Thinkpads Forum

I recently got a new x61 and I think I want to wipe it clean and do a clean install of Vista with none of the Lenovo bloatware. Additionally, I think I killed my wired internet settings when I had to connect to a university network the other day. I can't seem to connect to any other wired internet now.

Anyway, my basic question is how to reinstall vista. When I got the computer, Lenovo sent me 2 CDs and a pamphlet in a small plastic bag. The CDs are titled "Product Recovery DVD for Thinkpad X61, X61s Type (then a lot of type numbers)" and "Rescue and Recovery CD." The pamphlet is titled "Microsoft Windows XP Conversion Kit."

How can I check to make sure Lenovo actually gave me the Vista Ultimate CD and not the conversion to XP cd? Once I do that, what steps do I need to take to wipe the machine and reinstall Vista?

Thanks in advance and I apologize for the basic nature of the questions.

Just put the first disk in your cdrom drive and boot from there. It should walk you through the rest of the way. I'm not sure how you would verify what version you got. I suppose you could always call Lenovo to ask them.

@WFU03...
if there is a part# on the disks, post them and we may be able to help you determine what you've got.

sarbin wrote:@WFU03...
if there is a part# on the disks, post them and we may be able to help you determine what you've got.

On the "Rescue and Recovery CD" it says Disc 1 of 1, January 2007, CD P/N 43R4481.

On the other CD, it says types #7673, 7674, 7675, 7676, 7678, 7679, 7666, 7667, 7668, 7669, 7670, 7661. It also says Disc 1 of 1, 04-18-2007, DVD P/N 44Y3756, XP-P SP2, EN, P/N 44Y3729.

The "XP-P SP2" worries me that lenovo might have given me an XP disc and not a vista ultimate one.

sure reads like an xpsp2 recovery set. the first disk would be bootable and would present you with the r&r console.

if the disks came in paper sleeves, is there a p/n on the back?
the #s you provided come up blank on the lenovo site, but if you google them, you'll see a few hits to threads over on the lenovo support forum. i don't know if that would help you, but you might want to read 'em.

the lenovo MS windows XP conversion booklet says "BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE CONVERSION PROCESS" create a set of VISTA Product Recovery disks.

If you didn't do this before you tried to install the XP Rescue & Recovery CD, then I'm sorry to say, you might be cooked...

I just bought a new R61i, and I'm going to install XP over Vista because I'm just not ready to migrate to Vista. But I'll create the Vista recovery disks so that I can move there eventually... regards Mike.

I recently thought about this thread again because I thought about beta testing Windows 7, so I figured I would post the relevant reply that Lenovo gave me when I emailed them about this:

"Dear XXXXXX,

Thank you for contacting Lenovo, the makers of ThinkPad and ThinkCentre products.

Please note, that we do not send Recovery CD's with our systems, as all the Recovery information
is on a hidden partician of the Hard Drive. However, you do have the option to back up the Recovery
Information, which contains the Vista Operating System before you downgrade to Windows XP. This will
ensure you have both Operating Systems.

If you do not wish to do that, or need assistance, please contact our Technical Support Team at 1- 800 - 426 - 7378.
A technician can assist you with backing up the Recovery information on your system or provide you with
a Recovery CD with Vista for a charge of approximately 52.00.

If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reply to this email, or to call
us at 1-866-42-THINK (428-4465). We will be happy to assist you further at that time.

Once again, thank you for contacting Lenovo.

Sincerely,
Lenovo Websales"

I just looked into making a full computer recovery set but Vista said it would be 14-24 DVDs! Is the recovery partition that Lenovo speaks of the same thing? Also, why is it so hard for them to just give me the install discs instead of forcing me to recover to their version complete with all the bloatware?

WFU03 wrote:Is the recovery partition that Lenovo speaks of the same thing?

No, see here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-68317

WFU03 wrote: Also, why is it so hard for them to just give me the install discs

Microsoft licencing conditions.

Cheers,

Bill B.

bill bolton wrote:Microsoft licencing conditions.

That's the excuse that IBM always used when this topic arose. I even took this issue to IBM Canada's CEO and VP of Personal Systems at least a decade ago.

Yet every Dell comes with both a recovery partition and recovery CDs/DVDs that include the Microsoft operating system. That includes the low-end (~US$225) Vostro 220 that a friend bought a couple of weeks ago. So it seems that neither licensing or cost are valid arguments.

Perhaps IBM and now Lenovo need to be better negotiators (with Microsoft) or better liars (to their customers.)

Additionally, back in the day, when I bought several Gateways, they always came with the recovery CDs that included Windows.

I think Lenovo is full of it on this issue.

bill bolton wrote: No, see here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-68317

Bill B.

I've read that before, but how does the recovery partition differ from a recovery disk set made when one immediately gets the computer (before doing anything else)? I still don't understand the difference.

There are 2 options if you start rescue and recovery: One is to make a backup of "this machine", including applications, fixes, etc. The other a one-time-only option to create disks to restore to "factory configuration". The second is a set that is very similar to what would come from Lenovo if you ordered a restore set for $45. That set would work for any similar model, whatever options were configured.

So, to clarify, let's say I installed Win 7. For some reason, it just never worked right and I decided I wanted to go back to Vista. I could reboot the computer, go into the rescue and recovery screen, click on restore to factory configuration, and it would wipe the computer back to how it came shipped to me. That is, it would have none of my documents or installed programs, but would have everything Lenovo puts on there by default.

Did I understand this correctly? Or am I missing something again?

Anybody know if I have understood it correctly? I'm kinda waiting on an answer before I try out Win 7.

WFU03 wrote:Anybody know if I have understood it correctly? I'm kinda waiting on an answer before I try out Win 7.

Yup, provided the hidden partition is intact after installing Win 7.

Marin85 wrote:Yup, provided the hidden partition is intact after installing Win 7.

Sounds good. So I should install as an update rather than fresh and it'll do that.

Thanks for the help guys!

WFU03 wrote:Sounds good. So I should install as an update rather than fresh and it'll do that.

I have never tried this out, but I believe it should work, at least in theory. I´d be careful though. I´m really not sure how Win 7 would handle the hidden partition since it´s not really a typical windows partition... Also, please not that using the upgrading option in Win 7 installation program over Vista is not really a good idea. The result might be even more buggy than the beta itself...

Good luck

Marin