Virgin Freedom Netbook

[Haighy]

Anyone know how to invoke the restore facility for this ?
Having played, a lot, I'd like to put it back to the original installed system.
Easiest way is prolly to invoke PC Angel
I assume it is a key at boot, but can't seem to find which one

[Matty_]

Try F10

[Haighy]

Thanks for the response :-)
F10 sends me to a boot up manager for Windows 7, I may not have explained enough about the playing I'd been doing ;-)
The rescue partition is still there, can see it just can't get to it.
The main reason for wanting to go back to XP, 7 runs very well, is that I can't find a driver for the audio for 7.
A way of booting from the OEM partition, or a driver for 7, is what I need :-)

[keyholder]

u mean you have got rid of the software that allows u to recover from the hidden rescue system partition which allows you to restore from factory.

There are pieces of software that allows u to read/ copy / recover hidden partitions like this but i cant remember wot they are again. Personally i dont bother with these partitions.

The other option is to completely erase the HD and put your own fresh copy of Xp on without all the junk and use the windows Code that came with the Thing

[Ben B]

1. Download EasyBCD and Install it from http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
2. Run it and go to the Add/Remove Entries Screen
3. Click on the Linux tab at the bottom
4. From the drop down list select the partition ???? (See Screenshot 1)
5. Tick 'GRUB isn't installed to the bootsector'
6. Click 'Add Entry'
7. Go to the NeoGrub tab and click 'Remove NeoGrub' (See Screenshot 2)
8. Go back to the Linux tab and deselect 'GRUB isn't installed to the bootsector'
9. In the name box, enter something like 'Recovery' and ensure the drop down list still has partition ???? selected (See Screenshot 3)
10. Click 'Add Entry' and click save at the top (See Screenshot 4)
11. Restart the netbook and select the new Recovery option from the boot menu to inititialise recovery

Ben

[Haighy]

Excellent instructions. Thank you :-)
Did all the above and it booted into PC Angel ... and then BSOD'd with
Stop: c0000021a {Fatal System Error}
The Session Manager Initialisation system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x00000000).
The system has been shut down.
Hmmmmmm.

The suggestion of wiping the HD and installing XP and using the code that came with the netbook is a good idea, but would leave me with the same driver problem for the audio, I guess.

The recovery partition may have the driver for the audio, which might work for 7, if only I could find something to let me look in that partition.

Any idea how to do that ?

[Matty_]

Just found a post on overclockers http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?p=14636949 #56 is the drivers apparently. Reading through the thread it looks like installing Vista/7 may mess up PC Angel.
There might be something helpful there.
Apologies, these may only be xp drivers. The issue seems to have been solved for sound in 7 on the dedicated forum http://www.virginmediafreedom.co.uk/

[Haighy]

Excellent response. The 2 links you provided look like great places to find out things about this Netbook. Not had chance to play yet but have to thank you for the great links.
Steve

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Matty_

on the dedicated forum http://www.virginmediafreedom.co.uk/

Will be interesting to see how the site stays up with that name

[pagdodd]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Will be interesting to see how the site stays up with that name

I have been running the site (www.virginmediafreedom.co.uk) for around 9 months now and it is going well.

I just had to mention that it is an UNOFFICIAL site.

In reference to the above question:

It is my understanding that if you install any other operating system it destroys part of the recovery partition. I did it while trying to install Vista, which was the whole reason I set up the site.

But you can re-install xp using any disk and then use your COA off the bottom.

I personally run Windows 7 and it works really well.

---------- Post added at 09:11 ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 ----------

Sorry, I didn't look at the date of the posts.

I would hope the problems have been sorted by now

[dilli-theclaw]

My dad just gave me his old VM netbook to put windows 7 on..... Which is running great aside from the sound. The link above no longer works. So I was wondering is anyone know what driver / solution was linked to in that old site?

Cheers,

Dilli.