mypcproblems :
I have come across the following solution on a different website, which is actually for XP.
Can I do the same with Vista? I'm hesitating so as not to create any more problems.
Do Not use any XP solutions to Fix this Problem.
Print the following as it is a bit verbose, but does have a couple of other alternatives to the ALT F10 not working problem.
Method1 deals with last known good config & factory restore, using different keys.
Method2 Deals with Identifying the Pqservice to get recovery going again.
I would try this method 1st.
Here we Go and Good Luck.
Method 1
While Starting the computer
Press CTL ALT F8 at the same time keep holding it down till the notebook takes you to a prompt menu
It will give you multiple options one of them will be Reset to last good known configurartion
Try this one first
If it doesnt work
Restart computer again
Repeat the CTL ALT F8 and choose the RESTORE to factory defaults Feature from the menu which will wipe out any info you have on your computer
Make sure that the battery is in your computer
It will start restoring it to the factory settings
So try to save anything you have first before trying to reboot it on an external memory stick or to a virtual storage space
It does take a long time between 30 to 45 minutes to restore
We had that happen before
------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 2
How to access hidden PQService!!
This guide is made based on an Acer Aspire 7720
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
Also u will find this file at the pqservice partition
🙂)
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET , PARTITION NUMBER, TYPE, VOLUME NUMBER, TYPE CAN BE DIFFERENT, WHEN CHANGING THIS NOTE THEM ALL...
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!!!
Make PQSERVICE ACTIVE Partition.
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 3 hide pqservice again if above does not hide it.
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