads and the process has worked well (in the past).

 

I have never seen the Lenovo Rescue and Recovery disk set fail on DVD media. Burning 4 DVD's and throwing them in a cabinet until you re-sell the machine is probably the cheapest route. Beats saving a USB stick in my opinion.

And FYI, after I create the DVD's, I turn around and create .ISO's of the DVD's and stick them in my archive.

 

That may be the way to go, but of course I don't have the ability to burn DVDs and no-one seems to know how large a USB key needs to be to fit the data recovery media that it talks about.

 

Ah, yes, if I had an external DVD burner then I would probably have already done this

 

Ask Lenovo to send you a set. You know how. Forget about USB and DVDs and size and external burner and whatnots.