Thinkpads Forum

I just went through hell trying to install XP onto a fresh hard drive (no Restore & Recovery partition) and thought this run-through might be helpful to someone else in the future. This was for a T40 2373-82U -- is probably very similar for many other models, but as I am not too familiar with Thinkpads, I'll keep it at that.


DO THIS BEFORE FORMAT/INSTALL OF XP (or have another net-connected computer to use):

* Download and save to USB thumb drive/ext HDD or CD the appropriate LAN NIC driver from Lenovo
Mine has the Intel PRO/1000 MT Mobile Connection, get it here.
Note: The title of this driver lists T40 as a supported system, but the description only lists T41-42/p models. Don't worry, it's the right driver.


NEXT:

* Insert WinXP install disc, boot and install the OS.
* Once in XP, Copy the NIC driver to your computer
* Install the NIC driver. Note that it doesn't really install it, just puts some files on your computer.
* Right click My Computer, go into Device Manager and find the yellow ! Intel Pro/1000, choose to update driver.
* Say "no, not this time" then next screen choose "install from a specific location (advanced)"
* Next screen, choose "include this location in the search" and enter C:\DRIVERS\Win\ETHERNET\PRO1000\WIN32 You should find your driver here.

You're good to go on the net!


To get the rest of your specific Thinkpad updates, install the ThinkVantage System Update but install the two files below first, read on.

* In order to install the System Update, you will need to install .NET 3.0 and Windows Installer 3.1.

Install Windows Installer first,
then .NET 3.0
then ThinkVantage System Update.


That's a rough draft. Anyone have suggestions, corrections, updates to this How To?

jrumohr wrote: Anyone have suggestions, corrections, updates to this How To?

No, but almost all of us here know all of this already.

goofyGAguy wrote:No, but almost all of us here know all of this already.

I realize that. I am hoping that new folks who find this forum might be served well by going to the HOW TO section and finding an answer like this. As a new person myself, I did find this answer, but it was scattered all over the site (and other places on the net) and wanted to put it in one place.

Thanks, jrumohr! (Can I call you "j"?) Nice write-up!

goofy, don't be running new people off who will write stuff up - we can use all we can get!

Not trying to run anyone off.

GoofyFA Guy:
Your statement of

No, but almost all of us here know all of this already.

is interpreted by me as being a touch "harsh", even arrogant. You may be technically correct, but your reply does not create an inviting atmosphere to newbies like myself.

I agree. Nice write up....................

We can all agree, yes??

Ron

Another tip to avoid future frustration is to use nLite to make a custom Windows XP DVD... With MOST drivers for MANY machines on it.

nLite is a wonderful resource for making custom XP cd's or dvd's (if you add a lot of stuff)... You can add service packs, updates, drivers, silently install software, make all your normal system mods (like turning off indexing, setting network params... most anything you can think to customize)

Even better is to set up windows exactly like you want it on a fresh install, all dirvers loaded, all software installed, all tweaks... tweaked... then use something like Acronis true image to make a backup (can even put it on a recovery partition like OEM's do), then you can restore with a few keypresses [you can even use the previous nLite CD/DVD to do the initial install ]

Neither product is really hard to use, just some reading required (Google is your friend here)

First,

next, let's expand this thread to newer thinkpads so that there can be one definitive source for installing xp - on a t6x system, follow the instructions above, but before you start from the xp disk, go into the bios and set the drive mode to Compatibility, and follow the instructions through. After you have run system update a couple of times to get all the software, if the system works fine, you are good. If it bluescreens on startup, you need to go back into the bios and change the drive mode back to ACHI (not compatibility mode) - this should solve your problems.

heres a tip if you don't have an install cd - if you have a factory recovery image, there should be a i386 folder on the root of the C drive - you can use that to create a standard xp recovery disk that can use the key off the bottom of the laptop, or you can use the lenovo key since the certificates are already built in (use jellybean key finder to find the key that was used to install the system)

You can also integrate the "Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver" and use sata mode instead of compatibilty mode with nLite

True, for me it was a matter of using what I had on hand at the time, since I was too lazy to find/intergrate the drivers (then I went to vista and never looked back )

I'm amazed at how many people I have downgraded back to XP when all else fails in Vista/7, and then stuff just works in XP. I still haven't found a single real good reason to move to Win7, The only thing that actually made me jump to Win2000 (then XP cause I just plain prefered it) was being able to work with > 4GB files.

"Pretty" will never make me change OS's, Radical changes to how things work are even a bigger turn off...

Win 3.1 --> WfWG: easy choice
3.1 --> 95A: huge change, but eventually became a necessity for many reasons (I was actually a fanboy back then and JUMPED on anything MS released)
95A --> 95B --> 98 --> 98SE: easy choice
ME: heh, ME just sucked
(around this time, Linux started looking pretty decent, but gaming blew as it still does)
98SE --> 2000 --> XP: With the exception of all the "pretty" in XP (easily turned off), >4GB was the only reason.
Vista: see ME
Windows 7: Ain't found that one good reason yet.

The biggest thing for me in vista was x64 - I got 4gb ram up from 3gb, and while that improved the video performance in 32 bit as well (dual channel), I did not feel like wasting memory. As well, in my tests, vista gives me better battery life than either 7 or xp, when all are configured the same, and everything I want works in it. Despite comments to the otherwise, generic daily productivity software appears to be stagnent now - same system requirements, no compelling reason to upgrade hardware or software. I had the license, so I used it. I would not pay to upgrade a system to a newer version of windows as long as the current one is supported, unless like you say there is a compelling reason given.

On my 32bit XP with 4GB physical, i was missing 894MB of ram, I used Superspeed's RamDisk Plus 11 to create a ramdrive there (can use memory not seen by windows), moved my pagefile there and set all "TEMP" enviroment variables to it. So no "waste"

Ramdisk Plus is $59.95, but well worth it to use the unmanaged memory in 32bit XP (I upgraded for $39.95 as I had it before for another reason)

I have a netbook with a fairly useless Windows 7 Home Basic on it, wouldn't at this point pay for 7, but it came with the laptop and I left it when I installed Linux for dual boot... the Basic version doesn't even let you change the wallpaper!!! ... just another "What were they thinking" type of thing

Linux works fine for me on a netbook, screen resolution keeps me from playing some of my older games (Empire Earth AOC crashes unless ran on an external monitor), and the hardware just aint there for newer games... so Linux fit's the bill.

I am getting ready to re-install XP Pro on a new HDD in my R51, after my old HDD started to wear out. Originally I was going to use the recovery CDs (I had even burned them) but after thinking about it, I decided just to do a fresh, clean install (so no bloatware, wasted recovery partition, etc.).

I was wondering, after booting into Windows, should I install Think Vantage System Update and have that update all my drivers & etc? Or just do it through Windows / Device Manager?

TRS-80 wrote:
I was wondering, after booting into Windows, should I install Think Vantage System Update and have that update all my drivers & etc? Or just do it through Windows / Device Manager?

My preference would be System Update, although you might have to run it a couple of times in order to get it to pick up all the missing drivers.

I always leave Windows Update as last.

My $0.02 only...

How come? Is it better / more accurate at picking the correct drivers? I don't want any extra crap on the computer that isn't necessary.

TRS-80 wrote:I don't want any extra crap on the computer that isn't necessary.

You get to choose what gets downloaded and installed, it's really that simple.

I prefer Lenovo's drivers to run-of-the-mill that WU installs, but that's me.