Thinkpads Forum

I installed a very new, never used system board.

So how do I go about getting it so that the Lenovo software starts working again?

I miss being able to run System Update, it just squawks "There are no applicable packages found for your system" .

Look deep on Google to get the HMD (Hardware Maintenance Disk) with which you can fill in the blanks in the BIOS.
You need to set the System-Unit Serial Number (TYPE/Model and S/N in the format 1STTTTMMMxxxxxxx) where:
1S = leading fix characters
TTTT = Type (e.g. 2007)
MMM = Model (e.g. 41U)
xxxxxxx = 7-char. Serial No. without a -.
Use only CAPITAL letters.
And you also need to set the UUID using the same HMD.

I thought I had a buggy machine that didn't like System Update.
Now I'll know what to do!

Thank you, thank you!

Wow... it's truly buried in the back waters...

Now I just have to find a 3.5" floppy disc and a usb floppy disc drive...


Edit: Latest version includes a bootable usb drive tool!

Edit 2: It's field "20" that you need to add to the system, it will then ask for the 1S______________ . When you read the serials using the HMD, and it's a brand new systemboard, it will only have one entry for the motherboard, which will have it's serial # and part # combined. This is if you are using the later versions which are usb bootable. I had to hunt the internet for the one place that had it listed. Seems older versions of the HMD would simply just stick it where it should go, but the newer versions let you add/remove/check a lot more, so you have to know where to stick the important chain, or it won't work.

Hit the ESC key just as the Thinkpad splash disapears, to remove the write protection from the EEPROM(this is how it worked on my T61)

You go into the editer

use option 2, note what serials are listed, I only had 40(IIRC) which is the motherboard. If one is listed at 20(you moved the board, previously used board, etc.) you will need to delete it.

use option 3, then enter 20, it will wipe the entry.

use option 1, enter 20, then type out the 1S____________, hit enter

Use option 9

Then select the Generate a new UUID option on the main splash.