using function key to boot from partition, how can i press F10 to recover ghost ima Options

[Ben_Mott]

I have used Ghost image on a cd to recover the ghost image of my win os
back to C: partition.
I have also in the past put the ghost image on a FAT32 partition and used a boot floppy to Pload the ghost image.
My question is how can i use a function key say F10 to load the ghost image
from that fat 32 partition.to C:
compag use F10 and Packard Bell use F11 to recover the system from the
recovery partition .
there is no information on this at all can one of you Knowlegable people .
help as I am very curios to learn how it is done.
thanks

[jaclaz]

The F10 or F11 is INSIDE the "custom" BIOS HP and Dell use.

There is NO known way to re-create the SAME, unless you want to re-write BIOS code, but it can be used a special MBR (actually a bootmanager) to have a similar behaviour, see here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=10957
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=10540
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=8159

and here:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=47206
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=47773
and given links.

jaclaz

[Ben_Mott]

thank you Jaclaz,
I will read the links with intrest
ben_mott

[Ben_Mott]

it took me few months to figure it out here is the answer: this is very useful for small system builders
as the XP size is getting larger and larger and not practical for multi DVD and CDs as error tend to ocour
using Ghost.
once the recovery partition is set up on test computer then the whole HDD can be imaged for preparing other HDDs I suppose that is the way they do it at Dell ,IBM/Lenona/Advent /E-machine etc

how to restore ghost image from a hidden fat32 partition using F10 or F11 Keys at boot up.

you need To TEST this on your TEst machine or a new Hard Disk first although I have installed it
and tested it myself ok and it works ok and recovers the immage.
here is What you need:

1. ghost.exe(7 or 8 so they can handle NTFS partitions of XP)
I have mine on interactive floppy posted earlier, but you can have it on its own on a floppy

2. GDISK.exe (comes with ghost small prog like fdisk but more powerful)
I put mine on my win 98 boot disk, for convinence.
3. windows 98 BOOT floppy
http://www.postbox.wanadoo.co.uk/benwin98boot.exe
4. boot manager disk
http://www.postbox.wanadoo.co.uk/bootmanager.exe
the good thing about boot manager is that it can handel hidden partitions.
it is all ready made to use with menu.
5. you also need bootable floppy to copy contents to recovery partition
http://www.postbox.wanadoo.co.uk/benpartitiontype.exe

6. partition magic 6 or higher or the cd which I posted link earlier QTpated that will do same

job.

places where I got my info and down loads are :
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss...cid=MIGR-4UFUYK

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-4QDSS5.html
......................................
important information
the lable of the recovery partitin must be IBM_SERVICE
as the boot manager prog looks for a partition of that name if not exist error will result.
the recovery partition MUST be FAT32 and HIDDEN and PRIMARY.
......................
use partition magic to make 2 partitions
1. NTFS where XP is or will be living say 70GB PRIMARY lable it XP

2. FAT32 recovery partition size 10Gb PRIMARY HIDDEN large enough to hold ghost image and

content of floppy (benpartitiontype)remenber this partitin must be hidden at all times as XP

tends to write to it other wise.
......................
once you have the two partitions boot with a windows 98 boot disk with gdisk on
at A: prompt type
GDISK /STATUS 1
and enter on key board
this gives you all partition details of disk 1
GDISK 1 /-hide /P:2
this un hides the partition 2
restart pc with win 98 boot disk in floppy drive for settings to take effect
fat32 IBM_SERVICE partition is now C:

take win98 boot disk out
put benpartitiontype floppy(above) in floppy drive
COPY A:\*.* C:\
now take that floppy out and put in the floppy with Ghost.exe in
COPY A:\ghost.exe C:\
take that floppy out and put win98 boot disk in again
SYS C:

this puts system files on recovery partition.
GDISK 1 /hide /P:2
this gain hides the partition
take win 98 boot disk out and put bootmanager disk in
then CTRL +ALT +DEL to restart.
it boot into the floppy and gives 3 option on menu
choose option 1
this will add a line when you boot saying press F10 to recover
take the floppy out and test CTRL +ALT +DEL
it should boot to recovery partition ..........
.....................
remember you still do not have the ghost image on that partition which we need .
if you install XP fresh it will wipe the F10 option.
and you need to do it again at the end
.............................
to copy the XP image to that partition you need to again unhide the partition then Hide it again
some of you experts are probably bored by now so I cut story short
..............
important ghost image MUST be named image.gho as this is on the command line.
boot in with windows 98 boot disk again
GDISK 1 /-hide /P:2
this un hides partition
reboot for setting to tahe effect

take win98 boot disk out put disk with ghost.exe in
ghost.exe

this will bring ghost (use arrow keys ) choose partition To Image option
for destination choose IBM_SERVICE
put win 98 in immidiately
boot into it and hide partition
GDISK 1 /hide /P:2
it is all ready test it to see if it copies the image
reference:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14127

[jaclaz]

NICE!

The first link in your post appears to be truncated, shuld be this one:

CODE

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4UFUYK

This one should also be related:
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/thin...en/rnr20mst.pdf

jaclaz

[Ben_Mott]

thanks Jaclaz,
i have now corrected that link
regards Ben

[Ben_Mott]

I do not know If you noticed but on my windows 98 Boot disk (link above post)
there is a directory called DMI tool
some manufacturerers like Advent, Toshiba and few others
put either a special serial number called UUID or the Manufacturer name and /or Model
on the DMI part of the BIOS.on the Mother Board.
so if you change the Mother board of your computer you will find that the Recovery CD
no longer works saying it is the wrong computer or something like that
this tool gives you a chance to save the DMI String Or UUID to a DMIInfo.txt
file automatically.
then you can save it and write it back AUTo or Manually.using this tool.
..................................................................

DMI String Modifier

Release Note for DMI

Command:
Usage : DMI [/R] [/W] [/F] [/WM] [/WP] [/WV] [/WS] [/WU] [/?:H] [Write data]
[/R] : Read DMI string from BIOS"
[/F] : Read DMI string from BIOS to DMIINFO.TXT file.
[/W] : write DMI string to BIOS follow DMIINFO.TXT.
: If no DMIINFO.TXT file then key in yourself.
[/WM] [Manufacturer string] : write Manufacturer string to BIOS.
[/WP] [Product string] : write Product string to BIOS.
[/WV] [Version string] : write Version string to BIOS.
[/WS] [Serial Number] : write Serial Number to BIOS.
[/WU] [UUID] : write UUID to BIOS(only 32 digital(Hexdecimal) number)
[/?:H] : show usage information
......................................................
if you have not down loaded the winows 98 boot disk do now before it gets
demolished by the FREE ISP when you do not use ther e-mail service after few months they
Automatically demolish the web site.
Rgards Ben

[jaclaz]

Newish option, Terabyte MBR Utility can istall MBR's that allow for pressing a Fn key to select a "recovery" partition. :
http://www.msfn.org/board/Create-My-Own-Re....html&st=26



jaclaz

[Ben_Mott]

Thanks for that very useful information.

I am going to find an old computer to test that DOS version on its BIOS .

Regards Ben

PS
here is a very useful FREE software in return :
-------------------------------------------------------

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A special effort went into designing and polishing Hamachi user interface. The result is sleek,

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http://hamachi.en.softonic.com/download


https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.asp
==============================================================
https://secure.logmein.com/documentation/ha...arted_Guide.pdf
================================================================

I been using it is awesome (power ful size 993KB very small) and very very easy to setup and use

https://secure.logmein.com/products/ignition/

From another forum:

"One of the biggest problems for me personally is the lack of key applications like, Hamachi.

Hamachi is a VPN client that, unlike nearly every other commercially available VPN solution

today, requires absolutely NO configuration of any kind. I use Hamachi when away from my network

and would absolutely love to have a portable version that I could drop onto a thumb drive and

then into my pocket. Then again, I guess that's why I have my notebook at my side at all times.

Still, I believe developers need to begin adopting U3 in a more universal fashion. Thoughts? "


https://secure.logmein.com/corp/pressreleas...=93&lang=en


https://secure.logmein.com/documentation/ha...arted_Guide.pdf


Regards Ben

This post has been edited by Ben_Mott: Jun 4 2008, 05:24 PM