This guide is made based on an Acer Aspire 5315, but will probably work on other machines with a hidden eisa rescue partition.

This is for everyone who has got problems unhiding and accessing the hidden rescue partition, and have tried all the methods with d2d disabling and changing partition type, perhaps with partedit32 or ptedit32, only to find out that nothing has happened after rebooting.

Download and install "Diskpart" from Microsoft, a small but powerful textbased utility, the link below is a direct download:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...part_setup.exe

Here's the step by step to succeed...

Press "win + r" to bring up the run window
Type: "cmd", to bring up the command window
Type: "diskpart", a new command window pops up with a "Diskpart >" prompt
Type: "rescan", a configuration check runs
Type: "list disk", a list of the availible disks appears
Type: "select disk 0", if your hidden partition resides on that disk of course
Type: "list partition", to find out with partition is your hidden one (probably about 10 gb and without name)
Type: "select partition 1", if that is your hidden partition
Type: "detail partition", here you will see the partition type, take a note of that so that you can reset it to the original if needed.
If your partition type = 27 you should enter id=07 in the step below, if type = 12 enter id=0B in the step below.
Type: "set id=07 override", where 07 is the number from the step above - to unhide your partition
Type: "select disk 0", to go back to the top of the disk again
Type: "list volume", you should be able to see the "pqservice" volume
Type: "select volume 0", if that is your pqservice partition
Type: "assign letter=f", where f should be your first free driveletter (listed in "list volume" command) remember the CD/DVD driveletter!!

When you have completed all the steps, the pqservice disk should autostart in windows (no reboot needed), if not press "win + e" to bring up explorer and find your new disk

All the contents are now yours for the taking!!

Close the command windows and you are done!!!

To roll back (if that is what you really want...) do the following steps

Press "win + r" to bring up the run window
Type: "cmd", to bring up the command window
Type: "diskpart", a new command window pops up with a "Diskpart >" prompt
Type: "rescan", a configuration check runs
Type: "select disk 0", if your hidden partition resided on that disk of course
Type: "select volume 0", if that is your pqservice partition
Type: "remove letter=f", where f is the letter you assigned to the volume
Type: "select disk 0", to go back to the top of the disk again
Type: "select partition 1", if that was your hidden partition
Type: "set id=27 override", where 27 is the number that you hopefully wrote down somewhere - to hide your partition again

And it should be hidden again! Perhaps a reboot is in order...

I hope this might help somebody! I know I had major problems finding a solution to this problem!

cool input

cheers ...

You can also do this simple in Arconis disk manager software. Any way good tip

Thanks for the guide, usefull

The1n

nice. Thank you for posting.

stickying this.

Hello All,

I am using the TravelMate 8215WLMi, default system O/S is Windows XP SP2.

I have deleted the hidden partition "PQSERVICE", due to upgrading to Windows Vista. However, now wanted to revert back to Windows XP (Factory Default).

I only have the Recovery DVD initially prompted to burn, but do not know how to recreate back the PQSERVICE hidden partition, and with the Recovery DVD, how can I restore back to factory default. I need a very detailed steps.
Anybody can help?

Many Thanks.

I am trying this Diskpart and the command line: Type: "set id=07 override" doesn't work. It doesn't seems to be a valid command from Diskpart. (I checked and my drive is a type 27 one).

This was by FAR the easiest way to make the partition available of all the methods I've read. However, i'm wondering if i can change the PQSERVICE partition in Disk Management to possibly be a BOOT disk (or possibly an ACTIVE disk) to try and return to factory default.

For those who are interested I found this on another forum and it saved the day! :

Just out of interest,for those who stumble across this thread who are trying to use "pqservice" without the ALT+F10 at boot function ( which is probably beacause of other partitions of the drive being formatted removing the mbr which allowed the ALT+F10 function to work)

After the above instructions do the following:
Open Start Menu
Right click on computer
Click Manage
Click disk management (under storage)
Set your pqservice as the active partition,or other recovery partition as the active partition( right click the partition click mark as active)
then reboot
the recovery partition will then start after POST and you will be able to put your computer back to Factory settings.
when factory restore is complete PQSERVICE will be hidden again

Hello!!

I am lost!! I saw this post of yours and thought you might be able to help.

I was having real problems with my Acer TravelMate 8200! So I reinstalled using my Recovery Disc. My system then showed an "NTLDR" and "No Operating System" error. I checked online and I borrowed an XP Pro CD and as per instructions using the Recovery console copied the "ntldr" and "ntdetect.com" files. The problem was solved and the computer is back to factory settings. But, I found out that the PQ Service Partition is "Drive C" and the OS has been installed on it and the eRecovery no longer works.

What do I do? How do I save the partition? Which files are my Acer eRecovery ESIA configuration files? My hard drive is 120 GB and now I have my main Drive C only alloted 3.89 GB which I am definitely sure will create problems for me.

Also, my computer knowledge is very basic and I will definitely need simple instructions. Sorry. Please advise. Thank you in advance.

thank you for this information...
been looking all over the net for info, and i keep coming across this site, so i thought it better to say thank you to all who are helping ..

Just thought I'd let everyone know this works perfectly on my 6920G

Is there anything of use to play with or is it just for making your own rescue disk?