IBM T41 hard drive upgrade; Whats best thing to do?

[Delmarco]

What's Up,
I just got my 1st IBM notebook (won it for $800 on eBay )
I wanted to upgrade the hard drive to 80 GB 5400. I saw a few drives on eBay ranging from $69.00 to $159.00.

I have 3 questions:

1. I was wondering what would be the difference or the best HD brand for the IBMs to buy?
2. Also when I do the hard drive swap, how can I do it so I keep (transfer) the Win XP Pro Operating system and all the laptop BIOS info onto the new harddrive?
3. Any tips on what esle I can upgrade to improve performance and flexibilty? The specs are below.

IBM T41

>Intel Pentium M 1.6GHz,
>768MB RAM (uprading to 1024 GB RAM)
>40GB 5400rpm HDD (Thinkof upgrading to 80 GB 5400rpm?)
>14.1 SXGA+(1400X1050) TFT LCD,
>32MB ATI Radeon 9000 (What should i upgrade to?)
>16x10x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD, (Upgrading to DVD-RW/DVD/CD drive)
>Intel 802.11b wireless(MPCI) (can i upgrade to an a/b/g wireless or bluetooth. how? )
>Modem(CDC),
>1Gb Ethernet(LOM),
>UltraNav,
>Secure Chip(TCPA),
>6 cell Li-Ion battery (I want to upgrade to the bigger battery?)

pictures:
with the stickers on...
http://pics2.spoonfeeder.com/AieFTPFile ... AFNVU3.JPG


http://i3.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/5a/d1/33_1.JPG

MOD EDIT: No pictures without warning in subject

[GomJabbar]

Nice.

1. I like Fujitsu's, but others may beg to differ. My 5400 rpm Fujitsu is very quiet.

2. Use something like Acronis True Image cloning software. You will probably need a Ultrabay Slim hard drive adapter.

3.
(A) Video cannot be upgraded, unless you change out the System Board (motherboard).

(B) Hard drive upgrade should be no problem.

(C) You can upgrade the wireless to a/b/g and bluetooth. You have to buy an IBM branded Mini PCI card (unless you want to hack), remove the keyboard and install. For bluetooth you will likely have to install the bluetooth antenna in the display lid, behind the LCD. Not for the feint-of-heart.

(D) You can get the 9-cell battery, but it does stick out of the back some.

[Kyocera]

Also when I do the hard drive swap, how can I do it so I keep (transfer) the Win XP Pro Operating system and all the laptop BIOS info onto the new harddrive?

Get a USB hard drive enclosure, down load acronis TrueImage 9 (trial version free for 30 days) use the wizard, this is an easy operation with this software, it will image everything, including the HPA.

[Delmarco]

Thanks guys,
what is the best harddrive?
fujitsu?
I see alot of Hitachi ones for cheap are they good?

Also can I get a bluetooth adapter PCI card for one of the slots.

[apoc]

Also when I do the hard drive swap, how can I do it so I keep (transfer) the Win XP Pro Operating system and all the laptop BIOS info onto the new harddrive?

Get a USB hard drive enclosure, down load acronis TrueImage 9 (trial version free for 30 days) use the wizard, this is an easy operation with this software, it will image everything, including the HPA.

No, it will not clone HPA. There's a big defference between what HPA means on T40/T41 and newer series like T42/T43 etc. HPA on T40/T41 even when unsecured in bios looks like unpartitioned area of disk and can not be cloned, no matter what cloning software you will use. Only fwbackup - read how-to you can find here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=13814. Best regards, MZ.

[brentpresley]

Get a USB hard drive enclosure, down load acronis TrueImage 9 (trial version free for 30 days) use the wizard, this is an easy operation with this software, it will image everything, including the HPA.

No, it will not clone HPA. There's a big defference between what HPA means on T40/T41 and newer series like T42/T43 etc. HPA on T40/T41 even when unsecured in bios looks like unpartitioned area of disk and can not be cloned, no matter what cloning software you will use. Only fwbackup - read how-to you can find here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=13814. Best regards, MZ.

Amen to this. I've run into this problem SO MANY times on the T41/42 hard drives. Acronis just chokes on them, even if the BIOS is set to unsecured.

[Kyocera]

I just did this last friday. You might try it with the newer version of TrueImage and see if it works.

[bill bolton]

No, it will not clone HPA.

I've been using Acronis True Image 9 to clone Thinkpad HDDs, HPA and all, with no problems!

Cheers,

Bill

[apoc]

I just did this last friday. You might try it with the newer version of TrueImage and see if it works.

Alright, you did - tell us what machine, but I suppose you did it with IBM_SERVICE (WinPE) partition and no genuine HPA on T40/T41 like I know from 2373 machine. It's secured some strange way so there's some exotic filesystem which is not recognized by any program or OS (and believe me, I used lots of them during last days to figure out how to clone my crappy HPA . And probably bacause of problems with this kinda HPA IBM is using it no more on newer machines. I was able to reveal files after using some recovery prog on this partition, but after that it was simply useless. Regards, MZ.

[GomJabbar]

Here is a thread I bookmarked on this issue. I have not actually tried this myself. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=13814

[brentpresley]

I just did this last friday. You might try it with the newer version of TrueImage and see if it works.

Alright, you did - tell us what machine, but I suppose you did it with IBM_SERVICE (WinPE) partition and no genuine HPA on T40/T41 like I know from 2373 machine. It's secured some strange way so there's some exotic filesystem which is not recognized by any program or OS (and believe me, I used lots of them during last days to figure out how to clone my crappy HPA . And probably bacause of problems with this kinda HPA IBM is using it no more on newer machines. I was able to reveal files after using some recovery prog on this partition, but after that it was simply useless. Regards, MZ.

I concur. There is something screwy with the T40/41 HPA Partition. Ghost and TrueImage (9.0.2337) can't get it right.

[Kyocera]

With my machine (t42) in my sig. I have not tried it with a t40/41. If you say it can't be done then it can't.

Gomjabber:

Here is a thread I bookmarked on this issue. I have not actually tried this myself. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=13814

[rhema83]

Just do a clean install on your new hard disk. You will save yourself a lot of disk space and performance issues down the road.

1) Download all drivers for your T41
2) Perform BIOS and Embedded Controller Program updates
3) Save the rest of drivers in USB drive or burn onto CD
4) Obtain Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD - doesn't matter if it's original
4a) If impossible, look for I386 folder in C:. Search online for the tutorial to make your own WinXP Pro SP2 CD.
5) Go to BIOS, unsecure your recovery partition
6) Delete all partitions and re-partition to your liking
7) Install WinXP
Install drivers from USB drive / CD from step (3)

VOILA! Who needs Arconis?

[Delmarco]

Just do a clean install on your new hard disk. You will save yourself a lot of disk space and performance issues down the road.

1) Download all drivers for your T41
2) Perform BIOS and Embedded Controller Program updates
3) Save the rest of drivers in USB drive or burn onto CD
4) Obtain Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD - doesn't matter if it's original
4a) If impossible, look for I386 folder in C:. Search online for the tutorial to make your own WinXP Pro SP2 CD.
5) Go to BIOS, unsecure your recovery partition
6) Delete all partitions and re-partition to your liking
7) Install WinXP
Install drivers from USB drive / CD from step (3)

VOILA! Who needs Arconis?

Sounds real easy.
But I think if I was to do it that way I would wait for Window's Vista OS to come out instead of shelling out $$$ for another Windows XP Pro SP2.

So far it looks like I'm going for the 80 gig 5400 RPM Hitachi hard drive.

[Kyocera]

sounds easy




Here is some infoIBMpdf.doc that might shed some light

[GomJabbar]

Oops, I posted this on the thread I was trying to link instead of this thread that I meant to post to.

From the link I posted above.

So much has been discussed about copying IBM's hidden partition but nothing seemed to work for me, maybe changes where made to this area in newer TPs. Anyways I found some information on how to do it, tried it myself and figure I would pass it on since it worked for me.
---------------------
This is what I did to copy IBM's PreDesktop Area (Hidden Partition Area):
- I found some information from IBM which gave instructions on how to copy the HPA

[brentpresley]

Just do a clean install on your new hard disk. You will save yourself a lot of disk space and performance issues down the road.

1) Download all drivers for your T41
2) Perform BIOS and Embedded Controller Program updates
3) Save the rest of drivers in USB drive or burn onto CD
4) Obtain Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD - doesn't matter if it's original
4a) If impossible, look for I386 folder in C:. Search online for the tutorial to make your own WinXP Pro SP2 CD.
5) Go to BIOS, unsecure your recovery partition
6) Delete all partitions and re-partition to your liking
7) Install WinXP
Install drivers from USB drive / CD from step (3)

VOILA! Who needs Arconis?

Not to diss this method, but for those of use that NEED to deploy multiple copies of an image to various machines, this is not a solution. If we could find a way to clone the drive w/ the HPA on the T40/41, we could deploy about 5-7 images in the time it takes to go through the above proceedure.

I'm going research the HD cloning problem with the T40/41 series a little more. There is something in the MBR of these machines that is mucking up the works on cloned drives (at least w/ Acronis)

There has to be a better way to clone these drives w/o all the painful steps mentioned above.

[GomJabbar]

brentpresley, maybe the information in this thread I bookmarked will help you solve the cloning problem with HPA. Actually this thread discusses how to remove the HPA and reclaim the hard drive space, but it also explains some details of the HPA.
Format HDD with IBM Hidden Partition

Here is another thread with some links on the HPA.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Hidden_Protected_Area

[brentpresley]

Yeah, I've been looking at all the info. IBM lays out a LONG process to clone a drive WITH the HPA an keep it on the new drive. I'm looking for a shortcut.

[cerebral_mamba]

Just do a clean install on your new hard disk. You will save yourself a lot of disk space and performance issues down the road.

1) Download all drivers for your T41
2) Perform BIOS and Embedded Controller Program updates
3) Save the rest of drivers in USB drive or burn onto CD
4) Obtain Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD - doesn't matter if it's original
4a) If impossible, look for I386 folder in C:. Search online for the tutorial to make your own WinXP Pro SP2 CD.
5) Go to BIOS, unsecure your recovery partition
6) Delete all partitions and re-partition to your liking
7) Install WinXP
Install drivers from USB drive / CD from step (3)

VOILA! Who needs Arconis?

Do you get the HPA back with this method??

[umern]

I was having serious problems a few weeks ago upgrading to a larger HD and in the end I just installed used R&Rv3 to backup the whole HD to CDs and restored from them onto the larger HD.

Took 5 or 7 CDs (cant remember) and a few hours but everything seems to be working fine for the past few weeks.

[GomJabbar]

Just do a clean install on your new hard disk. You will save yourself a lot of disk space.....

4) Obtain Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD - doesn't matter if it's original
...............
5) Go to BIOS, unsecure your recovery partition
6) Delete all partitions and re-partition to your liking
7) Install WinXP

Do you get the HPA back with this method??

I can tell by what rhema83 posted that he wiped the HPA or Service Partition off of the disk, and did not put it back.

EDIT: Corrected typo

[Delmarco]

So there is no easy way to upgrade the HD?


What if I get a extra 2nd HD UltraBay Adapter and copy everything on my current 40 GB HD to the new 100 GB HD. After everything is copied, I install the new 100 GB HD in the primary slot and boot up.

Will this work?

I figure I can buy the adapter off ebay and sell back on ebay when I'm done with it so it wouldn't really cost any extra.

Thanks,
Del

[mamamia]

if i understand you correctly, this is a computer with NOT your stuff on it. so you don't really care about what's on there already, other than windows.
most likely, you will not be able to create recovery cd's from that machine. so, either get them from ibm (like $40), or ask someone for some. lots of people on this forum have the recovery cd's.
if you stick a new hard drive in, with the recovery cd, you will reinstall windows and everything with it. except the hpa.
if, however, you get an ibm hard drive, you will then be asked whether or not you want to install the hpa when you put in the recovery cd's.
(at least, this is from my experience. cause ibm drives have different firmware. there is a hack, though, to make your drive look like it is from ibm)