Thinkpads Forum

So, I recently received a new TP61 (6460-DWU) from CDW this week. I requested that it come installed with Windows XP Pro. It did.

However, as I'm pawing through the accessories box, I noticed that Lenovo is now apparently including a set of system recover DVDs. The confusing part is that the recovery DVD set has the start-up DVD but the OS recovery DVD is for Vista Business SP1.

I'm completely confused at this point. If I use the "Create Recovery Discs" utility to create a set of recovery discs, will it be with Win XP Pro or Vista Business?

Or, if I boot into ThinkVantage Rescue/Recovery, can I see what OS would get installed if I did a full HDD wipe?

For what it's worth, the box does not appear to have been opened by CDW prior to shipping. The sealing tape on the box wasn't CDW's (that tape has "CDW" embossed on it). So, I'm assuming the box left the factory this way. Implying that it left the factory with Win XP Pro pre-loaded.

I've already sent an email to my CDW rep about this but was hoping that someone here might have encountered this as well and knows the answer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you burn a set of recovery CDs, they will be Windows XP. The Vista business pre-load comes with a set of XP disks for those who wish to downgrade (I didn't realize the XP preloads came with Vista CDs, but that makes sense) but the recovers partition as supplied, in that instance, is Vista. The recovery partition in each case it the OS that is installed when it arrives.

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Is this a recent change on Lenovo's part? I've ordered several TP61s in the past 12 months (not all the same specific types) and this is the first time one has arrived with actual recovery media in the box.

One other difference I should note is that I always order additional RAM for these systems. In the past, CDW has installed the additional RAM for me before they shipped the systems. This time around, they didn't, I installed it myself after delivery. I'm now worried that CDW took out the physical recovery media from my past orders and didn't put them back into the box.

Thanks again.