Notebook Recommendations

[behrangsa]

Albin Blaschka Wrote: 
> Hello,
> 
> Behrang Saeedzadeh schrieb:
> 
> > One question: Can I restore the system to the original configuration
> > if I repartition it and install Ubuntu on it?
> > 
> > The reseller told me something strange: I can restore the system to
> > the original configuration by just pressing the blue Access IBM key
> > during system initialization. Is this true or I have to backup the
> > system to an external media?
> 
> Thinkpads have a hidden partion on the harddisk with all necessary data
> 
> on it
> to re-configure or re-initialise the machine, it is called
> Pre-Desktop-Area.
> As long as you keep this, it is no problem to reconstruct the original 
> configuration. I did not do that, I took another way: IBM delivers on 
> demand Installation disks of Windows XP. With them it is no problem to 
> re-initialise the laptop, either ;-) So, I ordered this CD-Set and then
> 
> used Knoppix with QTParted to repartition (a boot-partition, a 
> swap-partition, a root-partition - quite minimalistic), left a little 
> bit space for WinXP *at the beginning* of the Harddisk as (it should be
> 
> "hda1" in "Linux-Speech" or first primary partion) windows needs that
> to 
> be able to boot and installed at first debian and then ubuntu on the 
> other partitions, grub recognised windows on the disk, configured it 
> correctly and of we went ;-) another Dual-Boot-System was born.
> 
> With the installation cds you can even just re-install windows on the 
> partition, it does not wipe the whole disk, you then must re-install 
> grub on the master boot record, windows erases it...(use a live cd for 
> that, but that is another story...)
> 
> *BUT* A backup of your important data is *never* a bad idea! and 
> specially if you do some repartioning and reformating...
> 
> See also: 
> http://tinyurl.com/4az76
> 
> Hope that helped!
> 
> Albin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> ubuntu-users mailing list
> ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
Hi

Thanks for the information. Before doing anything, I just created the
"IBM Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore" CDs. It took 7 CDs! Then I
deleted the C: partition and restarted the system and created two non
formatted partitions. I left that 4 gig at the end of the disk that
contain the Pre Desktop Area untouched.

After restatrting the system I found out that pressing the blue "Access
IBM" key does not show up the Rescue related things up. I guess the
system is looking for it at the second partition but cannot find it as
it's now on the third partition.

So right now I'm restoring the system to the factory settings.

I guess now that I've not the Windows XP CD-set at hand I've to use
Knoppix to create the partitioning I need and as this repartitioning
makes that Pre Desktop Area unaccessible thenafter I can also delete
that PDA area too (am I right?)

Deleting that area won't heart as I've the recovery CDs but I prefer to
make it untouched and accessible after repartitioning. Is it possible?

Truely yours,
Behrang S :)


-- 
behrangsa