Using recovery iso

[JBUK]

2 or 3 years ago I obtained this W7 recovery iso; 'T400-500-W7P-x86-2' and at the time I used it to do a W7 fresh install. My understanding is that with Middleton in use with its SLIC tables activation should happen automatically. But I could not get it to activate without entering a key, which I do not have, so I just left that project on the shelf for another day.

That day has come now and I want to install and activate W7 again on another T61. Perhaps I missed something the first time so what is the correct procedure to get it installed and activated on a completely blank disk? Is it by using SLMGR perhaps.
The recovery set iso contents does not look complete with only three folders showing, SWWORK, RECOVERY and MFG. It does of course install as a working W7 system but without the magic activation.

[theterminator93]

The disk you have is part 2 of a 2 disc set, and is the drivers and apps recovery portion of the restore. You need disk 1 of the set, the OS restore. You can use the OS restore without the drivers and apps disc, if desired, when using the OS restore on systems it was not originally intended for. At least with the Windows 7 restore sets, since their OS and drivers/apps discs are separate.

The process you outlined of first flashing the Middleton BIOS then using an OEM Windows 7 OS restore has worked for me in the past. I usually use the T420 Windows 7 Pro x64 w/ SP1 restore discs set (the OS alone is 2 DVDs) since it has SP1 and a few other patches integrated - T410 and T400 do not have SP1.

[JBUK]

Thanks for the advice, that worked and W7 is up and running. I had the first DVD iso but it was not named as such hence my dilemma. No SP1 though as you indicated.
I put in a W7 SP1 DVD to upgrade but that failed saying that SP1 must be already installed before I can run the upgrade !!!
Looks like I will have to sniff around for a safe SP1 download to use.