IBM "Recovery" disks

[90275]

Here is a general question for comment.

BACKGROUND

I purchased a new IBM think pad laptop. A short "user" manual was supplied, but no disks. After reading the manual I found out there is a "recovery" mode and partition on the hard disk. Accessing the recovery mode during boot will allow a recovery to factory shipped configuration.

I wanted to know how to do a "selective" recovery; e.g. recover one of the applications or even repair the OS. "No way to do that" was the answer from IBM tech support. Either do a full recover to factory configuration, wiping out all user installed applications and data or use a second feature. This feature allows a snap shot of the current configuration to be saved to the hard disk and then recover to the snapshot. Of course this assumes you can boot and get to the snapshot recovery program. IBM did send me on CD ROM a "FULL" set of recovery disks. After looking at the CD disk are just a CD ROM routine to recover to the factory configuration, no selective install


QUESTION: I expected to have a disk with the installed software, including the OS, so I could do OS repair or selective re-install. The computer came with the OS registration number (and I assume it was registered with Microsoft).

So, what am I missing? IBM's comment was "that's the way it is, take it or leave it".

COMMENTS?????

[John Prophet]

Welcome to the forum!

Do you have lots of data on the drive?

What is it doing that you want to restore it?

JP

[PresterJohn]

the recovery cds do not allow selective restore. it's a "all or nothing" approach, ie. you can only restore the machine to the factory default state.

the snapshot recovery program is meant to be used if you have a working OS and can access the snapshot files (assuming you made a snapshot of course).

[John Prophet]

I guess they mean for you to take a snapshot once a week or whatever....for backup...then you can restore it if something happens....and if it all dies, like if the hard drive dies, you have the restore cd's to at least get the comp back to factory fresh state.

good idea to do backups on cd or to another comp...cuz if the hard drive itself dies the restore partition goes with it.

JP

[90275]

John Profit

Thanks for the reply. I do not need to restore anything today. I am just thinking ahead.

I am real nervous about being unable to do selective installs, especially of the OS. My past experience has always been to have hard copies of the installed OS and programs available and that has served me well.

Also from a "customer" standpoint, I purchased the computer and the software, including the Windows XP Pro OS . I feel I should have a hard copy of the software same as if I purchased the software from my local electronics store.

[John Prophet]

ya. Dell gives a few different disks. You get an XP disk..then you get "application" disks etc. Its actually quite a chore to really fully restore one...in that sense the ibm image is better...but like you say, cant do selective stuff.

I would suggest getting norton ghost.....then you could devise some system to do backups....like when its working good you could make that "snapshot"....and also save that snapshot to cd's using ghost.

Then a month later or whatever....make another snapshot..and another ghost copy...just to have the oppurtunity to "roll back" to a previous config if you get a virus or something....and all along you would be backing up whatever data you want..like the entire "my docs" folder etc..and emal.

[90275]

I supposed that is what I will have to do.

But I know one company I will not buy a my next computer from.

Thanks for your comments.