Windows XP End of Support in a few months - options for X40?

[bpmcclure]

Starting to get serious about keeping the old X40 going after XP support ends in April. Is Windows 7 a good choice? Does 7 install into the protected partition, or is that lost? I suspect after the install the Windows 7 Thinkvantage programs and drivers will be available, probably by installing the update program first and then checking for missing stuff. Will this work, and what gets lost in translation?

Does anyone have thoughts, pitfalls, etc to consider. I did search through the forum and found a few nuggets, but I am looking for a "one stop" Win 7 update guide, if such a thing exists.

Thanks in advance! Bruce

[RealBlackStuff]

Forget it, if you don't want to continue with XP.
Put some Linux on it instead.
W7 will be extremely slow IF you get it to run, and the most important drivers for X40 will never be available!

[bpmcclure]

Thanks, and some real black stuff sounds pretty good right now! I am certainly not a pro at this stuff; is the an easy tutorial on switching a X40 to Linux? Off to the forums again, I see!

[Saucey]

For linux you can try Mint, Xubutnu, or Elementary OS.
I installed eOS on a T43, works very well for that machine.
I think Ubuntu can install under WinXP if you don't have a spare CD or USB to boot from.
You can always use magic disk to create a virtual disk and it may install while using windows, but I haven't tried that option much.

[bpmcclure]

Thanks, I'll go check out those options. I do have a CD drive in the dock, and a second HDD there too, if I need either.

[Neil]

I'm running AntiX on one of my X40, and LMDE Mate on the other. They are a little different, but I could live with either as my only OS.

[ReCreate]

Forget it, if you don't want to continue with XP.
Put some Linux on it instead.
W7 will be extremely slow IF you get it to run, and the most important drivers for X40 will never be available!

I run windows 7 on mine, and it operates just fine. Windows 7 32-bit has exceptional support for old drivers... Everything but the TPM module drivers work just fine.

However, I also have an SSD fitted inside the laptop.

[bpmcclure]

I run windows 7 on mine, and it operates just fine. Windows 7 32-bit has exceptional support for old drivers... Everything but the TPM module drivers work just fine.

However, I also have an SSD fitted inside the laptop.

I've got an SSD as well, the OEM IBM 60 GB one. Seems like there are some Thinkpad utilities that are out there for W7, but not all. What does "TPM" refer to, and how much trouble does it cause?

[ajkula66]

I run windows 7 on mine, and it operates just fine. Windows 7 32-bit has exceptional support for old drivers... Everything but the TPM module drivers work just fine.

How about the graphics subsystem? I'm certain that there is no graphics driver in Vista or W7 for this generation of Intel integrated graphics...

Secondly, those machines max out at either 1.25 or 1.5GB RAM depending on the original configuration. Not enough to run W7 comfortably by any stretch of imagination.

[ReCreate]

I run windows 7 on mine, and it operates just fine. Windows 7 32-bit has exceptional support for old drivers... Everything but the TPM module drivers work just fine.

How about the graphics subsystem? I'm certain that there is no graphics driver in Vista or W7 for this generation of Intel integrated graphics...

Secondly, those machines max out at either 1.25 or 1.5GB RAM depending on the original configuration. Not enough to run W7 comfortably by any stretch of imagination.

It has a GMA 900, which has fully functioning Windows XP driver. Since it's an XP driver it installs just fine on Windows 7, No need for a driver that is made specifically for Windows 7/Vista. In fact, OpenGL and DirectX operate fully this way, and allows me to play old games. (Half Life, etc)

You can also put a 2GB DDR2 DIMM just fine in the computer. 2.5GB is detected but due to a chipset limitation only 2 GB will be addressable. It works just fine provided you do not use too much RAM.

[ajkula66]

It has a GMA 900, which has fully functioning Windows XP driver. Since it's an XP driver it installs just fine on Windows 7, No need for a driver that is made specifically for Windows 7/Vista. In fact, OpenGL and DirectX operate fully this way, and allows me to play old games. (Half Life, etc)

You can also put a 2GB DDR2 DIMM just fine in the computer. 2.5GB is detected but due to a chipset limitation only 2 GB will be addressable. It works just fine provided you do not use too much RAM.

Huh...you are referring to X41, not X40 which is what OP is inquiring about, aren't you?

Two *very* different platforms these two are...

[3h]

I have an x40 with Xp which I use every day as my main laptop, and I intend to continue using it for as long as possible, in spite of the discontinuation of support. If I ever have to stop using Xp, then I will switch to Linux. Does anybody have experience of using Puppy Linux on an x40?

[ReCreate]

It has a GMA 900, which has fully functioning Windows XP driver. Since it's an XP driver it installs just fine on Windows 7, No need for a driver that is made specifically for Windows 7/Vista. In fact, OpenGL and DirectX operate fully this way, and allows me to play old games. (Half Life, etc)

You can also put a 2GB DDR2 DIMM just fine in the computer. 2.5GB is detected but due to a chipset limitation only 2 GB will be addressable. It works just fine provided you do not use too much RAM.

Huh...you are referring to X41, not X40 which is what OP is inquiring about, aren't you?

Two *very* different platforms these two are...

Oh. I assumed this thread applied for all the computers that this forum section is relevant to. Oops.

Edit:

I just realized that I've owned a dell computer with very similar specifications. The Intel 855GM series. Contrary to popular belief you CAN indeed install the driver for this under Windows 7, it is just that due to a bug in the installer it does not work out of the box and requires text editing of a configuration file.

See this: http://www.groundstate.net/855GMWin7.html

I've run Windows 7 on one of these dells with 512MB of ram, and it ran surprisingly well! You can not expect too much, however.. You're probably best off with a light weight linux distro, or just keeping XP.

[natgab]

I have an x40 with Xp which I use every day as my main laptop, and I intend to continue using it for as long as possible, in spite of the discontinuation of support. If I ever have to stop using Xp, then I will switch to Linux. Does anybody have experience of using Puppy Linux on an x40?

---Puppy Linux is a great choice if you still have the original 4200 rpm HDD. You can load Puppy Linux on one of those tiny USB since it runs off of RAM, the system should only take about 300MB of space on your USB. And that is a full version with GNOME or KDE if you want.

Then you can keep your original HDD as a storage drive, ext2 (no jounalling) runs quicker or ext4 (journaled) slower but safer or NTFS for compatability with Windows. I ran it on the X40 before upgrading to my R61. LXpup 13.01 with KDE 4.10. Task manager shows CPU & RAM usage with GIMP open:

http://oi58.tinypic.com/16lwls8.jpg

Moderator edit: replaced huge pic with link. Read the Forum Rules!

[3h]

Thanks for your helpful post, which I just saw! I am still mainly using Xp, but have downloaded and installed Slacko Puppy Non-PAE 5.60 (using the Windows installer, found here: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/loqca478iljiz/560), so now the x40 is dual-boot. I am happy with it so far.

---Puppy Linux is a great choice if you still have the original 4200 rpm HDD. You can load Puppy Linux on one of those tiny USB since it runs off of RAM, the system should only take about 300MB of space on your USB. And that is a full version with GNOME or KDE if you want.

Then you can keep your original HDD as a storage drive, ext2 (no jounalling) runs quicker or ext4 (journaled) slower but safer or NTFS for compatability with Windows. I ran it on the X40 before upgrading to my R61. LXpup 13.01 with KDE 4.10. Task manager shows CPU & RAM usage with GIMP open:

http://oi58.tinypic.com/16lwls8.jpg

[keithsketchley]

I used standard Windows 7.1 Pro CD, then driver updates to suit the x41, albeit to a new SSD (though 60GB HDD would have ample capacity).

Computer didn’t boot correctly from generic Windows 7 Pro disc the first time, restarted then worked OK. (I of course had set boot order in BIOS Setup to have CD/DVD drive first.)

I then ran the driver DVD from Seifelden, purchased via eBay. (Used it offline.) It advised of two drivers it did not have, for hardware it detected: Video Controller and Biometric CoProcessor (fingerprint). Drivers for the x41 can be confusing, for example there’s more than one graphics file needed from Lenovo. Generally can be figured out, reasonably good UI but at the end there’s a mysterious long list of devices that looks like more driver updates have been identified but may just be a list of drivers that are on the computer. (There are other sources for similar DVDs, but Lenovo System Update may be a better way. See http://support.lenovo.com/en_CA/downloa ... D=UM001926.)

Windows Update offered drivers for:
- National Semiconductor IR Port
- Lenovo PM device (that’s probably a Power Management function on the Embedded Controller)
- TouchChip Fingerprint Coprocessor
144 updates!

Device Manager yellow flags an Unkown device and the Video Controller, its update driver command does not find any on the Internet.

One anomaly is either Windows Update or Seiflden’s disc thought there was a touchpad in my computer.

[keithsketchley]

Rather much money to spend on an x41 with its unreliability. But I do like the stick cursor control using the dished version of red cap and adjusted settings for it, and the light in lid, and the blue Enter key. And I have two spare ones plus parts.

(I see Staples carrying two Thinkpads that could replace the x41/T, with the stick but not blue Enter key, didn’t see key for lid light, they have touchpad as well:
- Twist, a swivel tablet like the x41T, perhaps an old model, combination of 24GB SSD and 500 GB HDD. Under $600.
- Yoga, perhaps a newer model, with 128GB SSD, somewhat lighter than Twist. About twice price of Twist.
Both 12.5” diagonal (x41 is 12”), no optical drive.)
And of course there’s the x1 Carbon.