Rescue and Recovery

Rescue and Recovery version 3.0 consists of a bootable partition containing various system recovery tools, including full recovery of the preinstalled Windows XP partition. It can be activated by pressing the ThinkPad, Access IBM or ThinkVantage Button during system boot. It contains a FAT filesystem (labeled "IBM_SERVICE"), and has partition type 0x12 ("Compaq diagnostics" in fdisk).

As opposed to a Hidden Protected Area Recovery partitions are ordinary partitions, accessible through the partition table. As they are ordinary partitions they are accessible by ordinary partitioning tools. They should be dealt carefully with.

Proper MBR

ATTENTION!

Consideration 6 of the Readme states: The Master Boot Record (MBR) must be configured properly for the Rescue and Recovery application to function properly. When possible, the Rescue and Recovery application attempts to ensure the proper configuration of the MBR. This can only occur if the Rescue and Recovery application is installed after other applications that requires the MBR.

Apparently, the MBR is not "configured properly" if LILO or GRUB has been installed in it. It is not known how to invoke Rescue and Recovery by pressing the appropriate button during system boot once LILO or GRUB has been installed in the MBR.

Note that it has been reported that it is still possible to invoke Rescue and Recovery from LILO or GRUB. Others have also reported success with this method (see the discussion page of this article).

External Sources

• IBM page on ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery.
• Rescue and Recovery Readme

Models featuring this technology

• ThinkPad T42
• ThinkPad T43, T43p
• ThinkPad R52