Thinkpads Forum

Regarding my recently acquired T60P, the previous owner wiped everything clean before selling, so I had to reinstall several Lenovo software features.

Here is my question. The blue ThinkVantage works just fine if I want to access BIOS, or influence start up. But isn't the button also supposed to open up the ThinkVantage toolbox when the computer is up and running? When I push the button (unless I'm in bootup mode) nothing happens. Do I need to download some necessary software component?

Otherwise, everything is hunky-dory, except I'm too exhausted from life circumstances to uninstall the old GPU driver, and install the new one with the Catalyst program. Has anyone tried to overclock the 5200 using Catalyst?

Also, although I have absolutely no need of any backlight repairs at this point whatsoever (my screen is nice and bright), what is the name of the brilliant fellow on our forum who replaces backlights when that eventuality is needed?

Thanks in advance,

Taichi

taichi wrote:what is the name of the brilliant fellow on our forum who replaces backlights when that eventuality is needed?

James Arndt, a.k.a. jamiphar.

According to Thinkwiki, the button can be configured to your likeing.

If you want to customize the program that is launched when the ThinkPad, Access IBM or ThinkVantage button is pressed while the machine is running Windows (2000 or XP) you can change the following registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001

Here are the default values for the original IBM version:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001]
"File"="C:\\Program Files\\IBM\\Access IBM\\aibm.exe"
"DispName"="Access IBM"

And these are the default values for the Lenovo version:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001]
"File"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\THINKV~1\\PrdCtr\\LPL1.exe"

To avoid conflicts, be sure to enter the file paths as DOS truncated (first six characters, then "~1")
NOTE!
Works on Windows 7 too. In that case most probably also on Vista.

Thanks, gentlemen, for your replies.

With regard to the ThinkVantage button I guess I didn't make myself clear enough. I am happy with how that button works when in startup mode... it takes me right into the bios utility or whatever else I need, but I believe it is also supposed to have a function when the computer is up and running. I seem to recall from somewhere that pushing the ThinkVantage button is supposed to open up the Lenovo utilities. That is what I cannot seem to achieve when in desktop mode. Pushing the button does nothing except massage the tip of my finger.

Thanks,

Taichi

taichi wrote:Regarding my recently acquired T60P, the previous owner wiped everything clean before selling, so I had to reinstall several Lenovo software features.

Here is my question. The blue ThinkVantage works just fine if I want to access BIOS, or influence start up. But isn't the button also supposed to open up the ThinkVantage toolbox when the computer is up and running? When I push the button (unless I'm in bootup mode) nothing happens. Do I need to download some necessary software component?

Yes you need to download and install the Thinkvatage Toolbox. For all of these buttons to work correctly you might need the hotkey features integration and system interface driver as well. If you are unsure what drivers/software you need i would suggest to download and install system update and use it to download and install the drivers/software for your system. Version 3.14 for older Windows versions and version 4.0 for Windows 7.

Thanks, Wiz.

Although I downloaded a laundry list of software updates from Lenovo, I didn't install all of them, and I recall that I omitted to install hotkeys. I did install the toolbox, and I downloaded but have not yet installed the huge ATI GPU driver/Catalyst file.

If I have the toolbox, do I also have the automatic updates utility installed?

My only concern is the GPU driver upgrade, because I first have to uninstall the previous driver... something that I am nervous about for no rational reason.

But I'm happy to let Lenovo automatically install whatever is truly needed.

By the way I'm on Vista Ultimate 32, and after shutting off indexing and tablet PC features, I have no complaints. Everything runs speedily. I have yet to install SP2.

Taichi

taichi wrote:Thanks, Wiz.

Although I downloaded a laundry list of software updates from Lenovo, I didn't install all of them, and I recall that I omitted to install hotkeys. I did install the toolbox, and I downloaded but have not yet installed the huge ATI GPU driver/Catalyst file.

If I have the toolbox, do I also have the automatic updates utility installed?

My only concern is the GPU driver upgrade, because I first have to uninstall the previous driver... something that I am nervous about for no rational reason.

But I'm happy to let Lenovo automatically install whatever is truly needed.

By the way I'm on Vista Ultimate 32, and after shutting off indexing and tablet PC features, I have no complaints. Everything runs speedily. I have yet to install SP2.

Taichi

I tried toolbox for 10 minutes, but didn't find it very useful so uninstalled and didn't use it anymore. I don't think the toolbox give you automatic updates, but maybe it will notifity you when there are new updates available.....not sure. Using system update you can download updates much easier than to do it manually, but still able to select the updates you want in case you don't want everything. Like me don't use toolbox and access connections + some other stuff. I changed a key in registry to make the blue button do something else.

Not sure why you have to uninstall the previous driver before you get the one from Lenovo. Did you manually download and install a driver from ATI? If not you should be able to just install the ATI driver from Lenovo without having to uninstall the previous driver. If the current driver work fine for you i guess it might not be needed, but the Lenovo driver might perform better.