Can't exit from Rescue and Recovery 4

[Rixter999]

I have been having problems with my Z61t laptop so I thought I would use the R&R recovery disks that I created.  I was able to start the process with the recovery disk but when I went to do a recovery, a box on the screen asks that I insert the disk labeled "Final Disk."  I don't have such a disk and was never instructed to label a disk with that label.  I tried inserting the final disk in the series that I made, which is labeled disk 5, but that doesn't work. 

I would like to exit the R&R program, but there is no way to quit.  When I reboot, it automatically goes into R&R and there is no apparent way for me to escape it.  I even tried booting from a bootable CD to reinstall Win XP (SP3), but the setup program informs me that it can't see a hard drive.  Apparently R&R still has control of the computer and is blocking access to the hard drive.

How do I get R&R to terminate?

Thanks in advance.

[andyP Community SuperMod]

Rixter999, welcome to the forum,

After booting from the boot disc I believe you are selecting to restore your system and then selecting to restore from an image. As the recovery discs are not an image, you need to select to restore to factory.

Depending on the type of recovery discs you have it should then ask you to restart / insert disc 1 / insert supplemental disc.......  If you are asked for the supplemental disc, and don't have one, just click on "no" and it will then ask for disc 1.

Hope this helps

[Rixter999]

Thank you for the welcome and the reply.

Whatever option I choose, it doesn't work.  At this point, I would like to be able to exit from the R&R but I can't.  When I reboot, it comes up with the R&R screen.  Even when I rebooted with a setup disk for Win XP (so I could reinstall the operating system), the setup for Win XP could not see the hard disk and I was required to exit.  The computer then booted up into the R&R screen.

How can I exit from R&R?

[andyP Community SuperMod]

You need to shut the system down, press the power on button for 5 seconds. You then need to boot from the boot cd again, basically start from the beginning.

[Rixter999]

I tried that but it doesn't work!

What else can I do?

[Rixter999]

Let me clarify my answer.

I have pressed the power button and turned the computer completely off.  Then I have pressed the power button and turned the computer back on.  With no CD in the CD drive, it boots back up into R&R.

I have also pressed the power button and turned the computer completely off.  Then I have inserted the boot CD for Win XP setup and pressed the power button and turned the computer back on. Win XP setup starts, but because it can see any hard disk, it can't do anything.  When I exit from the Win XP setup disk and reboot, the computer goes back into R&R.

[andyP Community SuperMod]

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Rixter999 wrote:

 I thought I would use the R&R recovery disks that I created.

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Are you using the R&R discs?

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Rixter999 wrote:

Then I have inserted the boot CD for Win XP setup and pressed the power button and turned the computer back on. Win XP setup starts

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Or, are you using an XP installation disc?

Just want to make sure we're playing on the same playing field, the situations are different.

[Rixter999]

First I tried the R&R disks but they didn't work in terms of backup.  I tried rebooting with the R&R disk.  No difference. 

I then wanted to quit R&R but was unable to do so.

I then tried booting up with a Windows XP setup disk (so I could format the hard drive and reinstall Win XP) but although I could get to the setup screen for the Windows XPsetup disk, the setup program could not see the hard drive.  Then when I exited the setup and rebooted, it went right back into R&R.

I can not escape R&R even though I have taken out the R&R disk, powered off the laptop by holding down the button until it goes off, and rebooting without the R&R disk.  It always comes up with the R&R program. 

[Herik]

Hi,

to me this looks like an issue of a missing SATA driver.

In this case I would advice to go into the BIOS and change the SATA mode from AHCI to Compatibility. Once this is done you can use also the Recovery Disks and the restor will work.

Let me know, if this worked out.

Cheers

[Rixter999]

I made the change to the BIOS and changed the SATA mode from AHCI to Compatibility.  When I boot from my Windows XP setup disk, the program now sees the hard drive and I can reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows.  So that solves one problem.  Thank you.

The other problem remains.  I can not exit from Rescue & Recovery.  When the R&R program finishes loading, and I try to restore from a set of CD's, I get the message: 

"To restore from a backup made to CD/DVD, please insert the disc labeled "Final C".  To restore from a backup copied to CD/DVD, insert the last disc of the backup set.  After inserting the correct disc, reselect CD/DVD in the location dropdown box."

I don't have a disc labeled "Final C."   When I insert the last disc of the backup set and reselect "CD/DVD" in the location dropdown box, nothing happens. 

One thought is that the backup set was made with a prior version of R&R and unwittingly I installed a later version of R&R and did not make a new backup set. 

But even if that were the case, I should still be able to exit from the R&R program and go back to normal booting.  But I can't.  If I power off with the power button, if I pull the plug with no battery, or if I select "restart" from the R&R program, it always reboots with R&R.  I never get a normal boot and I don't return to my regular desktop.

Is there any way to escape from R&R?