Switching Hard Drive From One X61T to Another. Possible?

[epu]

I am about to trade in my X61 XGA (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Turbo Memory, etc.) for an X61T which has the 1440x1050 Screen (With the same configuration). Would it be possible to just switch hard drives, or would I be stuck reinstalling everything?

Not a newbie, but hoping the answer will be yes.

[Marin85]

I believe it´s possible. There was a similar thread in the T6x subforum, I can´t find it right now... The worst thing that can happen is that you will probably have to adjust the resolution

Marin

[epu]

Now THAT would be awesome. I love the X61T, but the ability to use 1440x1050 + having FIREWIRE! . . . SMOKIN'!!!!

[Marin85]

Well, you are going to find out Something else came to my mind, you might have to reactivate windows after the swap... But this again you will find out when you accomplish the whole thing. And don´t forget to post back how it went, your experience would be useful for other forum members as well. Thanks,

Marin

[basketb]

Isn't the tablet functionality of the X61t supported by the OS? If so, wouldn't that piece be missing from the OS of the plain X61? Maybe it's as easy as installing a new driver, but I wouldn't know as I've never owned a tablet.

[AGoodSolution]

Absolutely you can !

One of the most compelling charactersitics of ThinkPads is the uniformity of internal parts.

Remember, IBM used the same power supply plug for over 10 years and it is alot easier to find a used ThinkPad power supply for sale at computer store somewhere in Wichita than trying to locate one for Dell Inspiron than finding one at a computer store in larger Denver Colorado !

That mentality and approach to design is endemic in everything about IBM and is why I've literally pulled a configured slim drive from an 1999 A22 and was able to insert it right into a 2006 Z60t and albeit, XP went through one long autodetect but by leaving the existing z60t driver in the ultrabay, you just had to point the driver detect prompts to the z60t's windows\inf directory and let it find the drivers.

What you're trying to do is one of the easiest things since your're switching like / highly similar equipment.

Just have the preconfigured hard drive that was included with the new X61 so you can access any drivers you don't already have in your existing X61 and you'll never have to reinstall a thing.

The same reason a multi-national chemical manufacturer with offices in every country and an IT engineer can remove the hard drive from a malfunctioning ThinkPad and swap it into a fairly similar like you are or even starkly different shell and just update some drivers before giving it back to the employee whos also in a hurry to get to the airport..... that is one of the reasons ThinkPad is the number one selling corporate PC.

[Marin85]

Isn't the tablet functionality of the X61t supported by the OS? If so, wouldn't that piece be missing from the OS of the plain X61? Maybe it's as easy as installing a new driver, but I wouldn't know as I've never owned a tablet.

Good point, I have overseen the T letter next to X61. Just an idea: maybe you have to enable tablet functionality before migrating the system. This may spare you some problems. I don´t know about XP, but in Vista there is a separate tablet feature.

Marin

EDIT: AGoodSolution posted in the meanwhile.

[basketb]

...
That mentality and approach to design is endemic in everything about IBM and is why I've literally pulled a configured slim drive from an 1999 A22 and was able to insert it right into a 2006 Z60t and albeit, XP went through one long autodetect but by leaving the existing z60t driver in the ultrabay, you just had to point the driver detect prompts to the z60t's windows\inf directory and let it find the drivers...

Doesn't the A22 have a PATA drive and the Z60t a SATA drive? If so, how did a HD from the former physically fit in the latter?

[epu]

While I am dying to have 1440x1050 functionality on my laptop, I'd have to wave bye-bye to multi-touch AND multiview ability if I go with the higher resoloution. Why do we always have to give something up. The boys at the IBM Factory Outlet are great; letting me swap my X61T for an X61T with Superview without issue.

Still . . .

[fongj]

I moved from an X60t to X61t more than a year ago. My process was more convoluted because I also wanted to swap hard drives, but the fact that I could jump from X60t to x61t means you'll probably be able to do what you want even easier.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43968

Isn't the tablet functionality of the X61t supported by the OS? If so, wouldn't that piece be missing from the OS of the plain X61? Maybe it's as easy as installing a new driver, but I wouldn't know as I've never owned a tablet.

The title of the thread and the body of the post are a bit contradictory/confusing, but the OP is considering moving from X61t to X61t, not X61 ("plain") to X61t.