Recovery Disk from a different Thinkpad

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reflowjoe · #1 Post by **reflowjoe** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:32 pm

Hello all

I have two T42s and one of them had a dead HD. If I buy a new hard drive for Thinkpad 1, can I use recovery disks from Thinkpad 2 to restore the system to defaults?

Any help appreciated. Thanks!

ReflowJoe

tim S · #2 Post by **tim S** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:04 pm

The only legal problem I see is with Windows XP, assuming that's the OS you use. Once a Windows installation is registered on one machine, you will have a problem regestering with Windows on the other.
Tim S

smugiri · #3 Post by **smugiri** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:29 pm

Most (if not all) Thinkpads come with a Microsoft license for an OS. To find out what you are licenced for, check the bottom of your Thinkpad for the Microsoft sticker.

Recovery disks do not need activation, once you boot from the disk and the installer sees "thinkpad" hardware, the installer will go on without ever asking about licensing.

Long story short, yes you can use your disks without any issues. IBM Recovery disks are model specific not machine specific.

#4 Post by **bill bolton** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:47 pm

tim S wrote:Once a Windows installation is registered on one machine, you will have a problem regestering with Windows on the other.

Not if its a volume licence, which is basically what a Recovery disk version is.

Basically, as long as there is an authorised Windows key sticker on the hardware that is supplied by the holder of the volume licence, the volume licence is valid on that hardware, even though all copies installed from the volume licence will normally have the same actual key. Volume licence installs are also pre-activated.

Cheers,

Bill

Irene · #5 Post by **Irene** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:13 am

smugiri wrote:IBM Recovery disks are model specific not machine specific.

Does anyone know how often IBM/Lenovo updates the recovery disks that they sell (or give out if you're very persuasive)?

I have an almost-new (manufactured in December 2005) T42 that I bought on eBay and it arrived with the HPA erased and no recovery disks. I want to restore the machine to factory config. IBM Canada wants to charge me for a set of recovery CDs. If I get them elsewhere, how would I determine whether I was getting the latest version?

Thanks,

Irene

lithium726 · #6 Post by **lithium726** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:17 am

If the machine is under warranty, they should just send you the CDs... they did for me.

smugiri · #7 Post by **smugiri** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:16 am

lithium726 wrote:If the machine is under warranty, they should just send you the CDs... they did for me.

On newer machines, they will send you disks if your machine has a failing HDD meaning that you cannot access the IBM Recovery Application in the pre-boot area. If your HDD is OK, most of the time they will ask for about $40 to $50 for the disks.

JHEM · #8 Post by **JHEM** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:32 am

Irene wrote:If I get them elsewhere, how would I determine whether I was getting the latest version?

In reality, you don't need the "latest" version. All of the latest drivers and apps are avaiable on the IBM/Lenovo website and will download and install automatically when you run the Software Installer.

Regards,

James

DIGITALgimpus · #9 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:04 am

indeed. I don't think Lenovo/IBM updates the CD's very often anyway. At least not for discontinued models.

As long as you get an install, you can run windows update, and software update, to get the latest of everything.

I'd personally run XP SP2, then software update, then windows update.... in that order.

Irene · #10 Post by **Irene** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:46 pm

JHEM wrote:All of the latest drivers and apps are avaiable on the IBM/Lenovo website and will download and install automatically when you run the Software Installer.

Unfortunately, I live in the country where there is no cable or DSL available. All I have is dial-up, over very old and slow phone lines. That's why I'd like to get the most recent recovery disks if possible.

Irene

JHEM · #11 Post by **JHEM** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:41 pm

Irene wrote:Unfortunately, I live in the country where there is no cable or DSL available.

Not even at your local library?

Have a university nearby?

You really need to have the ablity to update your thinkpad on a regular basis.

Regards,

James

smugiri · #12 Post by **smugiri** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:16 pm

Irene wrote:
smugiri wrote:IBM Recovery disks are model specific not machine specific.
Does anyone know how often IBM/Lenovo updates the recovery disks that they sell (or give out if you're very persuasive)?

I have an almost-new (manufactured in December 2005) T42 that I bought on eBay and it arrived with the HPA erased and no recovery disks. I want to restore the machine to factory config. IBM Canada wants to charge me for a set of recovery CDs. If I get them elsewhere, how would I determine whether I was getting the latest version?

Thanks,

Irene

To the best of my knowledge, disks don't get updated. You do a base install from the standard recovery disks and then patch up to the latest updates by pulling the latest drivers and updates off the net.

If you have a phone line (which I assume you do since you mentioned that you have dial up), you can get DSL as long as you are no more than . And basic DSL service at [url=http://www.shoprogers.com/store/cable/i ... GEERJ7ABQC]about 192kbps (19.95$ with Rogers on cable and about is cheaper than dial up these days.

Send me a pm, I can help you out on this as I have a set of disks hanging around. I can also burn a CD or DVD with all the latest updates to save you the headache/heartache of getting those into the machine.

Recovery Disk from a different Thinkpad

Recovery Disk from a different Thinkpad

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