Partition types

B

barrowhill

Trying to fix Sony VAIO laptop - errors on repair install and no recovery CD
available. Have downloaded service manual and removed HDD (Toshiba 100GB).
Have USB Combo Adapter (IDE/SATA) so connected to own PC and running Acronis
Disc Director and can see 3 partitions

Partion 1 is Recovery Partition, 2 OS and Programs and 3 Documents etc.

Now Partion 1 has no drive letter and I cannot allocate so not visible in My
Computer/Windows Explorer. I cannot copy this partion either. Partion type
is according to Acronis "0x12 (Compaq Setup)", whilst under Administrative
Tools\ Disk Management it's "EISA Configuration" Again, under disk
management cannot assign driver letter as only option available under right
click of mouse is "help"

I was hoping I could burn to CD/DVD and use to recover laptop . Can anyone
explain the meaning of these partition types and why I'm prevented from
copying. I assume it would of been used to create a recovery CD by the user
as it's common place now for cd's not to be provided. Any help here
appreciated.
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

barrowhill said:
Trying to fix Sony VAIO laptop - errors on repair install and no recovery
CD
available. Have downloaded service manual and removed HDD (Toshiba
100GB).
Have USB Combo Adapter (IDE/SATA) so connected to own PC and running
Acronis
Disc Director and can see 3 partitions

Partion 1 is Recovery Partition, 2 OS and Programs and 3 Documents etc.

Now Partion 1 has no drive letter and I cannot allocate so not visible in
My
Computer/Windows Explorer. I cannot copy this partion either. Partion
type
is according to Acronis "0x12 (Compaq Setup)", whilst under
Administrative
Tools\ Disk Management it's "EISA Configuration" Again, under disk
management cannot assign driver letter as only option available under
right
click of mouse is "help"

I was hoping I could burn to CD/DVD and use to recover laptop . Can
anyone
explain the meaning of these partition types and why I'm prevented from
copying. I assume it would of been used to create a recovery CD by the
user
as it's common place now for cd's not to be provided. Any help here
appreciated.

You could boot the machine with a Win98 boot CD (www.bootdisk.com)
and run ptedit.exe
(ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/)
to change the type of Partition 1 to FAT or FAT32. There is a good chance
that this is its real type and that Compaq made it a Type 12 in order to
make
it inaccessible. The process of changing the type is fully reversible,
provided
that you keep careful notes what the type was before and where you changed
it.
 
B

barrowhill

Pegasus,

Thanks for info I'll file that for the future. Resolved problem - manged to
find user as well as repairnual on net. Able to remove hard drive and make
backup of all partions (except recovery). Having ascertained how to invoke
recovery process (F10), reset laptop back ro factory settings. This process
completed OK. Recovery DVD's made as well for future in case owner never did
this. Documenta nd Settings partion untoched on recovery so no personal data
lost lost there. Need to check againt boot partion to see if any personal
data stored there. Having image should be able to restore. Laptop now fully
updated both for windows XP and VAIO. Owner need only set up ISP/internet
access and mail. Hopefully should be able to get Address book back etc for
him. Either way, He's getting it back in a better position than he left it
with me.

Thanks for your input
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Thanks for the feedback. What's happened to the noble art of backing up
important data regularly to an independent medium? Is this yet another user
lurching towards the next disaster?
 

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