Thinkpads Forum

Can i install vista into linux cconfigured T61 after I've done with my linux project?

Can i install vista from my X61 vista recovery disc? or i need to order one new set?

thanks

Any T61 that came from the factory with Vista Business or Ultimate loaded came with XP recovery media. I never ordered a T61 with Vista basic or Premium, but I'd assume they came with Vista recovery media or no recovery media at all. If your machine came with Vista recovery media then yes you can use those discs to restore the machine to the factory Vista load. If it came with XP recovery media, then no you cannot...unless you made recovery discs from Vista yourself while it was loaded. I'm not 100% positive that all of the above is correct as far as what R&R discs came from the factory, but the rest is accurate.

My T60 and T61p both did not come with recovery media. I had to make my own.

Not that big a deal, as I'm not running their image, and have no problem just using Acronis True Image and ghosting the drive (I could run their R&R discs, but meh.

Sorry, I want to buy a new T61(with original Linux on it) for my linux testing project. I may not longer use this three months later and may install Vista back to it.

So I want to know, will Linux T61 not able to install Vista, if not, can i just use my X61 or T60 recovery disc to set it up.

thanks

If it comes with pre-installed Linux on it there will be no Windows COA on the bottom which is your license to use windows. So legally , NO you cannot do that because you are not licensed to run windows on that computer. You would have to purchase the windows you want to run on it.
With that said, the restore discs will probably work fine to install windows but you will have to get the drivers for your machine.

Sorry on typing mistake, there with the correct one

I've a T60(the first generation with XP pro) and not able to install Vista(Retail package), it's even not able to install my another recovery CD(from my latest T60/T61) too. Any idea why? If the linux one can install Vista later on, I prefer to buy Linux one, due it's a turnkey solution for me now. Just wonder will linux one will not able to install Vista as same as my T60 one .

thanks

Well you can't use the X61 to install on the T61. I think it will throw up an error stating that. A T61 can be used on a T60 though as far as i know (legal issues asside).

You can be the first to test the X61 DVD to T61 though

I was configuring a T61 Linux also since it's about $150 cheaper than the others. AFter i was done i got a nice T61 configured for about 891 then add 3yr warranty and brought it up to $1,060 or something like that. Pretty sweet, i have my own Vista license that i got from Microsoft so i was thinking to go that route.

Your retail Vista will probably install after you set the SATA to compatibility in the BIOS.

carbon_unit wrote:Your retail Vista will probably install after you set the SATA to compatibility in the BIOS.

Why? I was able to install Windows XP Pro x64 Edition and I left the SATA setting on the factory default of AHCI. We also have a bunch of newer systems at work, and I never need to take the SATA mode off of AHCI for either bare installs or for my sysprep/Ghost images.

carbon_unit wrote:Your retail Vista will probably install after you set the SATA to compatibility in the BIOS.

Vista definitely doesn't need to do that. Windows XP yes, (maybe not 64bit but normal XP Pro 32bit SP2 does.)

I'm not sure but i think SP3 (out now) adds updates for that so you can install in AHCI mode.

On my T60, which came with XP, I can use XP recovery media in AHCI mode (or whatever is not recovery mode). I can install Linux in that same mode, and I can install Vista Business 32-bit from Lenovo media which appears to be an OEM disc and not a recovery disc in that same mode.

whizkid wrote:On my T60, which came with XP, I can use XP recovery media in AHCI mode (or whatever is not recovery mode). I can install Linux in that same mode, and I can install Vista Business 32-bit from Lenovo media which appears to be an OEM disc and not a recovery disc in that same mode.

The XP recovery media probably have the AHCI drivers slipstreamed in by Lenovo. A regular XP disk does not have those drivers, which is why you must set the BIOS into Compatibility mode. Vista (any version) supports AHCI natively, so you can leave the BIOS in its default setting.

whizkid wrote:On my T60, which came with XP, I can use XP recovery media in AHCI mode (or whatever is not recovery mode). I can install Linux in that same mode, and I can install Vista Business 32-bit from Lenovo media which appears to be an OEM disc and not a recovery disc in that same mode.

I have Vista Business original recovery disc from my latest T60, but i can't install on my old T60(come with XP Pro). Any idea why?
thanks

Thread hijacked. You might want to ask that question where someone not reading a Linux on T61 thread might look.

fuscob wrote:The XP recovery media probably have the AHCI drivers slipstreamed in by Lenovo. A regular XP disk does not have those drivers, which is why you must set the BIOS into Compatibility mode.

You used the word "must" which implies 100% of the cases, which is not true. You can F6 to supply the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Drive on a USB floppy diskette Or you could slipstream the drivers yourself into the $OEM$ folder under TEXTMODE and it should detect your hard disk. For the systems at work, we use disk cloning.

We use sysprepped images using the enterprise version Symantec Ghost and the Microsoft Sysprep preparation tool. I inject the drivers prior to taking my baseline image. I can use the same image on AHCI and non-AHCI systems.

I'd leave things in AHCI if I could for two reasons:

1. Gives you zero-touch for deploying systems. Why have techncians go to the trouble to change BIOS settings for questionable benefit?

2. Isn't AHCI supposed to be better performing than SATA Compatibility Mode?

Corporations like #1 obviously. Shouldn't PC enthusiasts like #2? I can see if you are using software or some boot loader than doesn't support AHCI, but Windows XP SP2 clearly does not fit into that category!

I have two systems right here in font of me, both have SATA mode set to AHCI: One in my Lenovo Thnkpad T61p the other is a Dell Optiplex 755 desktop. With the Thinkpad, I was able to download the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver (32-bit) from Lenovo (link). The driver I selected within Windows XP's textmode setup was "Intel(R) 82801 HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M). For the Dell, I used the version of the Driver and selected the Desktop version of the ICH9R SATA AHCI driver. both tests were performed with the same Windows XP Professional SP2 CD. It was the retail CD. I just had to F6 and manually supply a driver. I already knew it worked with my 32-bit volume license media as well as my 64-bit media for XP. As others suggested, Vista has an AHCI SATA drive built-in the DVD from the factory.

I would imagine that modern Linux distros would have support for AHCI now, especially any modern x64 distro. (but I could be wrong on that).