Use "Factory recovery disks" or "Rescue & recovery"?

I'll be upgrading my T520 from Windows 7 to Windows 8 (clean install) and want to create a full, restorable backup of my system first.
I'm confused about just which method to go with. In Control panel, there is a "Lenovo-Factory recovery disks". And then there is also Rescue & Recovery, which I just installed.
From the online instructions, it looks like with R&R, I can select either the OS and/or Data. If I select OS, is this the same as running the Control panel item, Factory recovery disks??
I will probably create the OS backup media separate from the Data media anyway, since I want to copy the data over to my clean install of Windows 8.
Thanks!

The Recovery Disks are a must have do burn them to DVD's (3 - DVD are burnt). These 3 DVD allow you to reinstall the the Windows 7, tools drivers etc to the state it came from the factory. It becomes clean start as you originally got it. They maybe also used to boot into for the repair console but I am not certain as I haven't tried it myself.
Now having said that which should be clear. You want an IMAGE of the DRIVE which includes 3 partitions. One is no good since Lenovo boots via Rapidstart via "System_Drv" partition. If you look in Disk Management you'll see that is the active boot partition. You need it and the Windows partitions a minimum. But that leave the Q drive omitted.
Few people take into account that even though they have a backup of the HD they DON'T have the means to read it to put it back. Its fine if you just going to over write a working system from the backup but not it the application or tools are missing. Acronis Trueimage is OS independent and allow for a Boot CD to be made for those situation in which you can restore a HD, a partition or even folder and files from the same backup. This is what you'd want or something equivalent and 100% that you'll have access to it afterwards. I doubt you'd be able to easily do all this will R&R and there is no way to verify that in advance. Many time the backup is no good and you're SOL. Trueimage can verify the image file created that its good if you which so you know. You can create as many images as you wish over time and typically place on an external drive. Do so via the eSATA port is very fast while USB works but slower.
I trust this will have answered and/or enlightened you plan. Bottom line at the end of it all. You want to be 200% sure how to do the image restore from a unbootable HD. If you can't then the damm R&R is false security and useless tool. I don't use and don't trust it period. Some people sure have rebuilt an SSD with it but that's no the same thing or as easy.
You may want to read some of the Window 8 pre threads since you're be installing over Windows 7 as the upgrade requires.
Good luck.
PS: You are smart to ask now rather than like many after they've destroyed the original software and no clue how to recover and go back. Expect stuff not to work as it does under Win7 Lenovo has a lot to catch up on for their tools and drivers before its solid packages. That's my opinion.
You could buy another HD and just swap it and do a clean install but would likely require a retail Windows 8. There does not seem to be a way to install it yet without the Windows 7 being available for verification before the upgrade DVD will install. Then its as drive swap to go back again.
T520 Model 4239 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2860QM CPU @ 2.50GHz
Intel Sandy Bridge & Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics Intel N 6300 Wi-Fi adapter
Windows 7 Home Prem - 64bit w/8GB DDR3

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T500 - Windows Update no longer works after using factory recovery disks.

I'm running Windows 7 32bit. I needed to restore my T-500 hard drive because of a fatal windows registry error caused by a 3rd party registry cleaner/tuner software... Windows 7 was DOA .
I used the factory recovery disks I created after I first fired up the laptop in April this year, all went well, Windows 7 booted up, and I went through the "Starting Widows for the first time" setup dialog, Windows 7 sucessfully activated... also verfifed it on the Microsoft website.
Went into control panel to have windows update pull down all of the critical updates released after I got my Thinkpad and I got a pop up saying "windows update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer."
I checked... the windows update service is running, so is BITS. Following suggestions from Microsoft support, I have 1)deleted the softwaredistribution folder from C:\windows, 2) run their "fixit tool", 3) renamed the CatRoot2 folder in C:\windows'system32, all to no avail each time I tried to use windows update after each "fix".
I decided to check here if anyone here has gone down this path before and ask what fixed it?
I'm waiting for Microsoft support to reply to my last email informing them the last instructions to rename the CatRoot2 folder and retry windows update failed. They now have a copy of my windowsupdate.log file sent to them.
How about it... does this situation sound familiar to anyone?
Thanks.

I run into the same problem with fresh installation of W7 Pro on T530 with 1TB samsung disk.
This solution worked for me:
    Running check for updates will trigger this error message:
“Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer.”
Solution:
1.    Go to Administrative Tools/Services, and stop the Windows Update service.
2.    Then go to the folder c: /Windows/SoftwareDistribution and delete all of the files and folders.
3.    Then go back to Services and restart the Windows Update service which will recreate all of those folders again.
4.    Then manually run the Update Service and everything should work.

Can't create a factory recovery disk using the recovery partition that came with my computer

When I push the Q: recovery drive> Create recovery media, I get a message saying
"Windows cannot find 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Lenovo\factory recovery\recovburncd.exe'. Make sure you types the name correctly, and then try again."
How do I go about fixing this and creating a recovery disk?

You can purchase replacements from AppleCare:
Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 or visit online Help for more information.
To contact product and tech support visit online support site.
However, you might want to consider upgrading to Snow Leopard - $29.00 at any local Apple retailer or the Online Store. This may actually be less costly than purchasing replacement discs, although the replacement discs will have the Apple Hardware Test that is not going to be on the Snow Leopard DVD, nor will any of your pre-bundled software.

Not being able to use my recovery disks...

Hello!
I need to format my laptop (HP G42). So I decided to use my Recovery DVD's for it (the ones that I generated the first time that I used it, right when I bought it). Before that I backed up all my working files in a disc (DVD disc). Everything was OK so far but my problem began when I started the process of using the recovery media; it went OK with the first disk but when it was turn of the second and error appeared (unfortunately I didn't wrote it down).
I thought it was a problem with my DVD unit and I saved all the DVD Media in my external USB HDD. Tried to run the recovery manager from the external USB HDD but the recovery manager told me that "this media was not allowed"
How can I get my HP G42 laptop to its original factory settings? Somebody out there that can give a hint.
I will greatly appreciate any help given!
Horacio S.G.

Try booting with the Recovery Disks again, if you still get a fail write down the error message and post it.
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Can't load Vista from factory recovery disks?

I have an X200 running XP. The X200 was delivered with XP installed and Vista recovery disks. I wanted to see how Vista performed so I decided to load the Vista from the factory recovery disks. There are 3 disks...Disk1 Start Recovery Disk, Disk2 OS System Recovery Disk, and DIisk3 Applications and Drivers Recovery Disk. I have an external Lenovo DVD drive and the BIOS is set to boot from this first.
I placed Disk 1 into the drive and rebooted. The system loaded and the Rescue and Recovery program came up, did it's thing, and asked for Disk 1 to be inseryed. Well, Disk 1 was already inserted but I ejected and re-inserted it - it said this was not the correct disk. So, I figured Disk 2 might be "disk 1" in this context but it didn't like that one either coughing up the same incorrect disk message. So, only disk 3 is left so I tried that too, same results.
OK, what am I doing wrong or might Lenovo have include incorrect disks.
Any help is much appreciated.
thanks
*Smith & Wesson...the original point and click interface*

There is a chance that the discs included is not suitable for your model type or the discs itself are bad, call Lenovo and ask for another set.
Message Edited by lead_org on 03-11-2009 12:50 AM
Regards,
Jin Li
May this year, be the year of 'DO'!
I am a volunteer, and not a paid staff of Lenovo or Microsoft

Lack of Factory Recovery Disks option - from where download setup file?

Hi,
I have just installed new OS (Windows 7 Pro) on my T420. Unfortunatelly I cannot find proper URL to download software like this below:
That is well known Lenovo ThinkVantage Tools board. In previous pre-installed OS I got it, but now after new OS installation, I did not managed to download Factory Recovery Disks module (cannot find it)... So my question is - where can I get it? And how can I get view like on the attached screen?
Another thing is thinkpad icon in devices view in Control Panel. On previous installed OS I had nice T420 icon, now ordinary pc icon instead. How can I change it?
And finally, I had also a Recovery Partition. Now I do not remember what I have done in order to have it in previous pre-installed Windows. Could you please explain it to me?
Regards,
Marcin
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Thanks for the newest update. If I understand what you are saying:
(1) The SSD has plain jane windows via a windows install. and runs fine. I ASSUME you copied personal files (pics, quicken) from the old HDD to the SSD.
(2) The old HDD is now in the ultra bay/usb serving as a 2nd drive to hold data. Did you ever reformat the old HDD to make it a true blank 2nd drive? ie, did you remove the ability of old HDD to act like a bootable lenovo system?
(3) Your new plain jane SSD have no Lenovo products, and No Lenovo service parition.
==
It the above is true great!!. If the old HDD is a bootable Lenovo windows, down the road, I would copy loved data from the old HDD to external USB, DVD, or to SSD. Reformat the HDD to make it a true data only HDD, then copy loved data to it. Having a bootable HDD and SSD, dual boot, makes for a mess.
If you installed RNR on the SSD, all the files are stored on the C drive of the SSD. The boot stuff is changed around. It is bootable to bring up standalone RNR via PF11.. It will "act" like standalone RNR on the old system. The factory recovery option will Not be available, since you have no Lenovo recovery partition.
Your blue button wont work, big deal.
===
I had the same issue going from vista to win7.
I have 2 hdd, C drive(vista) and (D) drive(data). I always order my systems with two HDD, simpler.
I had to disconnect the D drive during windows install( windows from best buy) to prevent a mess. Windows chooses 1st found. Do no destroy my D drive thank you. When shipped from the factory, the service partion was on 320GB drive, 160 GB drive was empty. I wanted it the other way.....(fixed, call the support center and get recovery disk set).
Thus my windows win 7 install erased my 160GB drive(choose the erase option). a 160GB drive with a Vista Lenovo drive and say, windows install, Replace the C drive only, will create a mess, the Lenovo vista recovery partition is left). It will boot, but RNR will not install (win7 with Vista recovery).
===
Take SSD plain jane windows. Download System update, not much will change. Download RNR(you did this) . You took a RNR backup to DVD or USB. You created a RNR BACKUP to DVD? great! This 1st DVD is standalone RNR boot rest of the DVD's are data. Last DVD is called FINAL and contains the Index file to recovery the SSD.
==
You can now recover your SSD should it burn up. You have no NEED for a Lenovo factory recovery set nor a Lenovo service partition.
Down the road after your make the old HDD a data drive, backup using RNR to old HDD,a data drive. This is called SECOND in rnr. backup weekly.
I backup weekly to Second. I NEVER back to LOCAL(the C drive)
I backup using RNR monthly to external USB-HDD. (not a memory stick). 1TB usb-hdd, $65 or so at best buy(on sale). BUT format it first, diskpart set active. RNR adds standalone bootables to the usb-hdd,. But it may not boot if the USB is not preformated and set active. This is covered in another post.
I backup using RNR every 6 months to DVD.
I use other software, www.nero.com to back up personal data, daily and monthly.
==
Hopefully we are on the same page now. Provide feedback if lost.

Using the Recovery Disk

Hi,
I have a Toshiba Satellite Model: A135-S4527. My computer has been crashing randomly, and I am looking to re-install the factory image. However, my DVD drive is broken, and thus, I cannot use the recovery disk directly. I tried to buy an external USB DVD drive, but the recovery disk does not seem to be able to work using the external DVD drive, When I try to re-install with the disk in the external DVD drive, it keeps asking me to insert a disk into the internal DVD drive (D, even though the internal drive does not work anymore. Does anyone know if there's any way I can reinstall the factory image with an external DVD drive, or other method? Thanks for the help!
-Henry

henry2304 wrote:
Hi,
I have a Toshiba Satellite Model: A135-S4527. My computer has been crashing randomly, and I am looking to re-install the factory image. However, my DVD drive is broken, and thus, I cannot use the recovery disk directly. I tried to buy an external USB DVD drive, but the recovery disk does not seem to be able to work using the external DVD drive, When I try to re-install with the disk in the external DVD drive, it keeps asking me to insert a disk into the internal DVD drive (D, even though the internal drive does not work anymore. Does anyone know if there's any way I can reinstall the factory image with an external DVD drive, or other method? Thanks for the help!
-Henry
The Toshiba recovery disk requires the internal CD/DVD drive. There isn't any workaround for that.
Sorry.

GT60 - Can I break RAID0 and then use the Recovery disks?

Is it possible to break the RAID0 and then use the recovery disks from MSI Burn Recovery or a Windows Home Premium Disk with the code from the sticker on my laptop, to install back to factory settings without the RAID0? Just want to make sure before I do something drastic. Thank you.

you can always make an system image of your current windows on an external drive and then experiment with it and if anything breaks, just change bios settings to older ones and recover your older system, everything will be intact like nothing ever happened.

Factory Recovery Disk

May I know there is a way to create more than one Factory Recovery Disk?
Below is my current situation:
As soon as I bought my new thinkpad edge, I created Factory Recover Disk and saved it into my external drive ( not into DVD).
Unfortunately, my external drive was crashed. I tried to do Factory Recover Disk but the message showing that we can only have one copy of the Microsoft Windows Operation.
In my unfortunate situation, what should I do?
Thanks,
AMT

Hi,
from the law perspective you can ave only one copy of the OS, that can be crated from our system.
In csae your system is not that old, you can call support and ask for a set of recovery CDs.
Or maybe if you have some other system and the recovery CDs from that one, then you could use those and recover your system
Let me know the options, that you have.
Cheers

T430s Recovery with Factory Recovery Disks

Hello,
I have a T430s. My original hard drive is dying so I got a new one. Before swapping the hard drives, I created the factory recovery disks (1 "boot media" + 3 "data media"). After installing the new hard drive, I boot with the first DVD (the "boot media") and it only goes to the system image option. It tells me to insert the last DVD of the system image, but obviously I have the factory recovery disks, not a system image disk. So it doesn't recognize any of the three data DVDs as the "last DVD". There is no factory recovery option, it only goes to the system image option. How can I restore to factory settings with my DVDs on my new hard drive? Do I have to use a CD/DVD to boot into R&R somehow, and if so, how?
Thanks!

There is no "full recovery " option. Do you mean to say factory image recovery instead?
When you run a recovery, make sure that you connect the usb recovery media to a usb 2.0 port if one is available.
Please identify your notebook with its complete product number or name.
1. The full Model No. and Product No. of the notebook - see This HP web document if you don't how to locate the model number and\or product number.
****Please click on Accept As Solution if a suggestion solves your problem. It helps others facing the same problem to find a solution easily****
2015 Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience Consumer

I have to use a recovery disk to fix my computer. Where does FF keep the login and passwords I use on a daily basis. I want to download and save them for reinstallation?

I am about to use a recovery disk to reset my computer to it's original factory settings and operating system. I want to download and save all of my Firefox bookmarks, website logins & passwords for the websites.
How can I do this and where is all the above located on my computer. I would like to copy them and then reinstall after the recovery disk operation is completed.

Firefox needs 32-bit plugins, so you'll need to install 32-bit Java for Firefox.
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X220 factory restore issue with Rescue and Recovery

I have X220 which I enjoyed very much for the last one year. Warranty is just expired and unfortunately the system starts act crazy. I decided to reformat and go back to factory setting stage by using Rescue and Recovery. I could get to the Full Restore and could click full factory restore. The system ask me to restart but instead reformat the HD, the previous OS kicks in and reboot as previous setting. Please help!!!

Are you sure Q: partition is absolutely empty? Normally .WIM files on partition Q: are stored in hidden directory FactoryRecovery.
Check out Lenovo Factory Recovery Discs within Control Panel for creating factory image media.
x220 | i5-2520m | Intel ssd 320 series | Gobi 2000 3G GPS | WiFi
x220 | i5-2520m | hdd 320 | Intel msata ssd 310 series | 3G GPS | WiFi
Do it well, worse becomes itself
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1,1 running Lion with XP Boot (re-install and what should i use for recovery disk or usb stick)?

i am trying to give my 1,1 mac pro a little love and would like to keep this machine running lion. i also have a boot camp installation of XP on it.
1. can anyone give me instructions on how/whether i can basically do a fresh install of Lion on this machine and minimize the system so it is not cluttered up with all my previous software etc, etc while still maintaining the original XP boot camp partition which i really need to have?
2. can anyone clarify for me what i should have on hand /if/ i need to boot into recovery mode or some other safe boot mode? i recently ran into an issue where i may have had to use the old Disk Utility format function and there was a reference to booting using the DVD install disks. however i am really confused as to what i should have on hand. ALSO the last time i had to do something on this machine i was told to boot into the Recovery Partition and it appears for some reason (perhaps because i had a "non-standard" windows 7 boot camp installation on the drive at the time??) that there was no recovery partition created when i upgraded to Lion.
- /anyway/ i am finding that i have the two ORIGINAL install disks for the mac pro on hand, a Max OS X Leopard and a mac OS X Snow Leopard DVD on hand but i am thinking that i should be creating some kind of USB stick similar to the one i created with yosemite? actually, i am not even sure what this USB stick for yosemite is for but i guess i can use it to boot into safe mode or something?
THANKS for any help as i'd like to get this business under control a little better in case i have an issue.
i'd also like to install Lion so that there is a Recovery Partition if possible and i think this may be possible if i don't have the windows 7 partition in the machine when i do a fresh install. any help would be great. thanks.

You have to go out of your way to build the Installer Disk yourself. But this tool makes it easy, and this site contains instructions:
http://diskmakerx.com
the bootable installer is basically to re-install the OS if i have to
Yes.
the recovery partition is somehow for fixing a problem
Recovery can go and get you the software and re-download it and start the Install, and allows the use of Disk Utility and can reset passwords.
or is there some overlap?
Yes. Both give you access to the Utilities that used to be on the Installer DVD. Disk Utility to Repair or initialize and a few other tools that can allow you to set up to install on an otherwise-bare disk or change your password.
is "Safe Mode" something completely different
Safe Mode is a way to start the fully-Installed Operating System in a special way. It first does one pass of Disk Utility (Repair Disk) against the Boot Drive. [Normally this would require booting from a different drive to make repairs.] Then it loads a minimal set of Apple-only kernel extensions, and uses a one-size-fits-all screen resolution. Then it demands your Username and password to proceed.
From there you can fix settings, use the Finder to add or delete things, and check operation with minimal extensions versus all your daily-use extensions. Very helpful for debugging extension conflicts and graphics settings problems, and fixing damaged settings. The next Restart builds a new extensions cache.

How do i use the recovery disks and backup and restore my laptop in a new HDD without losing OS lic?

I am running a HP-DV6 6090ee laptop with windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OS. This problem started from last evening.
I am getting a "Smart Hard disc error" error message before boot and ater booting windows saying that my HDD is having problems and i need to backup and check the hdd.
After checking i found that i have a corrupted hdd and i am going to replace with a new one.
I need to know the following :
> How do i restore my windows license and my antivirus license in the new hdd?
> i dont currently have a OEM HP OS cd. can i use any windows 7 cd??
> at what stage should i use the recovery disk i created from the recovery partition be used? Whats its specific use?
I really appreciate any quick response as my current HDD is running out of life.
Regards
A

See these 2 Links...
Syncing to a New Computer...
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141
Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991

Hp pavilion dv6 6180 help me for this error when I am using my recovery disk

hp pavilion dv6 6180 help me for this error when I am using my recovery disk
The destination drive is not connected

Hello Mohammadshamlou. I understand that you're having some issues using your Recovery Disc. It is giving you the error that the drive is not connected. Is this correct? How long have you had the notebook?
What issue originally led you to want to try a recovery?
The error seems to imply that it is not detecting the hard drive as this would be the most logical destination drive. So, I feel the best thing to try first is verify that the hard drive is in proper working order. Follow these steps and please post the result.
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Click the "Accept as Solution" button if I resolve your issue.

Use "Factory recovery disks" or "Rescue & recovery"?

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