What's the best way to restore/re-install XP on T42?

[justthinking]

What would you guys recommend when it comes to re-install XP on the old T42??
System restore obviously works, however, my recovery discs are dated from 2005 w/ XP SP2..
So all the drivers and IBM softwares are outdated and IBM update doesn't seem to work anymore..
Will it be better if I just install XP SP3 then install ThinkVantage System Update??

Also, I can't find any info regarding battery from the battery maximiser..
All I get is select profile..can't find anything about how battery is holding charge and can't find battery maintenance feature..

[Neil]

I would say the best way to install XP depends greatly on the install media you have available and what you want the end result to be. Many like to just install Windows and update to SP3, if it's not included, and then whatever updates and software they want to use. Other seem to like to restore to factory state with R&R, and then add security updates and such. Either way works.

As for battery info, left click on the BMM icon in the system tray, click "battery information", then "Battery Health" button.

[Norway Pad]

I am jumping in on this one.

Does System Update work so well that it actually finds and installs all the machine specific applications and drivers needed? Power manager, Active protection, Access connections, wireless driver, Easy eject, hotkeys, etc? I bought IBM restore discs for my T43 but I suspect these discs gives a XP install with english language. Today I have XP Pro in norwegian, and would like to have that on my new install too. So it would be most convenient for me to just do the reinstall from a regular norwegian XP Pro disc, and get the IBM/Lenovo drivers/applications afterhand.

I can of course go the way that I had to go with my T42, and download and install everything manually, but it was a tedious process and took a lot of time..

Sorry for hijacking the thread, hope I contribute to clarify for both of us.

[RealBlackStuff]

Set the system regional settings to NORWAY when running System Update and when installing their applications and drivers.

[Norway Pad]

Thanks for the tip. I wasn't aware, but it makes sense that the update chooses its language dependent on the language/region setting on the machine, and not the actual language of the OS, like I thought.

So I take what you are saying the way that a general XP install and the System Update gives me all I need? I only want a basic XP Pro install with the drivers and the above mentioned ThinkPad specific applications. Nothing more, nothing less. After updating XP to SP3, having the System Update done, and have everything working as it should, I will make an image to avoid ever having to reinstall from scratch again.

[RealBlackStuff]

If you want a fresh install in Norwegian, you need a Norwegian (or multi-lingual, incl. Norwegian) OS-version.

But yes, e.g. install a US-XP, then set regional to NO, and you could SystemUpdate in Norwegian.

[Norway Pad]

Thanks! I have a norwegian XP Pro cd, so I am good to go. The problem is to find time to actually sit down and do it.