Need help booting into laptop's Vista restore partition
#1
Posted 26 April 2007 - 03:19 PM
My bro purchased HP DV6282 lately which comes with Vista.
This lappy, as many others on the market today, came without any restore disks, it has partition with Vista installation.
After installing WinXP i cannot boot into Vista restore holding F11 after POST anymore. I guess it had vista bootloader with boot settings of the restore in BCD, so my unaware XP installation squashed Vista's boot loader+bcd
The restore partition looks like this:
[codebox]D: | |-BOOT | |28,672 BCD | |262,144 BCD.LOG | |262,144 bcd.LOG1 | |0 bcd.LOG2 | |3,170,304 boot.sdi | |1,024 BOOTFIX.BIN | |87,552 BOOTSECT.EXE | |2,048 ETFSBOOT.COM | |385,024 memtest.exe | |-Fonts | |3,694,080 CHS_BOOT.TTF | |3,876,772 CHT_BOOT.TTF | |1,984,228 JPN_BOOT.TTF | |2,371,360 KOR_BOOT.TTF | |47,452 WGL4_BOOT.TTF | |-HP | |-RECOVERY | |0 HP | |17 MULTI.FLG | |24 REIMAGE.FLG | |2,408,448 RestoreWiz.exe | |764,383 Skin.smf | |-preload | |120 BASE.DAT | |4,149,484,138 BASE.WIM | |36 CD0 | |838 CSP.DAT | |-SOURCES | |213,043,164 boot.wim | |44 SOFTTHINKS | |-Tools | |-Flags | |120 BASE.DAT | |0 BASE.INP | |36 CD0 | |-WINDOWS | |-SYSTEM32 | |28,672 BCD_FINAL_RP.LOG | |3,177 BCD_FINAL_RP_TXT.LOG | |3,785 BCD_Manipulation_RP.log | |1,551 BOOT_WIM_RP.LOG | |194 CreatePage.log | |629 preload.LOG
| |3,098 REIMAGE.LOG
| |10,942 Restore7.exe.LOG
| |157 SSRDServiceKey.LOG
| |3,436 STFramework.log
| |116 ST_LOG.LOG
| |1,136 WINRELauncher.exe.LOG
| |4,332 wpeinit.log
[/codebox]
How can i boot into it again?
I wondered that it would be better that i'll make bootable DVD from it, but how?
any advices are welcome
Thanks in advance,
Dmitry
#2
Posted 29 April 2007 - 01:21 PM
#3
Posted 29 April 2007 - 01:40 PM
Giving replies without actually giving good ideas and valid advices would only make this post seem bigger and others would look at it as already solved based on the number of replies and could likely ignore it - driving away people who might actually know better solutions.
If you bought this laptop recently I'd advise you to take it back to the shop and ask for support - I really have no idea how OEM Vista versions are handled or even if this sort of action is covered on the computer's guarantee.
#4
Posted 29 April 2007 - 02:01 PM
Since you're able to see the content of the partition, you should be able to run the restore feature.
However i fail to see the image in your listing!
#5
Posted 29 April 2007 - 02:19 PM
After installing WinXP i cannot boot into Vista restore holding F11 after POST anymore. I guess it had vista bootloader with boot settings of the restore in BCD, so my unaware XP installation squashed Vista's boot loader+bcd
From what you write, it appears that Vista has nothing to do with it.
Some manufacturer's, including IBM, Dell and, from what you report, HP, do use a F10 or F11 or F12 option at boot time to either change boot order or access a hidden partition.
In some cases this feature is in the BIOS, in some other cases it is in the MBR.
Have a look at these:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=12447
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=18480
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=18840
Without the proper MBR code, it is not possible to get back the feature, even because without more information, it is hard to say which file is actually invoked by the "custom" MBR code.
As hinted in one of the given links, it is also possible that the code extends beyond the single sector MBR and also takes a few of the "hidden" sectors, if this is the case, some of your sectors 2-63 will still contain the code.
At first sight, ETFSBOOT.COM is a good candidate to be used as no-emulation bootsector to create the DVD from the files, see this:
http://msdn2.microso...y/aa460091.aspx
but cannot say more.
You can try using grldr (from grub4dos 0.4.2) to try chainloading the appropriate boot file (boot.sdi ? :unsure) either through a "normal" XP bootsector invoking NTLDR and BOOT.INI (with an entry like C:\GRLDR=Grub4dos), or using the bewish bcdedit feature:
First, you should copy GRLDR.MBR to C:\, and use the following commands:
bcdedit /create /d "Boot Manager" /application bootsector
bcdedit /set {id} device boot
bcdedit /set {id} path \grldr.mbr
bcdedit /displayorder {id} /addlast
Then copy GRLDR and menu.lst to the root directory of any FAT16/FAT32/EXT2/NTFS
partition.
Notice: These commands need elevated privileges, they should be used inside
cmd.exe which is started with "Run as administrator".
You'll have to make a few searches here and on 911CD forum with keyword "grub4dos", take your time to learn the syntax and take even more time experimenting.
jaclaz
#6
Posted 29 April 2007 - 02:29 PM
#7
Posted 29 April 2007 - 02:54 PM
I'm no Vista User!
Since you're able to see the content of the partition, you should be able to run the restore feature.
However i fail to see the image in your listing!
A file with extension .wim around 4 Gb in size could be a good start:
|-preload | |120 BASE.DAT | |4,149,484,138 BASE.WIM
Nice to meet you, Mr. de La Palice.If your HP Laptop does indeed uses one of those old HP taktics to boot. Your best place for help is HPs support. They are the only ones, who know what they did and how to fix it, if it's broken.
Can we extend this to the Microsoft Support guys and shut down the board alltogether?
Naah, maybe we should continue using our own brain....and keep on searching for (and hopefully find) our ways .....tough as it might be.
jaclaz
#8
Posted 29 April 2007 - 03:32 PM
Nahh, much to obvious, must be a trap!A file with extension .wim around 4 Gb in size could be a good start:
|-preload | |120 BASE.DAT | |4,149,484,138 BASE.WIM
I had a problem, two years ago, with one of these old HP computers that have the configuration software for the BIOS in a hidden partition. Support Send me all the software with good instruction to get the computer going with the new HDD again.Can we extend this to the Microsoft Support guys and shut down the board alltogether?
Maybe i was lucky, but the support was very good.
Besides why always reinvent the wheel?
If one has the right HP software to rewrite the MBR, that's much better than patching something together.
#9
Posted 29 April 2007 - 04:05 PM
Besides why always reinvent the wheel?
Something you, like the vast majority of people, might be unaware of, is that the original design for the wheel was a square.
after a very unfortunate attempt to reduce the number of bumps by using a triangle as shape....
...it was later re-invented as an octagon, with the new approach of reducing the magnitude of bumps....
....then the latter idea evolved into a dodecagon....
...and only relatively recently it was fully developed as a circle,
Why, in my day, all we had was...:
http://www.boot-land...?...ic=1908&hl=
and we LIKED it!
jaclaz
#10
Posted 29 April 2007 - 04:08 PM
#11
Posted 29 April 2007 - 04:18 PM
I'll sadomize myself getting it back to work, until i will give up and put my hands up and call HP support (local HP support not that friendly actually)
i'll try the things you've linked to, I'll update...
#12
Posted 29 April 2007 - 05:52 PM
(I sincerely hope that your English dictionary is somehow defective, and you are NOT going to do what it seems)
jaclaz
#13
Posted 11 May 2007 - 07:01 PM
well i have somewhat the same problem but in my case its a fujitsu siemens laptop.
as i like a clean system, i did a complete re-install of windows. unfortunately i only
found out later, that there is a hidden WinRE partition. when pressing F8 before the vista boot
screen appears a new boot entry "restore system" is shown. i would really like to add this entry
to the boot menu again, but it seems harder than it is. i already tried to modify the boot menu with
bcdedit. but the problem is, that the WinRE partition is hidden. so i cant point to the partition to boot.
the only solution i found was to restore the WIM file with ImageX (part of the WAIK). but this has to
be done with an extra WinRE Boot CD. so its a bit complicated. does anyone still see a solution
to restore the boot menu entry?
greets stevie
#14
Posted 11 May 2007 - 07:35 PM
Hope someone else with a restore partition can help you..
#15
Posted 11 May 2007 - 07:59 PM
well, i already called the FSC support. they say its irreversible.
but i dont trust those guys. im sure it is.
where did you read about those other FSC users?
#16
Posted 11 May 2007 - 08:37 PM
http://www.boot-land...tion-t2037.html
http://www.boot-land...ache-t2152.html
I agree with your opinion that it should be possible to restore back to factory defaults, but you would need another model from where to mirror the contents of the partition or at least study how it was done.
Until I get my hands on a machine of this sort I won't be able to help much, sorry..
#17
Posted 11 May 2007 - 09:04 PM
ahh, yeah, i read the 1st one of those.
well yeah, right, it should be possible.
if i only had done a backup before doing anything else, doh
well, keep us up to date if you get your hands on such a machine.
if u need further details i can maybe provide some, just ask.
greets stevie
#18
Posted 11 May 2007 - 09:35 PM
Can you post your initial question on a new topic so that we can start a new discussion dedicated to this "challenge"?
When you mean pressing F8, is this from Windows or from the BIOS?
Can you post your BCD file?
You find it at c:\Boot\BCD
I would like to compare it against mine for differences..
#19
Posted 11 May 2007 - 10:50 PM
#20
Posted 12 May 2007 - 09:22 AM
http://www.boot-land...?...ic=2152&hl=
jaclaz
#21
Posted 12 May 2007 - 06:11 PM
Should I post in this new topic or start a new one?
Nuno, I can supply you with the information needed.
greets stevie
#22
Posted 12 May 2007 - 06:23 PM
#23
Posted 17 May 2007 - 04:09 PM
Start a new one please, and this way we keep reading easier for others in the future..
sorry a bit busy atm, ill post asap!
#24
Posted 18 January 2008 - 08:35 AM
I copied image.wim and image2.wim from the hidden partition using Ubuntu 7.10 live CD to a newly created part ion "D".
Then copied imagex.exe and associated files from Microsoft to the same D partition.
Booted using vista DVD and selected repair command prompt option.
Then I typed:
format c:/fs:ntfs /q
imagex /apply D:image.wim 1 c: /ref D:image2.wim
#25
Posted 19 January 2008 - 08:42 AM
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3786
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users