Using The Rescue And Recovery Workspace - ThinkPad P50 User Manual

Using the Rescue and Recovery workspace

The Rescue and Recovery workspace resides in a protected, hidden area of your storage device that
operates independently from the Windows operating system. It enables you to perform recovery operations
even if you cannot start the Windows operating system. You can perform the following recovery operations
from the Rescue and Recovery workspace:
• Rescue files from your storage device from a backup
The Rescue and Recovery workspace enables you to locate files on your storage device and transfer them
to a network drive or other recordable media, such as a USB device or a disc. This solution is available
even if you did not back up your files or if changes were made to the files since your last backup
operation. You also can rescue individual files from a Rescue and Recovery backup located on your local
hard disk drive, a USB device, or a network drive.
• Restore your storage device from a Rescue and Recovery backup
If you have backed up your storage device using the Rescue and Recovery program, you can restore the
storage device from a Rescue and Recovery backup, even if you cannot start the Windows operating
system.
• Restore your storage device to the factory default settings
The Rescue and Recovery workspace enables you to restore the complete contents of your storage
device to the factory default settings. If you have multiple partitions on your storage device, you have the
option to restore the factory default settings to the C: partition and leave the other partitions intact.
Because the Rescue and Recovery workspace operates independently from the Windows operating
system, you can restore the factory default settings even if you cannot start the Windows operating
system.
Attention: If you restore the storage device from a Rescue and Recovery backup or restore the storage
device to the factory default settings, all files on the primary storage device partition (usually drive C:) will be
deleted in the recovery process. If possible, make copies of important files. If you are unable to start the
Windows operating system, you can use the rescue files feature of the Rescue and Recovery workspace to
copy files from your storage device to other media.
To start the Rescue and Recovery workspace, do the following:
1. Make sure that the computer is turned off.
2. Repeatedly press and release the F11 key when turning on the computer. When you hear beeps or see a
logo screen, release the F11 key.
3. If you have set a Rescue and Recovery password, type your password when prompted. The Rescue and
Recovery workspace opens after a short delay.
Note: If the Rescue and Recovery workspace fails to open, see "Solving recovery problems" on page
109.
4. Do one of the following:
• To rescue files from your storage device, or from a backup, click Rescue files and follow the
instructions on the screen.
• To restore your storage device from a Rescue and Recovery backup or to restore your storage device
to the factory default settings, click Restore your system and follow the instructions on the screen.
For more information about the features of the Rescue and Recovery workspace, click Help.
Notes:
1. After restoring your storage to the factory default settings, you might have to reinstall device drivers for
some devices. See "Reinstalling preinstalled programs and device drivers" on page 109.
.
Chapter 8 Recovery information
107