Lenovo Ideacentre recovery loop Hell

Badassnut

New Member
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Not sure how to escape this infinite loop. It started with me copying the OEM recovery partition from my Ideacentre b540 to an external hard drive to free space on my desktop hard drive. I tested the recovery program and it couldn't locate the recovery drive.

I went ahead and copied the recovery partition back to the desktop hard drive to restore to essentially default settings. I tried the recovery program again but this time got stuck in an infinite loop where I'm told windows can't run the script X:\onekey\main\lrscall.vbs.

I'm thinking when I copied the recovery partition back to the desktop it was formatted with drive letter H instead of X so the path is messed up. I know my windows 8 partition is fine. meaning niot corrupt, but cannot boot to it anymore, the computer keeps trying to boot to recovery :(

Can someone please help me get out of this loop?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
This is a tutorial by Lenovo using the Windows 8 USB Drive Recovery app.

Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo Think system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload


Lenovo said:
NOTE: From this point forward in the recovery process, the choices for actual operating system recovery depend on the existing state of the computer hard drive.

Below are the instructions if there is an existing Microsoft Windows 8 install on the hard drive.
1.Select the target operating system of Microsoft Windows 8 to reload over existing Lenovo preload.
2.Select "Yes" to repartition the drives or "No" to keep existing partitions. For a clean install, the drives should be repartitioned.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive".
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.

Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.
1.Select "Yes" to repartition the HDD or "No" to keep the existing partitions.
2.Click either choice, but these instructions follow the repartition scenario.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive" as this will take several minutes to complete.
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.


From the manual for Lenovo G480.

Lenovo said:
When the hard disk drive or solid state drive is replaced because of a failure, no
product recovery program is on the new drive. In this case, you must use the
Recovery Disc Set for the computer. Order the Recovery Disc Set and the drive at
the same time so that you can recover the new drive with the pre-installed
software when they arrive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
This is a tutorial by Lenovo using the Windows 8 USB Drive Recovery app.

Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo Think system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload


Lenovo said:
NOTE: From this point forward in the recovery process, the choices for actual operating system recovery depend on the existing state of the computer hard drive.

Below are the instructions if there is an existing Microsoft Windows 8 install on the hard drive.
1.Select the target operating system of Microsoft Windows 8 to reload over existing Lenovo preload.
2.Select "Yes" to repartition the drives or "No" to keep existing partitions. For a clean install, the drives should be repartitioned.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive".
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.

Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.
1.Select "Yes" to repartition the HDD or "No" to keep the existing partitions.
2.Click either choice, but these instructions follow the repartition scenario.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive" as this will take several minutes to complete.
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.


From the manual for Lenovo G480.

Lenovo said:
When the hard disk drive or solid state drive is replaced because of a failure, no
product recovery program is on the new drive. In this case, you must use the
Recovery Disc Set for the computer. Order the Recovery Disc Set and the drive at
the same time so that you can recover the new drive with the pre-installed
software when they arrive.

Thank you for your response theog. Unfortunately I am unable to boot into the OS to give any of these troubleshooting tips a shot. I messed up by renaming the drive to a different letter and from my research it seems like I'm stuck in this loop b/c of the Hybrid Boot Windows 8 has developed. I really wish Microsoft would've preserved the advanced boot options so to avoid situations like the one I am currently involved in.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Do you have an installation dvd - or some other boot media with repair tools ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Do you have an installation dvd - or some other boot media with repair tools ?

No unfortunately. I didn't know I would get stuck in this horrible loop so I didn't make the backup disk the priority, I was going to do that after I checked that the recovery software was going to work correctly.

I cannot even do a shift-F8, that key sequence just keeps bringing up the lenovo splash screen.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
You will have to make one on some other machine.

1. what o/s are you using now ?

2. Is it Pro or regular that you have on the lenovo - and what bit version is it?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
You will have to make one on some other machine.

1. what o/s are you using now ?

2. Is it Pro or regular that you have on the lenovo - and what bit version is it?

My only other machine is a mac

It is regular 64-bit on the Lenovo

I've found the Enterprise version of Windows 8 that will allow me to download an ISO image that I am going to attempt but I am unsure how to burn ISO image onto DVD with my Mac. Still browsing the inter webs.

While speaking with Lenovo, their only solution to this problem was to charge me for recovery disks that they'd have to mail me. I said no thank you, I am still within my return period and I would much rather return the machine than purchase disks that should have come with the machine to begin with.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Deleted

You don't have to wish for deleting my comments. As you desire I deleted. Now delete your and lets be friends.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP
Do you have an installation dvd - or some other boot media with repair tools ?

I was able to get my hands on a copy of Windows 8 and put it on a jump drive. I insert the jump drive into many USB ports on the Lenovo but the PC will not recognize it.

Since the wonderful people at Microsoft have taken away the ability to change boot order before the OS I am at a loss right now.

Please if anyone can help me change boot order to be able to boot from the jump drive I would appreciate it.

Thank you
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Do you have an installation dvd - or some other boot media with repair tools ?

I was able to get my hands on a copy of Windows 8 and put it on a jump drive. I insert the jump drive into many USB ports on the Lenovo but the PC will not recognize it.

Since the wonderful people at Microsoft have taken away the ability to change boot order before the OS I am at a loss right now.

Please if anyone can help me change boot order to be able to boot from the jump drive I would appreciate it.

Thank you


Hit F12 before boot you will need to be fast.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7/8 Mint
    System Manufacturer/Model
    lenovo W530
    CPU
    intell i7
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16gb
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512 gb ssd
    Other Info
    Around 13 million employes
Hit F12 before boot you will need to be fast.

Unfortunately that did not work. I even tried the Shift-F8 sequence again and that continues to do the same thing.

How is one supposed to stop Lenovo program from running!?

I am about to return this machine and buy a Mac! I have had zero problems with my MacBook since purchased in 2010.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Hit F12 before boot you will need to be fast.

Unfortunately that did not work. I even tried the Shift-F8 sequence again and that continues to do the same thing.

How is one supposed to stop Lenovo program from running!?

I am about to return this machine and buy a Mac! I have had zero problems with my MacBook since purchased in 2010.

Remove hard drive to get in the bios.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7/8 Mint
    System Manufacturer/Model
    lenovo W530
    CPU
    intell i7
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16gb
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512 gb ssd
    Other Info
    Around 13 million employes
Bad ass

As much as I would really like to help you,

Conventional upgrades and installations do not seem to fit your model.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP
Labeeman what a great idea you had. I tried and was able to access the bios where I changed the boot order too look for USB 1st. I saved the changes and exited and was able to boot to USB w/o hard drive installed.

Once I installed the hard drive and booted the pc it still tried to boot into Lenovo recovery and wouldn't give me an option to boot to USB.

Lesson learned, make backup of new PC right away and don't try messing with recovery partition.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Labeeman what a great idea you had. I tried and was able to access the bios where I changed the boot order too look for USB 1st. I saved the changes and exited and was able to boot to USB w/o hard drive installed.

Once I installed the hard drive and booted the pc it still tried to boot into Lenovo recovery and wouldn't give me an option to boot to USB.

Lesson learned, make backup of new PC right away and don't try messing with recovery partition.

Well I tried. I have a Lenovo also and have disable fast boot in the bios and let the bios do its thing. Now when I power up it gives me a message to "hit enter to change" boot devise. I have a second hard drive with Mint on it to see what it is all about.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7/8 Mint
    System Manufacturer/Model
    lenovo W530
    CPU
    intell i7
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16gb
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512 gb ssd
    Other Info
    Around 13 million employes
Did you manage to get this sorted? I have the same machine with the same recovery looping issue and could do with some help!
I have tried many configurations of the BIOS but it will not boot from anything but the HDD, once you remove the hard drive you can bring up the boot options?




Not sure how to escape this infinite loop. It started with me copying the OEM recovery partition from my Ideacentre b540 to an external hard drive to free space on my desktop hard drive. I tested the recovery program and it couldn't locate the recovery drive.

I went ahead and copied the recovery partition back to the desktop hard drive to restore to essentially default settings. I tried the recovery program again but this time got stuck in an infinite loop where I'm told windows can't run the script X:\onekey\main\lrscall.vbs.

I'm thinking when I copied the recovery partition back to the desktop it was formatted with drive letter H instead of X so the path is messed up. I know my windows 8 partition is fine. meaning niot corrupt, but cannot boot to it anymore, the computer keeps trying to boot to recovery :(

Can someone please help me get out of this loop?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows *
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo B540 ideacentre
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8GB
Googling indicates it is not specific to Lenovo, and not always due to moving recov partition around.

Tricky to fix if you can't boot external media.

Did you contact oem ( in this case Lenovo ) support?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Yes, I called Lenovo and there is a choice of buying the recovery disks (although unsure how you would boot them!) or sending it in for a repair which could (would) be chargable.

I did put the hdd in another DELL base unit as a secondry drive and can access all files and I intend to try and alter or delete the boot.ini but will let you know how I get on with that.
For the time being I have just put another hdd in and in the process of installing windows 8.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows *
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo B540 ideacentre
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8GB
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