Thinkpads Forum

Could anyone explain to me what is the difference among Update Connector, Software Installer and System Update. All provided by IBM. They seem to have the same purpose. But why does IBM provide so many different programs if they are all meant to do the same job?

Update Connector is obsolete (and never worked for me). Software Installer replaces it (and works). System Update - never heard about it, don't you mean Windows Update ?

No, I found it today among other Thinkvantage technologies, because I was searching for replacement for Software Installer, because it just keep erroring and is no good for me and some other users, mostly t43p).

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

But when I downloaded and installed it, it was almost 50 mbs and takes forever to run. runs on Java, almost 100mb of ram just to run it

I tried both, the ThinkVantage Software Installer and the new ThinkVantage System Update, having first ensured all my drivers/applications were upto date. Then the fun began! I first ran the new ThinkVantage System Update application and it found I needed the new ATI Mobility-RADEON/FIRE GL series so I said go ahead download it and install it. Works great! Then ran the ThinkVantage Software Installer and guess what? It found that in my system was a new version of the above ready to be installed. But I had this already prior to running the System Update Anyway, again ran the System Update and no smartie point in guessing what it found to download and install! Anyone else discovered this new IBM/Lenovo game?

Ain't it fun? I just installed the new Software installer, ran it, and it told me I could download and install new versions of almost every driver and application. Problem is, I alread had the latest version of nearly every driver and application already installed. Weird. I decided not to let SI "update" all of them for fear of screwing something up.

I am confused to. When i got my T43 two week ago I only had two updates to install supposedly. I mean I heard people on this forum that had 15+ updates to install when they got their thinkpad. Everything is running fine so I assume i am okay but i think something is not working right.

Does anyone of you know if ThinkVantage System Update offers the same upgrades as Software Installer?

Do these programs have the same function? Should one chose the one they prefer or DL both of them?

pipspeak wrote:Ain't it fun? I just installed the new Software installer, ran it, and it told me I could download and install new versions of almost every driver and application. Problem is, I alread had the latest version of nearly every driver and application already installed. Weird. I decided not to let SI "update" all of them for fear of screwing something up.

I have a theory, and my theory follows:

I believe that Software Installer looks for the presence of specific files in certain directories to see if a particular piece of software is installed. It does not actually check to see if the software is installed like 'Add or Remove Programs' does in Windows 'Control Panel'.

It looks in the following and their subdirectories:
C:\Drivers
C:\IBMTOOLS
C:\SWTOOLS

The file type it is looking for is .XML, generally IBMTPI.XML, but other .XML's as well. It goes to the web first to see which are the latest .XML's available, and if it finds the .XML file in one of the above directories, it assumes that that software is installed. This is because Software Installer puts these .XML files in those directories as it installs the software. If you do a search on your hard drive you will see a few of these .XML files there.

My 2 cents worth.

Sounds reasonable. In my case, after a recent new version of software installer has run two or three times, it stops reporting on C:\SWTOOLS and doesn't show it on the left side when it starts. Further, I made two folders in C:\DRIVERS: (a) Preload and (b) Winxpp. All the Preload folders go in (surprise) Preload, and all the new installs go in Winxpp. I keep only the most recent folders in Winxpp. Yet Software Installer searches through all this and does so correctly. So overall, I am fairly impressed with this tool.

I still maintain my own ThinkPad manually, and save all the versions of applications and drivers I have downloaded in case I need to go backwards. But lately, on new client installs, I just let Software Installer do its thing. Saves a lot of time.
... JD Hurst

jdhurst wrote:I still maintain my own ThinkPad manually, and save all the versions of applications and drivers I have downloaded in case I need to go backwards.

Me too. I let Software Installer install most drivers and software but I also manually download the software in the DownloadDirector folder, so I have a fallback if needed later. Additionally all other software I download from the web I save in a Downloaded Software folder, even after installation - for the same reason. Maybe after I have updated a version or two, then I will delete the oldest versions.

I don't trust Software Installer for BIOS updates, or Video Adapter driver updates, although it would probably work fine. Just nervousness on my part.