Thinkpads Forum

Hi

My old T60 appears to have a virus. I want to re-format the C: drive and do a full factory reset. The problem is that files appear to be missing and the reset fails.

(Sorry the previous thread became messy so I'm starting again!)

Here is my laptop's spec is:
Lenovo TS ThinkPad T60
Machine type-model: 2007-F4G
Mf part number: UT0F4UK
Processor: Intel Core Duo processor T2400, 1.8GHZ
RAM: 3GB
Date of purchase: 9/Aug/2006 (in the UK)

No Windows CD came with the PC.
Yes, I can still read the labels at that bottom of the PC describing the OEM codes etc.
I tried using the blue ThinkVantage button but it doesnt work.

I tried using the Restore & Recovery tool (hold down F11 is it, I forget), but that says that "Product Recovery could not find X:\preboot\Utils\convert.cmd"

I tried dowloading Windows XP from Microsoft.com on this page:
"Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers "
http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download ... aspx?id=24
"Windows XP SP3 ISO-9660CD image"

But when I burnt a new Windows XP CD (using Win 7 PC) but it doesnt appear to be bootable.

I tried running a file on the Windows XP CD I created but it says "Setup did not find any hard disks installed on your computer". This is INSANE because my laptops still boots fine on the hard disk. The problem is that it has viruses!

I tried creating and booting off an ARCDC CD (that loads a screen called "Windows XP Professional Setup") but that didnt work either - as it says it cant find any hard drives.

I even managed to find am old Windows XP original CD from another PC, but although it can find the CD and although it runs "Windows Setup" for a very long time (i.e. c. 2 minutes) it too fails to find the hard disk "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer" ... "Setup cannot continue".
Any suggestions?

With thanks

J

Go to BIOS setup and set the SATA controller mode to Compatible or IDE. Normally it's set to AHCI, which is not supported by the standard XP installer since it doesnt have AHCI drivers built-in.

The alternative is to look for a Recovery CD for the T60. You can use this Forum's Marketplace for this purpose.

OK I hit F1 during boot up to get into BIOS and changed "Serial ATA (SATA)" "Serial Controller Mode Option:" from "AHCI" to "Compatibility". Fwiw, no, "IDE" was not an option.
Let's see how far I get now.

Why are these things so [censored] hard?

Many thanks.

J

Yikes how do I get on-line?

OK I have installed Windows XP (off an old EOM disk for another computer) but now I cant get on-line!

On the Control Panel under Device Manager it looks like I need several drivers (for my Thinkpad T60) including:
- BCM2045B
- Ethernet Controller
- Network Controller
- PCI Device
- SM Bus Controller
- Unknown Device
- Unknown Device
- Video Controller (VGA Compatible)

Any suggestions?

J

i.e. Do I need to (painfully) do this one at a time on a different computer and then somehow load them into my Thinkpad?
Or is there some clever way that I can download one thing that would get me online and once there perhaps I could download something that would find and download all the drivers that I need. (e.g Is there some sort of Lenovo/ThinkVantage utility that would find and download all the drivers that I need - once I finally [somehow!] get on-line?)

Go here:
T60 Drivers and Software

Download the network drivers (under Networking LAN/WLAN - depending whether you plan to connect wired or wireless) . Make sure to get the correct drivers (Wifi have several versions - Intel and Atheros/Thinkpad).

Once you are online, go to that site again, download System Update (under Thinkvantage Technologies) for XP, and it should find all the needed drivers and some other applications which you may choose to install or not to install.

Thanks - that looks promising.

I have managed to go on-line using a very slow dongle.

My next problem is that Window Update is failing. And it looks like Thinkvantage System Update needs "Framework .NET version 3.5" but when I tried following the link I couldnt get Framework .NET 3.5 to install...

If I install MSIE v8 (I am on v6[!]) will that that include Framework .NET 3.5?

EDIT: I couldnt get MSIE to install nor .NET 3.5 (from a file I downloaded). Do I need to install Framework .NET 1 and then 2 and then 3 in sequence??

Thanks

Not sure. Try downloading the framework manually from Microsoft's site. One of the links should work.

[Wow this is painful stuff indeed]
OK something is badly wrong it wont even allow me to upgrade Framework 1.1 from a file I downloaded.
And I still cant get Windows Update to run.

Any suggestions?

What do you mean by "won't allow", "can't get"? What exactly happens? What error messages are you receiving?

The good news is that I have managed to download a LAN driver so I am now on Broadband - [thanks for that! :^) ]

When I try to use Windows Update it goes:
" The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem. "

When I try to run the .NET 1.1 it goes.
"The upgrade patch cannot be installed by the Windows installer service because the program to be upgraded may be missing, or the upgrade patch may update a different version of the program. Verify that the program to be upgraded exists on your computer and that you have the correct upgrade path. OK"

P.S. On the Windows update page I think I may have clicked "New! Get Microsoft Update today! Go", rather than the Express button. That might have been a mistake. :^/

Is there some clever way to reset MSIE v6 to default?
e.g. Is there any way to Repair windows XP from the installation disk?

EDIT: OK think my only hope is to repair my Windows XP so I following the instructions here:
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/13 ... indows-xp/
(despite the bad news which is that 10 minutes it looks like it's still going to take 39 minutes to complete!)

Bad news. I ran the full Windows Repair thing and I still cant run Windows Update. :^(

Any suggestions?


EDIT: Eventually I managed to install Lenovo's System Update. I also (eventually) got it to run.
BUT still Windows Update is failing to run. And I cant install MSIE 8 either.

EDIT02:
OK I finally managed to find and install Windows XP SP3.
And then I managed to install MSIE 8
And then I installed .NET v4,
I also installed some security patch for MSIE 8.
I then got to "validate" Windows XP.
I then got offered something about how Windows XP has "changed the way it updates" and I installed something.
AND FINALLY I got Windows Update to start to run. (It is currently installing 148 "Security Updates" [!]... more later.)

A friend of mine recently had to re-install a fresh copy of XP on his laptop. He was unable to receive update notifications, but after a few days, it just suddenly worked. :O

And now my T60 keeps seizing up completely after I boot it and do nothing.

Any suggestions?

J

Dump the XP that you installed from all over!
Get a proper Lenovo XP recovery set for the T60, or rather:
scrounge up a working W7 COA and install W7.
But ONLY after you wiped the first 5% or so of your hard disk with DBAN.
Have you tested that HD elsewhere?

RealBlackStuff wrote:Dump the XP that you installed from all over!
Get a proper Lenovo XP recovery set for the T60, or rather:
scrounge up a working W7 COA and install W7.
But ONLY after you wiped the first 5% or so of your hard disk with DBAN.
Have you tested that HD elsewhere?

OMG - seriously?

a) Would Windows 7 work respectably on my little old laptop? I was assuming that it would be too under-powered.

b) I was planning to give my laptop away soon, so I dont want to spend much money on it.
Roughly what would a legit W7 COA actually cost?

c) I was hoping that I had removed the 1st 5% of the disk when I removed all visible partitions and re-formatted the C: drive but it sounds like that was naive. [groan - **** I do hate MS]
What are the chances that the invisible partition will have a virus? Is that the main reason why you are suggesting removal of that 1st 5%?

d) No, I have not taken the hard disk out and tested it on a different computer if that is what you are asking.

With thanks

J

What RBS suggests is that maybe your install media is botched up/fishy.

Have you used it before, successfully?

It may also be a hardware issue.