Thinkpads Forum

I am thinking about replacing my HD with a faster unit, so i called Lenovo/IBM and was told it was $45 for recovery cd's and there was no way he could waive the charge.

I would prefer not to have to burn them myself, primarily because I only currently have an external dvd-rom drive, not a cd-rw drive.

Any ideas? $45 for something i've technically already paid for is a rip.

You can always call again (hopefully to get another person) and ask the same question. If the machine is within the first month of service, they will give you a new set of disks at no charge, otherwise, they may give you one depending on the circumstances like a HDD crash. I have been successful in the past at getting them at no cost although they may have changed their policy.

aphex wrote:<snip>
Any ideas? $45 for something i've technically already paid for is a rip.

You have not paid for the recovery disks, not even technically. They don't the disks to image the computers.

So if you don't wish to pay (which is fine), then take the extra time to burn them yourself and test them on a spare drive to make sure they work.
... JDH

chan_man wrote:You can always call again (hopefully to get another person) and ask the same question. If the machine is within the first month of service, they will give you a new set of disks at no charge, otherwise, they may give you one depending on the circumstances like a HDD crash. I have been successful in the past at getting them at no cost although they may have changed their policy.

I got the machine last thursday (less than a week ago)

What type of machine is it?

You can post a WTB recovery discs here if someone has them.

jdhurst wrote:

aphex wrote:<snip>
Any ideas? $45 for something i've technically already paid for is a rip.

You have not paid for the recovery disks, not even technically. They don't the disks to image the computers.

So if you don't wish to pay (which is fine), then take the extra time to burn them yourself and test them on a spare drive to make sure they work.
... JDH

As I explained in my OP, I do not have a burner. The laptop is an X60 tablet, doesn't even come with one. All i have is an external dvd-rom drive.

So your saying my $1600 dosen't include a $1 recovery cd? Your nuts if you think thats an acceptable policy. This was a non-issue with my T41 in the past, i just called and they sent me em, no questions asked.

I've known people who got the disks claiming that they've tried to install Linux and accidentally wiped the drive, including the partition...you may wanna give than one a shot, won't hurt to try.

also, can you please move this thread back to its original location as I have no plans to "buy" recovery cd's.

aphex wrote:Your nuts if you think thats an acceptable policy.

Criticize the idea and not the people.

Lenovo has provided the option for you to make the recovery disks, it's just your luck that you have X60 without an ultrabay.

Call again, perhaps you would get some generous employee who can accommodate your request.

aphex wrote:<snip>
So your saying my $1600 dosen't include a $1 recovery cd?

That is precisely what I am saying, and I am correct. Please clean up your language as well. ... JDH

phone lenovo, be calm and polite, tell them youve tried to do a restore using the recovery partition but it keeps blue screening, youve tested the hard drive using the bios utility and dft and its ok, you "think" the recovery partition may be corrupt, would it be possible for them to send you a recovery cd before having to send your machine into the depot.....

it does work....

i got a free set for my X60s and T41 tablet (when i had that one) because, and this is the key, making the recovery CD's using a non-ibm/lenovo CD writer is, well, not so easy..
witness the CD-R's embedded in the wall, here..

so, as a previous poster suggests, talk nice and mention that you are having trouble burning the recovery CD set..

It would be nice if they offered them at no charge.

Since they no longer do simply explain that your hard drive crashed (just a suggestion, I am not saying that you should be dishonest). When they offer to send your replacement drive hopefully they will ask if you need recovery CD's. Of course say you do. If they don't ask mention that you do need them and they should include them at no charge.

Brad

Lying to get Recovery Disks, and lying to get a replacement hard drive, just to get a free Recovery Disks are two different things.

Personally, I suggest that you either post here and get copies of them, or just go ahead and pay for the Recovery Disks.

This seems to be the trend with many of the PC/Laptop manufacturers. They use Volume Licensing to distribute Windows on their Thinkpads, which is cheaper than individual licenses...and in turn, disks are not automatically sent. They might offer free disks to as a customer service issue, when something goes wrong.

Because you have all the recovery software on your new X60's hard drive now.Why not just find someone with a external dvd-rw drive.You can then make your own set.
If you do go ahead and spend any money i would go out and get your self a nice external dvd-rw.They cant be very much.I know here in Newfoundland ,Canada a external dvd-rw sells for under $80.00.
I'm sure you will get alot of use out of it.

It doesn't even have to be a DVD-RW drive...it can be a simple CDRW drive.

I just made my Recovery Disks on my T61, and I think that there were 6-7 Cds in all.

Brad wrote:It would be nice if they offered them at no charge.

Well, they could put the price of all Thinkpads up by US$45 and then you could get the recovery disk set "at no charge".

There aren't any free lunches!

Cheers,

Bill B.