Driver update question

[rablaw]

My 2373N1U Thinkpad T42 will be arriving tomorrow.
After following this list for some time, though, I am confused about how to update drivers once I get the machine.
Do I connect to IBM's site and will it automatically detect and download what I need?
Should I update anything and everything? or if it "ain't broke don't fix it"?

Thanks.

rablaw

[MadeInJapan]

Easiest way is with Access Connection if it is installed on your Thinkpad...just run it (connect to your ISP first) and let it take over and update everything. If you have to go and download everything, then go to www.IBM.com and on the first page, click on "Support and Downloads" and in the next page you'll see where you can have them detect your machine. Just select Drivers and Software for what you want to search for, for your particular machine.

After you get to the page with the drivers, download each one that partains to your machine, one at a time (I'd make a folder on your HDD for this (name it IBM Drivers Downloads or something like that...do this ahead of time). After all is downloaded, nothing is automatic. By double clicking on each of the driver install programs, nothing gets installed yet. These programs make a folder in C:\ called "Drivers." You have to therefore go to those folders and one by one open the folders within "Drivers." and install the drivers.

A point to note: Within the "Drivers" folder there will be some folders labeled W9X, etc. If you are not running Windows98, don't install anything in these folders. You want to insall from the ones that say WXP, Others, etc. In otherwords, avoid the folders that are obviously not for your Operating System. Also, with Audio: Probably Windows installed generic drivers (if your O.S. was not installed from IBM software), therefore when you run the Audio setup, you have to select from the menue to first "uninstall" the present audio drivers before you run the same program again to "install" the updated ones.

A simpler short-cut....though it doesn't update all of your drivers is to go into Device Manager and only deal with the hardware that have an EXplamation Mark next to them. Double click on them and select "re-install drivers." and then direct the installation to the correct folder in the "Drivers" folder. At least this way you'll get everything up and running.

Last note: There is also a document on the IBM website....you'll have to look for it for your particular machine, that tells you exactly in what order, etc. to install/update drivers. This is usually for "upgrading" from an earlier O.S., but it can be very helpful. Use IBM Drivers and Try to avoid Windows Update's Drivers. They are not always accurate in dealing with ThinkPads.

Good luck.

[rablaw]

Made in Japan-

Thank you for a helpful reply!

rablaw

[Elhabash]

It also is a good idea to keep all the old drivers (and old versions of software like iTunes, for that matter) somewhere.
One day you might need them, and old versions are usually hard to find on the net.

[monty cantsin]

Easiest way is with Access Connection if it is installed on your Thinkpad...just run it (connect to your ISP first) and let it take over and update everything.

Access Connections? I guess you mean the Update Connector:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-46134

These programs make a folder in C:\ called "Drivers." You have to therefore go to those folders and one by one open the folders within "Drivers." and install the drivers.

Or use the Software Installer:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4ZKMCT

A point to note: Within the "Drivers" folder there will be some folders labeled W9X, etc. If you are not running Windows98, don't install anything in these folders. You want to insall from the ones that say WXP, Others, etc. In otherwords, avoid the folders that are obviously not for your Operating System.

Not always true. IIRC, the ThinkPad Configuration Utility, for instance, unpacks into a W9x folder by default, although it is the correct version also for Windows 2000 and XP.

[waterside]

The simplest method is to use the Update Connector, which should already be installed on your Thinkpad. Find it under Start -> Access IBM -> IBM Update Connector.

Alternatively you can find all the drivers from IBM support downloads. IBM has recently updated portions of their site. You can start with http://www.ibm.com/products/finder/us/f ... g=ddfinder. Click on "Automatically detect my system" on the right-hand side. You can review and install available downloads. If you choose this route, you may want to visit http://www.tpdrivers.com/ (from the FAQ) first. The links there take you to the same places as the links in the download finder.

One note about drivers from the download finder or from the driver matrix: These don't install the drivers directly, but rather use a windows installer to extract the files into C:\DRIVERS (or possibly C:\IBMTOOLS\DRIVERS). You can find and install these by hand, but a better choice is to use the Thinkpad Software Installer which searches these directories, provides a list of available drivers (identifying updates), and installs those you select. You don't need to worry about which directories or versions are appropriate - the TSI handles it for you. You can find this one under Start -> Access IBM -> ThinkPad Software Installer

In short, you have two options to keep it simple:

• * Use IBM Update Connector.
  * Download and "install" drivers to staging area from http://www.tpdrivers.com then use Thinkpad Software Installer to install the drivers

[MarT40]

If you use IBM Software Installer make sure that you update that application first if necessary.