Bought Lenovo W500 ThinkPad new in 2009 withXP downgrade. Reformatted twice without a hitch. I even kept a journal which told me that I got in with F11. This time F11 won't repond. In desperation I tried using the set of 10 disks that came with it. Never used them before. They do load Vista but when I try to click in I get an error page. I think I may have wiped XP off the HD and don't have a copy. Do any of you know how I can verify this? Thanks for any help.
Lenovo with no F11
- Thread starter BillByrd
- Start date
Okedokey
Well-Known Member
You can restore your machine using the recover partition as follows:
Before restoring the system, initialize the settings of the BIOS Setup Utility:
Enter BIOS Setup Utility.
Restoring the factory contents from the service partition
Before restoring the system, initialize the settings of the BIOS Setup Utility:
Enter BIOS Setup Utility.
- Press F9 to restore the default system settings. Select Yes and press Enter.
- Press F10 to save the system settings. Select Yes and press Enter. The
- computer will restart.
Restoring the factory contents from the service partition
- Turn off the computer, and then turn it on again.
- When the ThinkPad logo comes up, immediately press the ThinkVantage
- button. The Rescue and Recovery workspace opens.
- Click Full Restore and follow the instructions on the screen.
Thank you. Did that. F9 took me to this boot sequence:
1-USB FDD;
2-ATAPI CDO: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-USON-(S2));
3-USB CD:;
4- ATA HDDO: HITACHI HTS722016K9SA00-(S1);
5. PCI LAN: IBA GE Slot 00C8 v 1351;
6- USB HDD;
7-ATA HDD1;
8. (blank)
"Excluded from boot order: ATA HDD2:; ATAPI CD1:
Pressing F9 made no changes so apparently this is default. Now what???
Yes. I did precisely as you said. When the BIOS opened up, I clicked F9 to reset defaults. Nothing changed. Exited with F10. After that-- powered down. Restarted, blue button when logo appeared, reopens BIOS. If I simply let the computer boot up and run, I get a screen with life preserver logo telling me to put in a certain disc. Every time I do that-- it tells me it's the wrong disc. But then it will load some files anyhow which ultimately takes me to Vista desktop but upon entering, I get error messages.
And now something new: "The file or directory/MiniNT/INF/OLDCACHE.000 is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility."
I don't think I can run any such utility.
And now something new: "The file or directory/MiniNT/INF/OLDCACHE.000 is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility."
I don't think I can run any such utility.
Okedokey
Well-Known Member
Ok so you can get into the OS? If so do the following:
Go to Computer
Right click on the Windows Installation HDD
Go to Properties
Select Tools Tab
Select Check Now under Error Checking Section
Check the Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors.
Select Scan/Ok
Restart and let the check disk finish.
Then restart and see if you can get into Vista.
Another question:
Do you have a Windows DVD?
Go to Computer
Right click on the Windows Installation HDD
Go to Properties
Select Tools Tab
Select Check Now under Error Checking Section
Check the Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors.
Select Scan/Ok
Restart and let the check disk finish.
Then restart and see if you can get into Vista.
Another question:
Do you have a Windows DVD?
Go to Computer
Right click on the Windows Installation HDD...
"Don't know if it will let me get beyond welcome screen (in Vista). Will try.
Do you have a Windows DVD?
No. Bought this thing after they quit providing them.
When you say Windows Installation HDD, I'm assuming you mean the c drive in window's explorer of vista???
Right click on the Windows Installation HDD...
"Don't know if it will let me get beyond welcome screen (in Vista). Will try.
Do you have a Windows DVD?
No. Bought this thing after they quit providing them.
When you say Windows Installation HDD, I'm assuming you mean the c drive in window's explorer of vista???
Okedokey
Well-Known Member
On another computer, download and burn this to a DVD
Then once you have done that, boot from the DVD and use the repair installation function.
Then once you have done that, boot from the DVD and use the repair installation function.
Before getting your last post about downloading the generator I had already begun a second rotation through the eight discs. When it prompted me to do so, I wondered if I was just stuck in a loop. But then I considered the possibility that something different would be done in the second pass. Not logical to me. But... this is a computer! Now it has finished the second loop and asked me to let the PC restart. I did, and now everything is lovely. You gave me a lot of encouragement and confidence during this episode and I really appreciate it. Thanks mate!