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    Getting Thinkvantage back

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by clip, Jan 20, 2007.

  1. clip

    clip Notebook Consultant

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    I've just install Vista Ultimate 64 on my Z61m, and is regretting doing it. Before installing Vista, I noticed the two partitions on the HDD, which one of the partition is inaccessible. I thought that is where Thinkvantage is, and go ahead installing Vista thinking that I can recover the machine back. The thinkvantage button won't work even if in the booting screen. Any suggestion I can get back to the old state with XP home?
     
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    You burned off the recovery discs?
     
  3. clip

    clip Notebook Consultant

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    Sorry, I didn't. No discs at all.
     
  4. -Zeus-

    -Zeus- Notebook Consultant

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    ouch... sounds like a problem. I am thinking you might have to replace the HDD.
     
  5. tjoff

    tjoff Notebook Geek

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    Call support and you might get the recovery discs for free.
     
  6. bdonkey

    bdonkey Notebook Enthusiast

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    It's possible that your ThinkVantage recovery partition is still there, but that the Vista bootloader disabled the ThinkVantage button code in the original boot process, so what you can try doing is modifying your boot.ini to startup the recovery partition.

    Don't try it unless you know how to modify boot.ini, though, or else you might just make Vista unbootable, too.
     
  7. LimboLand

    LimboLand Notebook Enthusiast

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    On the Lenovo 3000 C200 the recovery partition is called Rescue & Recovery. Not sure if that's what it's called on your model. The software can be downloaded for my and probably your model from Lenovo's site. I wonder if just reinstalling it might work. But also, I haven't seen (or looked very hard ;)) for an answer as to whether Lenovo's recovery products are even capable of recovering Vista systems yet..? If not, maybe you could reinstall XP and then the recovery software, and it would see the partition again. (I'm so just guessing!)
     
  8. clip

    clip Notebook Consultant

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    I've reinstall XP back into the system, and install all the drivers, Thinkvantage utilities as well. The rescue and recovery reported that there is no backup image. The THINKVANTAGE button now functions, but on BIOS screen, it is only used to open BIOS setting, not the r.n.r.
    Any idea to fix that?
     
  9. Matt

    Matt Notebook Deity

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    Well, I have not instaled Vista on my T60 yet, but, I have heard the ThinkVantage button (along with the volume buttons) are not supported yet. I'd wait for the official release.

    Matt
     
  10. bestisfree

    bestisfree Notebook Guru

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  11. clip

    clip Notebook Consultant

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    I did as your instruction, but nothing really happened.
     
  12. LimboLand

    LimboLand Notebook Enthusiast

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    I guess it must go without saying that you're out of warranty for even phone tech support. I wonder if per-incident support is available and reasonable. Have you tried posting at thinkpads.com? I think that's the biggest Thinkpad board since IBM closed theirs.
     
  13. subi_kazi

    subi_kazi Notebook Enthusiast

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    I think there should NOT be any problem creating recovery disks. Because I talked to support personnel at IBM about upgrading my hard drive. The guy told me that I have to create recovery disk either from my own laptop or from IBM website. As far as understood from that guy we can create recovery disk anytime from IBM website by downloading. So please contact the support at IBM and please also let us know the process.
     
  14. clip

    clip Notebook Consultant

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    I did not wish to register on thinkpads.com for help, so I decided to try again with a bootable cd (which I said I was failed with). But instead of repairing the mbr, I write a new mbr. I cannot access to RNR by the BLUE BUTTON, but can with F11, not a big issue to me anyway.
    But then I can only boot to Windows instead of dual boot with GRUB.

    So RNR partition and linux cannot live together?