Packard Bell Recovery Problem

[scottyboydfc]

Hi there, I thought you guys may be able to help me.

I bought a Packard Bell iMedia 1302 in November 2004 and after a while I got annoyed with slow speeds so I decided to install a fresh copy of Windows XP (nothing to do with Packard Bell) and see how it went. It wasnt bad, but now I want to restore the PC to the original. I have a recovery dvd which I made myself when I first bought it. When I boot from it I get "error 10" "operating system<>cdrom."

If you need more info please ask.

Thanks in advance

[maverick]

Try tapping either F11 or F12 on boot up,if the Packard Bell recovery partition is still there it should give you the option to use it.

[nffc]

Probably needs re-tattooing because of the use of the CD. Has any hardware been changed and at what point does the error appear?

---------- Post added at 23:15 ---------- Previous post was at 23:15 ----------

Originally Posted by maverick

Try tapping either F11 or F12 on boot up,if the Packard Bell recovery partition is still there it should give you the option to use it.

He's created MCDs so the F11 won't work, it will have been removed.

[scottyboydfc]

It boots up with CD as if it will re-install then in the packard bell menu it comes up with the error

---------- Post added at 23:22 ---------- Previous post was at 23:21 ----------

Oh yeah and how do i re-tattoo and what is that?

[nffc]

Originally Posted by scottyboydfc

It boots up with CD as if it will re-install then in the packard bell menu it comes up with the error

---------- Post added at 23:22 ---------- Previous post was at 23:21 ----------

Oh yeah and how do i re-tattoo and what is that?

I'd not worry. So it starts reinstalling / copying files then comes up with the message? Screenshot if you can?

[scottyboydfc]

[attach]Attachment 10943[/attach]

---------- Post added at 23:46 ---------- Previous post was at 23:45 ----------

hope this helps

[nffc]

OK, drop down to a Dos command line by pressing Esc at that message
then type TS - hit enter
Choose Option 1 (Dos Commands) then Enter
Choose Option 1 again (should be something complex like TreeCRC bleh)

This will check your CD make sure there's no errors on that.

This message comes up before or after you opt to start the recovery? What comes up before?

[Strzelecki]

If that passes ok then try this:
In DOS prompt as before run both of these commands:
q:\drivers\tattoo /importbin:c:\tattoo.bin
q:\drivers\exths /importextbin:c:\exths.bin

When this is done, reboot and boot off your recovery CD again. If your CD fails then you will have to purchase the recovery Disks/DVD. Contact nffc at PC Servicecall for that!

[scottyboydfc]

Originally Posted by Strzelecki

If that passes ok then try this:
In DOS prompt as before run both of these commands:
q:\drivers\tattoo /importbin:c:\tattoo.bin
q:\drivers\exths /importextbin:c:\exths.bin

When this is done, reboot and boot off your recovery CD again. If your CD fails then you will have to purchase the recovery Disks/DVD. Contact nffc at PC Servicecall for that!

Tried that. When doin the 1st 1 it says "bin.exe" "no bin file"
2nd 1. "File Error"

---------- Post added at 07:55 ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 ----------

Originally Posted by nffc

OK, drop down to a Dos command line by pressing Esc at that message
then type TS - hit enter
Choose Option 1 (Dos Commands) then Enter
Choose Option 1 again (should be something complex like TreeCRC bleh)

This will check your CD make sure there's no errors on that.

This message comes up before or after you opt to start the recovery? What comes up before?

This comes up before I get to chose anything. It boots, goes through lots of Command Line and then I get the message

---------- Post added at 07:56 ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 ----------

+no errors on cd, hard drive, or ram. checked them all

[Strzelecki]

Right sounds to me like you have damaged the hidden sector. A retattoo should work. The procedure is here http://forum.packardbell.com/en/view...ghlight=tattoo
but I would strongly suggest giving PC Servicecall and ring on 0870 9013000 and they will run you through it step by step and give you the password required at the end (I can't give that out publicly, PM me or nffc if you want to do it without their help).

[nffc]

Yeah, a tattoo is pretty important, if you screw it up by selecting the wrong thing, the recovery will not install the right things.

Try this sequence of commands...
· Change to Q:\drivers or C:\drivers
· Tattoo /inithspretest
· Tattoo /createdmifromhs
· Q:\reloadhs.bat
· Tattoo /createdmifromhs

[scottyboydfc]

Thanks guys. really dont know what i done. bit of a fluke really. i posted the same problem on packard bell forums and even they couldn't help. Thanks again

[nffc]

Did that tattoo work?

[scottyboydfc]

Yes, it did. thats probably wot fixed it cheers m8

[nffc]

Originally Posted by scottyboydfc

Yes, it did. thats probably wot fixed it cheers m8

I suppose it would have helped if you'd been given the right commands to begin with

Someone... should have known the right command set to use to tattoo with created MCDs (which of course contains that machine's tattoo info)...
You do realise at the "Advanced Options" menu of the 1-4 the CD recovery gives you, you can smart-restore the OS only? And also, the bundled apps can be removed using
Start > All Programs > PB support > Smart Restore...
You should never have needed to wipe with the XP disk

Then again i had to look that up, all the tattoo /PB info i have is at work and i'm in the middle of 10 days off

Feel free to post or PM if you need any further PB advice, unless you bought the 3yr/5yr warranty you won't be touched on the 0870s which should save you 1.50 a minute

---------- Post added at 21:36 ---------- Previous post was at 21:35 ----------

Ooh and i'm 14 off 4k too