Thinkpads Forum

Win 7 Installation Transfer from X61T to T61 using Sysprep
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/13 ... puter.html

Are there certain things you'd recommend here in addition to the steps outlined. Specific to Thinkpad / ThinkVantage - Drivers, Tools and Software?

Thoughts and Ideas?

Should this be better off in Windows 7 forum or here on T6x due to the drivers and hardware in concern?

Interesting idea. I have never seen sysprep run after an install was up & running. I would make a good image of your machine beforehand in case it goes wrong. It does warn in there about 2/3rds of the time a media error occurs due Windows Media networking & sysprep fails. When sysprep fails or hangs half way through the results aint pretty!

Drivers & software wise sysprep should only remove system drivers so Lenovo update on your new system should put all the drivers you need back on but I would be tempted to download the LAN &/or WLAN driver just to make sure you aren't stuck without internet access. Also, remove your AV software first, a lot of AV software doesn't like the sysprep routine & can cause the first startup to fail with a reinstall Windows error. That is why most AV companies will give you a specific version to run if you intend to ship it out with multiple PC's as an image.

I am a Microsoft refurbisher & as such I use the RPK (refurbisher preinstallation kit) which has loads of tools built into it including some very handy WINPE & sysprep scripts all pre-built. I would be very interested in knowing how you get on with this.

Honestly, X61T and T61 are so similar, and Win7 is so much better than XP in accepting new hardware, that I would just take the drive as is and stick it into the T61. Odds are there will be a few missing drivers, which you will install, and that's it.

The problem with just swapping the drives over is not the new drivers but the old. You need to remove the old drivers unless the T61 runs identical hardware, i.e. chipset, drive controller etc. Other wise you will just get blue screens.

ideal-pc wrote:You need to remove the old drivers unless the T61 runs identical hardware, i.e. chipset, drive controller etc. Other wise you will just get blue screens.

I don't think this is how it works. Windows does not bluescreen because old drivers bother it, but because it cannot find the correct (new) drivers. In any case T61 does run identical chipset and driver controller.

I did do a T61 to X61T migrate of Win XP (after removing lots of drivers manually..). It worked but needed a bit of work to get it done right.

I am guessing this is a cleaner way to 'REFRESH' the Hardware Profile. Does Win 7 have the Hardware profile thing as XP used to have?

I will probably remove/ disable a bunch of things.. e.g. AV, and maybe some specific drivers that might be 'intrusive'. Yes, image backup is essential.

Any other Lenovo / Thinkvantage stuff that you'd recommend removing and then maybe re installing later.. to avoid issues and be safe?