Upgrading or discarding a T-43 (2668)

[benkay1]

I am a proud owner of several Lenovo Thinkpads
I do own an old T-43 , 2668 series
which I use as a backup computer and I consolidate all my DATA with it.
The RAM and HD are all fine
Problem is the Microsoft OS windows XP is no longer supported neither do the Browsers
The Installed IBM program is obsolete as well!
even the BLUE BUTTON for upgrades directs me to WWW.IBM.COM which does not exist any more!
I tried to search the LENOVO website and find solutions, but my browser in that computer does not support even the basic entry pages.
Its a pity to throw such a workhorse away.
I tried to Install the relevant new "THINKVANTAGE" program using an external Flash drive but at the end it failed!
I need to find out if I can install a newer OS Program, newer Browsers or not .
Does the motherboard, CPU and the bios support any of newer programs ?
in any case, I will need a new CLEAN INSTALL . preferably one supplied by Lenovo.
if there is a remedy for newer staff, please direct me to a LINK
thank you in advance

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.

With a PM750 (or higher) CPU and 2GB RAM you can install and run W7.
Upgrade the BIOS with TTAV134's "Slic/no-2010/no-1802/" modded BIOS.
With that (and perhaps a wifi-N card), your machine should be good for at least another 5 years.
Alternatively, install any Linux you fancy.

[benkay1]

thank you for the reply. your Language is a bit too techy for me! yes I do have the 2 meg Ram. I could not find the CPU information.
Should I buy a new Windows 7 CD's? or a Windows Upgrade ?
will the current Audio and Video drivers work under this new Environment ?
Can I buy the Windows 7 upgrade bundled with Lenovo Drivers from LENOVO ?

where Do I find the BIOS upgrade and when should I install it ? before or after ?

[brchan]

If you must stick with Windows, then W7 will run OK on your T43. You will probably need to install the display driver (latest is vista IIRC) in compatibility mode.

You may also look at various linux distributions for these older machines. They can be much faster and more secure than bloated XP or W7. Arch linux outperformed all others in the performance category by a wide margin, but is not as quick to set up.

[RealBlackStuff]

TTAV's BIOS can be found here: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... ified_BIOS

Once that is installed, look for a 32-bit Lenovo Windows 7 Recovery set (you could put a WTB [=want-to-buy] in our Marketforum) from e.g. a T400 or T410.
The new BIOS will automatically activate W7.

[sdfox7]

I am a proud owner of several Lenovo Thinkpads
I do own an old T-43 , 2668 series
which I use as a backup computer and I consolidate all my DATA with it.
The RAM and HD are all fine
Problem is the Microsoft OS windows XP is no longer supported neither do the Browsers

<truncated>

I use Chrome and Firefox on my T40 with XP on a daily basis with no issues! Both browsers support XP!

[kfzhu1229]

I am a proud owner of several Lenovo Thinkpads
I do own an old T-43 , 2668 series
which I use as a backup computer and I consolidate all my DATA with it.
The RAM and HD are all fine
Problem is the Microsoft OS windows XP is no longer supported neither do the Browsers
The Installed IBM program is obsolete as well!
even the BLUE BUTTON for upgrades directs me to http://WWW.IBM.COM which does not exist any more!
I tried to search the LENOVO website and find solutions, but my browser in that computer does not support even the basic entry pages.
Its a pity to throw such a workhorse away.
I tried to Install the relevant new "THINKVANTAGE" program using an external Flash drive but at the end it failed!
I need to find out if I can install a newer OS Program, newer Browsers or not .
Does the motherboard, CPU and the bios support any of newer programs ?
in any case, I will need a new CLEAN INSTALL . preferably one supplied by Lenovo.
if there is a remedy for newer staff, please direct me to a LINK
thank you in advance

I ALREADY DID FULLY UPGRADE MY T43 15".

For hard drive you can go up to 160GB without error 2010 with an IDE Hitachi HTS541616J9AT00 and upgrade its firmware.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/262264563720?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT
That was what I bought
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/HITACHI-2-5-160- ... 2264563720
If you want one here is one.

RAM: MAX IS 2GB. IT CAN RECONIZE 3GB BUT WILL ONLY USE 2GB.

CPU: I'm using Pentium M 780. It is faster and good enough to handle basic 1080P videos with ATI X300 (if your model is 2668 you have ATI as well) but it may overheat.
I bought this one:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Intel-Pentiu ... 1817093693?

LCD: I bought this UXGA panel for cheap (it is not the original IPS but it is a lot cheaper than others)
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-IBM-LENOVO-T ... 5d5690e816

WARNING: YOU MUST BUY A UXGA CABLE WHICH TAKES TIME TO FIND AND MAKE SURE YOU USE THE ATI VARIANT (TYPE 2668) OR ELSE IT WON'T WORK!!

BATT:
MAIN: Use a 9 cell + Ultrabay battery will be very decent.
CMOS: In case yours is done (like mine), here is what I bought:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/251578655412?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT

OS:
It came preinstalled with Windows XP which was slower than Windows 7 on my T43. I installed Windows 10 on mine, but I can tell you it will work with 32 bit version of Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. Pick whichever one that suits your taste.
Windows 8/8.1 takes 30-35 seconds to start. Windows 10 takes around 30-40 seconds to start. Windows 7 takes 40-50 seconds. Windows XP on that one, however, took 1.5 minutes.

UltraBay:
You can put a multi burner for T6x (The panel looks strange but it works) if you cannot find the one with T4x. You can also put in a HDD caddy (which will not be limited by the error 2010) or battery.

Trust me, with that much effort being put into that machine, it will still stack up for another 2-4 years.