Repair install on Lenovo with One Key Recovery?

[Dark Rider]

I'm working on a friends PC, a win 7 64 bit on a Lenovo Ideapad model B560. This thing has One Key Recovery installed.. Instead of having factory restore disks this tool recovers the system to factory defaults via a hidden partition that contains the restore data.

More info about One Key Recovery here What is OneKey Recovery? - Yahoo! Answers

You cannot change or resize partitions or One Key Recovery wont work. This PC had malware on it and can't boot into normal windows mode (that's the main problem) .. but it will boot into safe mode. I removed the malware with Malwarebytes but the PC still wont boot in normal mode. I tried to use One key Recovery but it refuses to work in safe mode.

One Key Recovery sets up the PC with 3 separate partitions. A C drive for Windows and pre-installed Lenovo software, a D drive that's large for data and the hidden recovery partition. I don't want to cripple this functionality so I can't do a complete reinstall of windows from a win 7 dvd. I thought I'd use a win 7 dvd to do a repair install instead - hoping this wont mess with the partitions but just fix the windows errors keeping it from booting normally. I'd be using the Win 7 64 bit with service pack 1 integrated from Digital River.

I want to know before I try this - will it work? Will it fix the errors without messing with the partitions? If so, perhaps after it's finished, I will then be able to use the One Key Recovery option if I need it. I have to verify this before I try it and mess something up that I can't recover from.

Thanks.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

Unfortunately, you are stuck between a rock and hard place - you cannot perform a Repair Install from Safe Mode:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

You might be forced down the path of a clean install, and thereby lose the recovery partition. If thats the option you must take, then I recommend following the steps here for that:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

Regards,
Golden

 

[Dark Rider]

Oh crap. Thanks, but that's not going to work.

What about making One Key Recovery work in safe mode? I get an error that says Driver Initialization Failed. Is there a way to find out what drivers it needs and enable them through Msconfig from safe mode without rebooting?

Or perhaps another way to recover the data from and install from the hidden recovery partition? (other option is to have the guy order a set of recovery disks - but this is time and money I'm trying to avoid.)

Gee.. why have a recovery partition dependent on a tool that wont work in safe mode? Doesn't make sense, it's self defeating. Lenovo isn't very smart. I suppose for that matter, Microsoft isn't very smart either. Being able to reinstall the OS or repair it in every possible way should be central to working in safe mode. It's unfathomable, unconscionable for this not to work in safe mode. Did they even fix this for Windows 8 ?

 

[Golden]

Hi,

Sorry, but I have no idea. My own view is that with the advent of cheap external USB storage and free imaging programs, that internal recovery partitions are largely redundant.

My own approach is to always perform a clean OEM install, and then image that installation using Macrium to an external USB storage. Its easy to do, and the advantage is a I get a nice clean (no bloatware and crapware) re-image within the space of 20 minutes, and being on the USB means I have insurance against a complete HDD failure.

If you ever consider that route, take a look at this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

Regards,
Golden