The hidden partition

Hi Dears,

I am here looking for a solution for my acer Apire E1-571 recovery problem.

I bought this laptop as refurbished from curry store with windows 8 pre-installed.

After first startup and windows update, I immediate created WindowsImgageBackup to external hard drive.

For some reasons was not able to startup windows. I have then created a recovery CD from a friend's windows 8 and run through the recovery options. All, automatic repair refresh and remove everything and reinstall windows are failed one after another. Then went to restore windows from WindowsImageBackup. At the end of the process got "Windows successfully restored" to that day the backup was created.

When windows restarted, it only managed to pass acer logo and got a blinking screen and never passes this screen.

I then managed to with help of someone on the net to get through the old function of F8 and run windows in Safe Mode and it does started find in safe mode with networking enabled.

I went to PC Settings - General to refresh or reinstall from there but got error message says "There are some files missing, your recovery media will provide these files". Of course, I have got no recovery media! Having one, will cost me £60 and 14 Business days as I have been told by acer support.

The Issue is that, the hard drive contains a 16GB hidden recovery partition created by acer. I have run DISKPART command to CLEAR the hidden attribute to create the recovery media from it but CLEAR command never works with this partition despite testing it with other partitions and it works fine.

Is there any way to unhidden this partition and create the installation media OR acer make it impossible to get the £60 from customers despite paying the full pries of the product including the HIDDEN PARTITION at the time of purchase?

Note: Any help should consider my laptop ONLY runs in Safe Mode with network enable and can access the internet for any download but not all installation!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Accepted answers

JackE

As in reply your other post, I suggest that you try following this link to unhide those partitions to Win8 explorer using the diskpart command as administrator. Then you may be able to transfer them onto a USB stick and use it for recovery.

http://medicblog.net/?p=906

Jack E/NJ

All comments

laurent_14

Hello ibram,

Why you don't restore the system from the hidden partition?

ALT + F10

Default password: 6 zeros

ibram

Thanks Laurent for your reply.

I have tried this as well and when I got into Edit Boot Option I see this:

Path:\ windows\system32\windload.efi

Partition: [ some charators her]

Hard Disk [ same as above]

[ /NOEXECUTE=OPTION/NOVGA ]

ENTER = SUBMIT ESC=CANCEL

The cursor is placed after NOVGA! I can add something after this or before it within [] but can not select Partition or Hard disk. I have tried all arrows with no success.

When press ENTER got the same blinking screen without any startup.

So how can I select Partition Option?

laurent_14

Hello ibram,

This is not the same way for windows 8. I'm sorry for this mistake!

ALT+F10 is not supported for this version.

Look this video (Acer channel) which explain the correct procedure: Windows 8 - Recovery from Boot Option Menu

Select "Fully clean the drive".

Note: Don't forget to plug in your power supply adapter.

ibram

Hi,

Thanks for your help! Fortunately windows 8 does support Alt + F10. When I pressed them repeatly I got into blue screen to select the keyboard and next the Recovery Options. Selected advance and got Reset and refresh both of them took me to the same next screen where there is only 1 option to select Windows 8. When selected few seconds got the same bloody message "Insert your windows installation or recovery media. It is the same as shown in the above video link. I have not got to the screen that says " Only the drive where windows installed and all drives".

I managed to get into Edit Boot Option I posted above by disabling 2D2 in BIOS and pressed Alt + F10 repeatly. Try that and you will get into That option.

I should note here my hard drive contains 2 recovery partitions, 1 is 400MB Labelled Recovery and the second is 16GB labelled Push Button and both of them are hidden. I would like to access the 1 with 16GB.

JackE

As in reply your other post, I suggest that you try following this link to unhide those partitions to Win8 explorer using the diskpart command as administrator. Then you may be able to transfer them onto a USB stick and use it for recovery.

http://medicblog.net/?p=906

Jack E/NJ

JackE

One other thing I just thought of working on another problem, re-set bios for disk-to-disk recovery enabled. The Win8 shift key exit technique should then work.