Clean OS install: Do all SWTOOLS apps/drivers reinstall?

[A.K.A]

SP1 is coming out. x64 beckons.... How simple is it going to be to cut the cord?

1. All of the apps in the SWTOOLS folder seem to have installers, including the ThinkVantage utilities, Roxio, Diskkeeper, PC Doctor, WinDVD, etc. It implies that the whole folder can be ported and reinstalled. What's the consensus around the forum? Have these apps worked after a clean OS install?

2. What's can Rescue and Recovery do when there's no longer a hidden predesktop partition? Does it provide any functionality? (Isn't SP1's CompletePC supposed to have upgraded functionality, so that it will now recover individual files from a VHD image? So there'll be minimal downside now. Is that more or less the thinking now?)

3. Would someone be so kind as to point me to posts that talk about the key issues that seem to be coming up involving drivers after a clean install?

Cheers!
A.K.A.

[ryengineer]

1. They will work.

2. It will act as a recovery solution to make backup images of your your entire Operating System and settings either on your HDD, Network, USB HDD or second HDD etc etc.

3. Refer to the following thread or kindly search the forum:

Vista x64 install using Thinkvantage System Update easy.

[A.K.A]

Hey, Ryengineer, thanks! Always greatly appreciated when a moderator steps in to reply to an unanswered question. I'd read many threads already, including the one you raised, but the problem with forum search engine results is that it becomes very difficult to judge which problems are the most recurrent: Keyword frequency doesn't equate with actual problem occurrences. So, again, many thanks.

Just for the sake of some further clarification, let me ask the forum if I understand correctly what ballast can be tossed overboard in the T61p Thinkpad configuration files:

1. SWSHARE folder
[--Keep the shell of the folder, but contents can be deleted.]

2. The T61p SWTOOLS folder, with the following subdirectories:

a. apps
[--Keep whichever of these you consider vital]

b. DRIVERS
[--Keep.]

c. OSFIXES
[--Don't appear to have drivers. So these need to be reinstalled as downloads, not just copied, correct?]

d. LenovoWelcome, Vista OOBE First Run, and VistaWel folders
[--After a clean install, should I transfer the LenovoWelcome folder and expect to see Vista install the other two of these? Or are these just folders for product registration that can be deleted, having been taken care of the very first time I ran my T61p OS?]

e. Wallpaper

f. Unfiled misc. configuration files: 3VULTIMATE, ENG, LenovoBrand, LenovoType, MODULES ,V32, VULTIMATE
[--My guess is Vista will wind up creating most of these folders, but I should expect at least to copy the two Lenovo docs over.]

3. In a past post, someone also commets that the "drivers" folder should be saved, but I'm unclear whether (s)he was referring to the C:\DRIVERS folder, or to the C:\SWTOOLS\DRIVERS folder.

Thanks in advance for any of the other particulars anyone can manage to clear up!

a.k.a.

[ryengineer]

I skimpily read what you wrote so kindly excuse me for that.

1. I suggest you keep everything from SWSHARE as it contains logs and registry files from various ThinkVantage utilities on current lenovo preload and keep what ever you like when transferring to a clean install.

2. T*

a. T
b. T
c. You're right on that but I would say to keep it, you never know when you can require it.

c, d. Nothing is going to be installed automatically and neither Windows Vista will take care of when you shift all folder to their previously known places, you would always need to run the setup. You can delete the product registration files/folders though.

e. Your call

f. T

3. C:\DRIVERS is created when you install the drivers from the lenovo website manually, C:\SWTOOLS\DRIVERS comes with lenovo preload, C:\Program files\lenovo is where ThinkVantage System Update downloads the latest packages.

*T=True

[A.K.A]

Most helpful. Thank you, Ryengineer.

Just picked up a Samsung 250GB 2.5" drive. With this info, I can go install x64 & SP1 RC1 on it this evening and see how long it takes to break....

Cheers!
m