Thinkpads Forum

Genuine IBM ThinkPad Recovery CDs - 390X Updated - December 1, 2008

I bought on auction a large amount of ThinkPad parts that belonged to a large corporation that went down the tubes last month. Among these parts are genuine
IBM Recovery CD Sets for the ThinkPad TransNote, 600X and 390X. All the Recovery CD Sets are English US.

I am offering these for sale at $38 per set, including worldwide shipping. Needless to say, I only have a few sets for each model.

Payment is by PayPal only, no exceptions. Worldwide shipping by Airmail. Those of you who are interested please contact me by private message.

Below is the list of the available Recovery CD Sets:

ThinkPad Model......O/S............CD's in Set
----------------------------------------------
390X....................Win NT.................1
----------------------------------------------

these are OEM right?

Yes, Original Product recovery CD Sets by IBM or Lenovo (depending on the set)

How much does Lenovo charge? (I know that under certain circumstances, you can get them free).

IBM/Lenovo charges $45 + shipping + tax which comes to around $52-55 depending on your state.

ajkula66 wrote:IBM/Lenovo charges $45 + shipping + tax

And you are supposed to be able to buy these discs from IBM/Lenovo only if your Thinkpad is under waranty.

so if i have win XP on my orginal machine (t60p) and buy the RR Vista version (t60P)...would that work?

chazz wrote:...would that work?

That would work but because you don't have a COA for Vista, it's illegal.

I strongly recommend that all transactions in this thread are taken offline to PM. If I get a whiff of anyone attempting to purchase R&R discs for which they have no valid COA, this thread will be locked.

Just to comments and clarifications on some of the postings of other members, including HarryC, and provide additional information on the recovery CDs and the recovery process:

1. Intention

The intention with the 'For Sale' ad of Recovery CDs is to provide assistance ONLY to individual ThinkPad owners who face troubles with one or (max) two of their personal machines. That is, please do not contact me about bulk sale, or other requests involving machines that are not in your personal possession, as such requests will be declined. Also, please do not contact me with requests for illegal upgrades, as these will be declined as well. Last, I suggest to read the below comments, as they provide additional information related to some of the questions you may have.

2. Price

The intention here is to assist ThinkPad users worldwide, not only US-based. IBM/Lenovo charges depend on your location, mode of delivery and taxes. In the US the price is US$45 + Shipping + Taxes (US$52 - $55 depending on the state). In Australia the charge is a flat rate AU$82 f(US$75), in Switzerland - a flat rate of CHF69 (over US$80), etc. The US$38 price I set on most of the Recovery CD Sets INCLUDES shipping, no matter where are you located (Argentina to Zimbabwe...)

3. MS Windows Activation

The activation of MS Windows (NT/2K/XP/Vista), that is, providing Windows with the OEM product key is done automatically based on information recorded into the BIOS at the time the machine was manufactured. Tampering with the BIOS (i.e. attempts to remove a Supervisor Password, replacement of the system board without retaining the original system board serial number) can cause the activation process to fail, leaving MS Windows not activated, exactly as if you installed an illegal copy of Windows.

4. MS Windows COA

The COA attached to the ThinkPad is not the MS Windows license, but merely receipt for the existence of such license. The license for your MS Windows software (if such one exists) is embedded in the IBM/Lenovo 7 digits Type that is printed on the bottom of your machine, whose form is XXXX-YYY. The last three digits (YYY) of the Type provide the configuration of your specific machine INCLUDING the license for the pre-loaded operating system of the machine (if any). That is, if you own a machine whose original configuration indicates a MS operating system, the license fees for using this specific MS os with this specific machine were paid to MS by IBM/Lenovo and pending and if you have the OEM installation CD's (IBM/Lenovo Recovery CD Set for this machine for the specific MS operating system) you are legally allowed to install these on your machine regardless if you the original COA is in your possession or not. That is, if for some reason the COA sticker at the back of the machine was damaged, this does not make your system illegal.

In this context - as the pressure from users to stay with Win XP is strong, in certain countries Lenovo provides customers who purchase machines with MS VISTA pre-installed, with an additional Recovery CD Set for MS XP, to be installed on the machine at the customer's choice. For such machines, Lenovo pays additional license fees to MS, reflecting that the machine may also be used with MS XP. Though these machine arrive only with the MS VISTA COA sticker, the installation of MS XP from using the supplied Recovery CD Set is entirely legal as the license fees were paid as part of the purchase.

I hope the above helps and clarifies some of the issues.

PM sent for T42 CDs

TPCollector wrote:4. MS Windows COA

The COA attached to the ThinkPad is not the MS Windows license, but merely receipt for the existence of such license. The license for your MS Windows software (if such one exists) is embedded in the IBM/Lenovo 7 digits Type that is printed on the bottom of your machine, whose form is XXXX-YYY. The last three digits (YYY) of the Type provide the configuration of your specific machine INCLUDING the license for the pre-loaded operating system of the machine (if any). That is, if you own a machine whose original configuration indicates a MS operating system, the license fees for using this specific MS os with this specific machine were paid to MS by IBM/Lenovo and pending and if you have the OEM installation CD's (IBM/Lenovo Recovery CD Set for this machine for the specific MS operating system) you are legally allowed to install these on your machine regardless if you the original COA is in your possession or not. That is, if for some reason the COA sticker at the back of the machine was damaged, this does not make your system illegal.

Not quite so...per Microsoft:

Microsoft wrote:A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a label that helps you identify genuine Microsoft software. A COA is not a software license – it is a visual identifier that assists in determining whether or not the Microsoft software you are running is genuine. However, without it, you will not have a legal license to run Microsoft software. A COA should never be purchased by itself without the software it authenticates.

[emphasis added]

This is taken from: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howt ... laylang=en

Thanks for comments posted by the Moderator relating to the COA . This quote is taken from Microsoft text relating to Retail versions, not to OEM versions.

The licensing agreement between IBM/lenovo and Microsoft allows IBM/Lenovo control over the distribution of Micorsoft's operating system through the Type (and serial number) mechanism, as explained above. IBM/Lenovo's control is not via the COA as this could be easily moved form machine to machine. When a ThinkPad owner calls Microsoft for service, the authentication is not done via the COA sticker, but via the OEM License that appears on System in the Control Panel, not. At any rate, it is a good idea to keep the COA intact.

TPCollector wrote:The license for your MS Windows software (if such one exists) is embedded in the IBM/Lenovo 7 digits Type that is printed on the bottom of your machine, whose form is XXXX-YYY. The last three digits (YYY) of the Type provide the configuration of your specific machine INCLUDING the license for the pre-loaded operating system of the machine (if any).

I don't think this makes sense, because most Thinkpads now have "CTO" (i.e. Configured To Order) for the last three digits. When configuring such machines, one can choose from several (usually around 6) versions of Windows. You're saying that CTO machines allow the owner to legally install any of those 6 versions of Windows, even though s/he paid for only one version.

PM Sent for T23

Sending PM

Recently, I received my recovery cds. For both my T60 and X60t, there are 6 product recovery cds and 1 rescue and recovery cd. Along with the cds, there is instructions for using them.

These are official lenovo cds and I have the coa for both thinkpads.

As for shipping, it took a full week or so (shipped from Australia to Minnesota).

If you are looking for these cds, I recommend this seller.

I received mine for the T23 and they were Original Product recovery CDs as advertised.
Good packaging.
So here is a bump for a good seller.

I second Gripcon.

I need a set for a t-20

Got my disc today. Really legit and good seller

Mine arrived while I was travelling, so late reply --
They are pristine, new IBM/Lenovo disks -- extremely well packaged for shipping and storage -- thanks

PM sent for a 600X and a T23 set.

Got mine as well, ditto all the above. Thanks!

Deb Suran wrote:Got mine as well, ditto all the above. Thanks!

Ditto x 3

Thanks for the quick shipping. Items look & work fantastic.

...and another satisfied customer saying hi! X60 discs arrived in excellent packaging and pristine condition.

Arrived today in perfect condition. Thanks!

It can easily take 15 days for international shipping. No complaints about this seller. I have bought two sets with no problems.

pianowizard wrote:

ajkula66 wrote:IBM/Lenovo charges $45 + shipping + tax

And you are supposed to be able to buy these discs from IBM/Lenovo only if your Thinkpad is under waranty.

My thinkpad is out of warrenty and I gotmine?

I got mine, brand new, original equipment, It took 11 working days to get them ( not bad for airmail from Australia to Indiana). The discs were well worth the money. Better functionality of the lcd and track point.