NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Acer Forums › Acer Notebooks › TM 8204 - simple way to reinstall XP?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

TM 8204 - simple way to reinstall XP?

post #1 of 14
4/27/06 at 11:18pm
Thread Starter 
So, I'd like to do a clean install XP on my Travelmate 8200. I'd like to make sure that once XP is installed I can install some selected drivers and apps, like the Power DVD software and other things that aren't available on the Acer website.

When I format the HD, if I leave the hidden partition intact, can I install the eRecovery software (I don't know where from...!) and then install the applications and drivers that I want?

Is this doable, or is this too simplistic?

Thanks for your help!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 14
4/28/06 at 10:46am
Did you laptop come pre-partition with C and D drives in FAT32? I read somewhere that the recovery process will not run if you change the D drive to NTFS. So when formatting, that is something to consider.
If you use your restore DVD that you created when you got the laptop then eRecovery software should be on that disc. Also the recovery procedure (using the disc or the partition) I think should reinstall all your software again as you got when you first got the machine.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 14
4/28/06 at 11:18am
Small correction: it won't work if you convert D: to NTFS

1E-9
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 14
4/28/06 at 11:32am
Sorry I was thinking of other things while typing. That is what I meant. Shall edit, thankyou for pointing it out :-)
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 14
4/28/06 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. Yes, the laptop does have a C & D partition both formatted as FAT. I didn't realize that I would need to keep the D: partition as FAT, let alone keep it at all! I had planned on blowing it away altogether!

I was hoping to do a clean install of XP...without any of the Acer stuff...and then install just the Acer programs/drivers that I wanted, and not the other stuff. I was hoping that I could pull them from the recovery CD, but it sounds as if that is an "all or nothing" recovery, so it would reinstall everything, including those apps that I don't want all over again.

I read somewhere that if I reinstall windows then it will install a new MBR and then the "hidden" partition will be messed up anyway. I don't know if that's what happens or not.

I'd like to know how others have repartitioned the disk the way they want, done a clean install of XP...and then installed the Acer software on top of that.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 14
4/28/06 at 12:22pm
If you reinstall windows the hidden partition remains.
I decided after my restore DVD mess up to buy a new copy of windows xp oem. Cost £65 and now I can reinstall windows without all the Acer stuff. If you want to add Acer utilities just run the Acer backup (while in windows) and you are able to install individual programs and drivers. However this is for my model 3613 and yours may work slightly different, although I think most Acer models run the same or similar.
Just make sure that if you want ot use your own XP and not the backup, to not let the laptop reboot while the restore disc is in the drive as if it boots from the disc it will start the recovery process all over. If this is a worry, then extract all the programs and drivers from the restore disc and burn them to another disc without the xp. That way it cannot boot or make sure the boot order is not set to boot from cd first
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 14
4/29/06 at 3:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nanobrain
Small correction: it won't work if you convert D: to NTFS 1E-9
Are you sure this is true? Other threads have said that as long as you leave the hidden partition alone, it doesn't matter whether you convert C: and D: to NTFS, that a restored drive would still be possible, but would result in FAT32 partitions again.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 14
4/29/06 at 7:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iBorg
Are you sure this is true? Other threads have said that as long as you leave the hidden partition alone, it doesn't matter whether you convert C: and D: to NTFS, that a restored drive would still be possible, but would result in FAT32 partitions again.

Unfortunately yes. I did do a double check when I saw your post as I was not 99% sure tbh.

From...
http://websupport.acer.com.tw/upload...e/32/eRecovery FAQ - 070605.pdf

Q. Why can't I rstore my latest backup image

A. Acer eRecovery Management only supports FAT32 formatted D drives. You will not be able to restore a backup image once it is converted to NTFS.

Personally I think it is extremely wrong that there are no clear warnings for users. NTFS is a more popular format as it is supposedly more efficient and what XP was really designed for. All it does it to angry customers who cannot boot their machines and makes harder work for the support teams.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 14
4/29/06 at 8:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by beckyh
Unfortunately yes. I did do a double check when I saw your post as I was not 99% sure tbh.

From...
http://websupport.acer.com.tw/upload...e/32/eRecovery FAQ - 070605.pdf

Q. Why can't I rstore my latest backup image

A. Acer eRecovery Management only supports FAT32 formatted D drives. You will not be able to restore a backup image once it is converted to NTFS.

Personally I think it is extremely wrong that there are no clear warnings for users. NTFS is a more popular format as it is supposedly more efficient and what XP was really designed for. All it does it to angry customers who cannot boot their machines and makes harder work for the support teams.

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have done NTSF conversion.....

Do you have another link? The one posted yields a "page not found" error message.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 14
4/29/06 at 8:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iBorg
Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have done NTSF conversion.....

Do you have another link? The one posted yields a "page not found" error message.

Looks like the link broke when I pasted it - it hasn't underlined the rest of the line.

Anyway try this.. http://tinyurl.com/jc8lm
Its a pdf file.

Or this...
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...ry+fat32&meta=

This is the search result on google which gives a few links pertaining to the same issue.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 14
4/29/06 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for pointing me in the direction of creating an Application CD. That's exactly what I was hoping for! I thought that the only option was to create the image of the whole drive.

I'm expecting that I can install individual apps and drivers from the application CD without the need for the D partition. Is the D drive only required for the full image restore? It's kind of a lot of space (54 Gb) to just have for a restore area!
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 14
4/29/06 at 12:39pm
Yeah the restore uses the D drive for some reason, maybe thats where it copies files from the disc for setup.
I think it is a bizarre system they use and from researching it on the web it seems they use the same system across all notebook models even the most expensive ones.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 14
5/3/06 at 2:27pm
Here are a couple of tips from these forums for making your own XP CD. I haven't done either one so I can't help you further.

Tip 1:
http://notebookforums.com/showthread...953#post666953

Tip 2:
Is possible to install windows from acer original disk and without recovery partition

You need only Norton ghost...Follow me

1) Copy all files from 2cd provided by acer in a your pc directory, only .hdd and .ghs files are necessary, you can delete .dat files 2)rename 70IT8100.HDD in 70IT8.GHO 3)Extract files from this image and...good burn your windows cd(So you can have a regular windows cd)


Bye bye 3Gb recovery partition...
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 14
5/3/06 at 4:50pm
I have restored system several times on converted partitions without ANY problems, so Acer's advises are propably as good as their products... They just don't know much about their own machines...
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Acer Notebooks
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Acer Forums › Acer Notebooks › TM 8204 - simple way to reinstall XP?