I'm not talking about the bootstrap loader settings
NVRAM, I am
talking about the code to run the configuration
interface FOR the BIOS.
Choice of boot device happens w/o the software via the
hardware BIOS
reset jumper, but no further control over settings w/o
the hidden
partition's program.
I removed the hidden partition on my son's Compaq laptop
without any ill effects. I do all partition work with BootIt NG.
It doesn't make sense to put BIOS code on the HD because
a PC needs to be able to start the boot process from the BIOS
even when the HD is defective, or in case you want to
Winterlight, I have dug up some old notes that I made relating to laptop
repair which includes some notes on the Compaq hidden partition and
formatting the hard drive.
I will be happy to send a copy to you (and any other list member) if you
will send me your home email address.
Best
Thanks, just send it to this email address, I own the domain, it
should be able to handle it. If it is too big then let me know and I
will put up a FTP site.
Actually I solved the problem of the hidden partition. I used Acronis
Disk Director to add my back up partition and it gave me no
The CD's we get with systems, maybe I've not looked to
see what OEM crap
is chained into the Dell XP CD's I have. I also
assumed Dell send techs
out with a customized Windows install or SysPrep'd
image.
There are also at least 2 kinds of Dell XP OEM CD's,
normal ones that
need keys and VLK
Every single Dell system I have worked on from the Win2k days on up (NT4
based machines shipped with a Microsoft branded NT4 OEM CD) have come
with a VLK cd. Also, depending on when you bought the machine, it will
have SP2 or not. I'm staring at a Dell OEM recovery disc with SP2 right now.
j
last one I got did slip stream just fine, had to do a restore and the original
was sp1 so I figured WTF, nLite worked fine on it and it installed swell.
Only xp home though
fp
At 03:24 AM 6/4/2007, j maccraw Poked the stick with:
There are also at least 2 kinds of Dell XP OEM CD's,
normal ones
My typo, it's XP Pro gold that can't be slipstreamed.
Know bug posted
all over.
FORC5 wrote:
last one I got did slip stream just fine, had to do
a restore and the original was sp1 so I figured WTF,
nLite worked fine on it and it installed swell.
Only xp home though
fp
At 03:24 AM
Stay away from PM8, it's has so many bugs it is not
funny! Burnt me too
many times in past 2 years after loyally using for a
long time. These
days I use Acronis Disk Director.
All partitions should be byte for byte copyable with
True Image and the
MBR partition tables are standard no matter
Their BIOS setup is on that partition IIRC. Loose it
and loose access to
the BIOS setup.
Winterlight wrote:
I don't care about the utilities, but the BIOS? If
that is true then you
can't just upgrade a hard drive on Compaq's with a
simple clean
install... you would have to restore the
- Original Message -
From: Ben Ruset [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: The Hardware List hardware@hardwaregroup.com
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: [H] Compaq hidden partition
That is assuming, of course, that Ghost won't freak out with the crazy
partition.
I do not want
@hardwaregroup.com
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: [H] Compaq hidden partition
That is assuming, of course, that Ghost won't freak
out with the crazy
partition.
I do not want to sound like a know it all here but
it would be a
disservice to not inform y'all that I have 10 years
j maccraw wrote:
As for the Dell guy, all they would do is use the Dell
restore CD to
revert it back to shipping state or they would ship
the unit back to
Dell if it needed more than could be swapped on site.
Compaq of course
would say ship it back or buy a new PC.
FYI, Dell restore CD's
- Original Message -
From: j maccraw [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; The Hardware List
hardware@hardwaregroup.com
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: [H] Compaq hidden partition
partition on some
models (maybe only circa 2000, haven't worked on a
new one
Thanks for all the help and comments. I was finally able to work with
the drive using Acronis Disk Manager. Once I was able to create a
Backup partition I was then able to create a drive image backup
without error. Just for a test, I unplugged the hard drive and
attempted to boot off my flash
I may be mistaken, but I think the Compaq partition actually has all of
the code for the BIOS or some utilities on it. You may not want to get
rid of it.
Winterlight wrote:
I am working on Compaq EVO. It has a 40GB DiamondMax hard drive and is
formatted as a single NTFS Primary Active
I don't care about the utilities, but the BIOS? If that is true then
you can't just upgrade a hard drive on Compaq's with a simple clean
install... you would have to restore the hidden BIOS section first
surely that can't be the way they set their systems up.
At 08:19 AM 6/1/2007, you
At 09:22 AM 6/1/2007, you wrote:
At 12:43 PM 01/06/2007, Winterlight wrote:
I've never had that been the case. Sometimes the recovery CDs won't
work without the hidden partition, but I've never had one refuse to
go into the BIOS once I replaced the HD.
T
The recovery CD isn't available, so
At 12:43 PM 01/06/2007, Winterlight wrote:
I don't care about the utilities, but the BIOS? If that is true then
you can't just upgrade a hard drive on Compaq's with a simple clean
install... you would have to restore the hidden BIOS section first
surely that can't be the way they set
At 01:32 PM 01/06/2007, Winterlight wrote:
Do you know how to remove the hidden partition and just leave a
normal hard drive, without wiping everything off the drive I
can't image the single Primary partition with Drive Image 7, and I
can't change anything with Partition Magic 7. Trying
At 01:17 PM 6/1/2007, you wrote:
At 15:52 06-01-2007, Thane Sherrington typed:
I think diskpart will see it. Or you could boot with an Ubuntu Live
CD and use gparted.
Acronis DD [disk director] will let you merge the partitions with
data intact if you want then even Windows should see it.
On Fri, 1 Jun 2007, Winterlight wrote:
At 09:22 AM 6/1/2007, you wrote:
The recovery CD isn't available, so that is not an issue.
Do you know how to remove the hidden partition and just leave a normal hard
drive, without wiping everything off the drive I can't image the single
Primary
I've heard that the systemboard bios on some of those machines will
completely hide the diagnostic partition from being seen no matter
what OS you use. Best bet is to move the drive to another system
(preferably a whitebox, or at least a non-compaq) and clear out the
Partition Table, MBR
This will overwrite the first 50 MB of the drive with zero's,
wiping out any partitions, the MBR, and the first 50MB of the drive
(which is generally where the beginning of the diagnostic partition is)
Then proceed as normal.
Christopher Fisk
Seagate's free Powertools will do that ... but
On Fri, 1 Jun 2007, Winterlight wrote:
This will overwrite the first 50 MB of the drive with zero's, wiping out any
partitions, the MBR, and the first 50MB of the drive (which is generally where
the beginning of the diagnostic partition is)
Then proceed as normal.
Christopher Fisk
Christopher Fisk [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
No, you would have to just reinstall windows from scratch. My method is
completely data-destructive.
Or if you have a DOS Boot Disk with debug on it:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=174
al
Anyway, getting back to solving your question at hand:
I wonder if Ghost will let you dump the partition to a file. Then you
can look on Compaq's site and see if there are utilities for creating
the Compaq hidden partition.
Blow away the drive, remake the hidden partition, make your
I am working on Compaq EVO. It has a 40GB DiamondMax hard drive and
is formatted as a single NTFS Primary Active partition. No other
partition is showing. However I suspect there is a small Compaq
hidden partition. Using Partition Magic 8 I can not resize and add
any partitions. I want to
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