Access Connections 4.52

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lponz7 · #1 Post by **lponz7** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:20 pm

System Update is recommending installing Access Connections 4.52 for my new T400. I have the updated Power Management Driver and the most recent Hotkey Driver for Vista. However, there are some horror stories around the boards from folks who upgraded to AC 4.52 on T6xx systems. Before I bite the bullet, I thought I'd see if anyone has done this upgrade and how it went. Many thanks. lponz7

#2 Post by **jdhurst** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:51 pm

I have Access Connections V4.41 running flawlessly on my T41 XP Pro 32-bit machine, and Access Connections V4.52 running flawlessly on my T61p Vista 64-bit machine. I have not tried V4.52 on XP. ... JDH

kingweb · #3 Post by **kingweb** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:24 pm

Out of curiosity, why do you use AC instead of windows built in interface?

Does it offer other features, easier to use, etc?

I have always used the windows interface because I just like having fewer things running, and the windows version always worked fine for me.

stephenaron · #4 Post by **stephenaron** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:53 pm

I noticed System Update suggesting 4.52 as well. The weird thing is that my T400 is running 5.01 already. Why suggest 4.52?

#5 Post by **bill bolton** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:23 pm

Access Connection 5.x for Vista has only just become available for for general download (though it has been shipping on pre-loads for a few weeks now), and System Update has not caught up with that as yet.

You can manually download AC 5.02 for Vista from the"drivers and download" section on individual model web pages.

I have AC 5.02 working fine on a T61 and X61 with Vista Ultimate x64.

Cheers,

Bill B.

basketb · #6 Post by **basketb** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:43 am

kingweb wrote:Out of curiosity, why do you use AC instead of windows built in interface?

Does it offer other features, easier to use, etc?

I have always used the windows interface because I just like having fewer things running, and the windows version always worked fine for me.

I don't think there is any advantage to AC if you only use your computer at one location (e.g., wireless at home). However, when you are at different locations frequently (e.g., home, office, on the road, etc.) and switch between wired and wireless access often (e.g., wired in the office, wireless in conf rooms), then it works quite well and is really convenient.

#7 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:38 am

kingweb wrote:Out of curiosity, why do you use AC instead of windows built in interface?

Does it offer other features, easier to use, etc?
.

Access Connections does a better job of profiles for me. I employ the Windows Interface on non-TP Client machines and I don't like it as well. Since AC gives no problems, uses little resource, and stays silently in the background once connected, I keep it. ... JDH

#8 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:39 am

bill bolton wrote:Access Connection 5.x for Vista has only just become available for for general download (though it has been shipping on pre-loads for a few weeks now), and System Update has not caught up with that as yet.

You can manually download AC 5.02 for Vista from the"drivers and download" section on individual model web pages.

I have AC 5.02 working fine on a T61 and X61 with Vista Ultimate x64.

Cheers,

Bill B.

So I downloaded and installed AC V5.02 on a Vista 64-bit machine and it "works" fine. But the new skin provides mostly unreadable text. There is a button in the lower right corner and I have no idea what it says because the text is garbled. The borders of the application are garbled as well. The close button has multiple rows of colours. It is trying to be translucent and fails miserably at that chore.

Does anyone see what I see? Any fix? Resolution is 1280x1024 and otherwise native.

Thanks. .. JDH

#9 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:54 pm

jdhurst wrote:But the new skin provides mostly unreadable text. There is a button in the lower right corner and I have no idea what it says because the text is garbled. The borders of the application are garbled as well. The close button has multiple rows of colours. It is trying to be translucent and fails miserably at that chore.

It displays without any of those problems for me on a T61 and X61 running Vista Ultimate x64 and over the weekend I put it on a T60 running Vista Ultimate x32. In all 3 cases I am running the graphics on the default settings (that is nothing at all tweaked).

Cheers,

Bill B.

#10 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:03 pm

Lenovo has brought out this interface in a number of new tools. I uninstalled them all and went back the prior versions. ... JDH

#11 Post by **JaneL** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:05 pm

Saw your followup on Lenovo's forum - that's how you resolved it?

#12 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:58 pm

nonny wrote:Saw your followup on Lenovo's forum - that's how you resolved it?

Yes. These cool new tools all have one thing in common. Form, GUI and, Cool comes before Function, and new programmers never seem to bother with Function anymore. .... Sigh! ... JDH

#13 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:12 am

jdhurst wrote:So I downloaded and installed AC V5.02 on a Vista 64-bit machine and it "works" fine. But the new skin provides mostly unreadable text. There is a button in the lower right corner and I have no idea what it says because the text is garbled. The borders of the application are garbled as well. The close button has multiple rows of colours. It is trying to be translucent and fails miserably at that chore.

Does anyone see what I see?

I've just installed AC 5.02 on a T43 with a Intel 915GM/GMS/910GML display chipset, running Vista Ultimate X86... definitely a non-Aero system, with a WEI score of 1.9 for business graphics!

It is running now as I type and there is very little visual difference in the AC display than I see under Vista Ultimate x64 on my *6* ThinkPads.... it is even doing a limited dgree of transparency without any problems.

Cheers,

Bill B.

#14 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:58 am

There are some drivers (some or all of: Power management, Hotkey, Presentation Director and Lenovo System Interface) that have to be updated in order for the Access Connections new display GUI or any other new driver from Lenovo to display properly. This does *not* fix the transparency issue, however, and transparent applications get in the way of effective computing (YMMV) and I turn them all off. ... JDH

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