T510 - Minimum drivers needed for clean install?

[What]

Hi guys, I just got my T510, once I have made my recovery disks I plan on doing a clean install of Windows XP (Or maybe Win7) with the hopes of having the 'cleanest' system possible. I know people love the Lenovo software but I would like my laptop to be as if I had built my own desktop.. nothing but Windows.

Could anyone tell me which drivers etc from Lenovo I would need at an absolute minimum to get everything running? wifi, etherhet, audio etc.

Also, where can I find them for download?

Thanks so much for any help you can give this OCD user.

[Harryc]

I don't know the answer to your first question specifically for a T510, but the best bet on the Lenovo side is always to run Thinkvantage System Update and then see what drivers it offers you. That way you can pick and choose what you want/need. Here's a couple of links -
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... pdate.html
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 74582.html

[Colonel O'Neill]

If you wipe off the Windows 7 preload, and install your own copy of Windows 7, then you won't be able to take advantage of Lenovo's EE driver optimizations. Nevertheless, you can just refer to the T510 driver matrix for all the files you may need on a reinstall.

Generally, it's just the video drivers that you might need to install. Some people have reported success using the stock NVidia drivers in lieu of the Lenovo supplied ones.

Otherwise, the system should function fairly well immediately after install; it doesn't use any esoteric (i.e. ATI/Intel hybrid graphics) like my T400 which automatically forces me to install the Lenovo ATi switchable graphics and Power Manager.

[What]

Thanks very much everyone.

I don't mind using Lenovo's drivers in my own clean install, I just don't want the silly programs that I don't need such as ThinkVantage Toolbox etc.

What is this about Lenovo 'EE' drivers? Enhanced Edition or something?

If I do my clean install can I still use those drivers, but just select which ones I want?

I guess the best thing for me to do is format and install Windows 7, then run Lenovo's System Update tool..

[nikki605]

Lenovo Enhanced Experience. I'm not sure you can break it down to a set of specific drivers.

[ktannenbaum]

@What -

I completely feel where you're coming from. I hate out-of-the-box experiences, "Enhanced" or not. From my personal experience, relying on TVSU is a bad idea - you won't always be offered the drivers you need & you will always be offered crap you don't want. You could probably pick your way through it, but the T510 Driver Matrix is the best place to start.

We have several T510 4313-CTO's & we built them from a clean baseline using Win7 Ult. 64-bit. Your hardware configuration may differ a bit, but here's what we installed after the O/S:

T510 Matrix: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-74582

01) Intel Server/Workstation Chipsets; v9.1.1.1027; 24 Jun 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-73684
02) Hotkey Features Integration; v3.11.0001; 03 Sep 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-74261
03) ThinkPad Power Management Driver; v1.60; 11 Dec 2009: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4GXPEG
04) nVidia Display driver (NVS 3100M, Quadro FX 880M); v8.17.12.5738; 17 Sep 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-75176
05) UltraNav Driver (Trackpoint + Touchpad); v15.0.18.0; 11 Jun 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-66904
06) UltraNav Utility; v2.13; 17 Sep 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-67226
07) Monitor driver; v4.34; 18 Mar 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-62923
08) Intel WiFi and WiMax 6250; v13.02.0000/2.02.0001; 11 Jun 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-74363
NOTE: Follow instructions in readme file; we only installed the driver, which required deselecting the root PROSet Wireless item in the installation tree.
09) Ricoh Multi Card reader driver; v2.06.06.02; 12 Mar 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-73687
10) Multimedia: SmartCard reader driver; v4.1.01;12 Mar 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-73714
NOTE: Follow instructions in readme file for installation.
11) Ethernet driver (Intel PRO/1000 LAN adapter); v11.5.10.1030; 30 Sep 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-74429
12) Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate software II; v6.2.1.2900; 24 Aug 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-70042
NOTE: Use Fn-F5 to ensure that Bluetooth is powered on before installation.
NOTE: Installs 'btsendto_office.dll', which has caused crashes when using MSO 2010 Pro x86 applications. Unregister the dll from an elev. cmd prompt & rename
13) ThinkPad Wireless WAN (UNDP) - Qualcomm Gobi2000; v1.1.170/2.0.7.3; 28 Oct 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-72938
14) ThinkVantage GPS; v2.60; 6 Apr 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-73724
15) Registry patch enabling Wake Up on LAN from Standby; v1.06; 11 Dec 2009: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-70044
NOTE: Captured from the factory image - C:\OSFIXES\CTRLWOL
16) Enabling maximum power saving on WiFi adapters
NOTE: Captured fro mthe factory image - C:\SWTOOLS\DRIVERS\EnablePS\EnablePS.reg
17) Integrated Camera Driver; v1.1.0.19; 09 Feb 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-72826
18) Mgmt Engine Interface & Serial Over LAN driver (SOL) Driver; v6.0.0.1179; 17 Sep 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-74374
NOTE: Device Manager > Other devices > PCI Simple Communications Controller > Driver > Update Driver > Browse > Search for driver software in this location: C:\DRIVERS\WIN\AMT > NEXT
19) Power Manager; v3.30; 31 Aug 2010: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-70601
20) ThinkVantage System Update; v4.0.0024; 19 Oct 2009: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-73695

Hope you find this helpful!

[What]

Wow thanks for the awesome reply. Looks like the driver matrix is the place for me.

Next step: Building a list of everything I need to install on my fresh win7 install! I'm gonna have to read a lot to figure out what I need and what I don't.. I'm really going for the bare minimum to get everything running, and will add from there.

Appreciate the epic list there, helps me a great deal!

[What]

Came up with this list for my install

OS
- Windows 7

Audio
- Conexant Audio

UltraNav
- UltraNav (Trackpoint + Touchpad)
- UltraNav Utility (Do I need this as well as the UltraNav driver?)

Networking
- Intel PRO/1000 LAN adapter (Pretty sure this is the right one)
- Intel WiFi and WiMax 6250 or Intel Wireless LAN (bg, abg, abgn) or ThinkPad 802.11bgn Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter II (Not sure which one of these I need - I have the 6300 wireless.)

DVD Drive
- DVD Multi drive firmware update utility (Do I even need this?)

Power
- Power Manager
- Power Management Driver (Do I need both power manager and the power management driver?)

Misc.
- Integrated Camera Driver (I am assuming this is to get the webcam working)
- Lenovo SimpleTap (I don't need this, right? Sounds like it's for touchscreen models.)
- Hotkey Features Integration (?)
- Lenovo Battery Firmware Update Utility Dependency Wrapper (?)

Display/Graphics etc. - Which of the following do I need? I have the NVIDIA NVS 3100m Optimus Graphics
- Intel HD Graphics Driver
- Intel Turbo Boost Technology Driver
- nVidia Display driver (NVS 3100M, Quadro FX 880M)
- nVidia Optimus Display Driver
- nVidia Display driver (Switchable Graphics model)
- Monitor


How's that look so far? 2am and just read through the matrix real quick, so probably have some tweaking to do. Would appreciate any help with it.

[What]

Refined my list.
(A) = Sure
(B) = Unsure

#1 - Windows 7 (A)
#2 - Monitor (B - no idea if I actually need this - isn't Win7 able to control the monitor/resolutions etc?)
#3 - Intel HD Graphics Driver (B - don't know what this is, but don't think I need it...)
#4 - Intel Turbo Boost Technology Driver (B - no idea...)
#5 - nVidia Optimus Display Driver (B - there were multiple options for graphics card driver, I think this is the right one for the NVIDIA NVS 3100m Optimus in my T510.)
#6 - UltraNav (Trackpoint + Touchpad) (A)
#7 - UltraNav Utility (B - not sure if I need this as well as the driver)
#8 - Intel PRO/1000 LAN adapter (A)
#9 - Intel Wireless LAN (bg, abg, abgn) (A)
#10 - Conexant Audio (A)
#11 - Power Manager (B) ]_ not sure if I need both of these.
#12 - Power Management Driver (B) ]_ not sure if I need both of these.
#13 - Integrated Camera Driver (B - Webcam won't work without this?)
#14 - Hotkey Features Integration (B - Don't know what this is or if I want it.)

probably more I need to add to the list, but that's what I've got for now... been trying to figure it out today. any help with it?

[killer]

@What: You might as well have left the beastie as it came to you. Lenovo do know what they are doing.

[What]

I appreciate the advice, honestly, but I can't get over my desire to have my own install. I'm a desktop guy and with a desktop you get to do exactly what you want right from the start - I don't see why laptops should be any different

I'm not sure why people are so weird in general about doing clean installs on laptops.. I don't see the problem. hehe

[T400plus]

you are better off, doing a clean install and then requesting lenovo drivers via thinkvantage(>>.).
There is no value to wasting the little space on the HD with crap which gets updated too often.
My experiences are with T41 and a T400.

[ktannenbaum]

@What -

Some questions/feeback:

#1 - Windows 7 (going 32- or 64-bit?)
#2 - Monitor <- provides the proper description and color management files - not really necessary, unless your type A like me.
#3 - Intel HD Graphics Driver <- no comment
#4 - Intel Turbo Boost Technology Driver <- I hedged here, as well. Appears to be for integrated graphics only. However, may apply to Turbo Boost between i5 cores as part of Intelligent Power Sharing (IPS).
#5 - nVidia Optimus Display Driver <- think you're okay with the one you selected
#6 - UltraNav (Trackpoint + Touchpad) <- we ran into an issue with this driver after connecting to a dock with an old external lenovo kb (w/trackpoint & touchpad). Something fraks the synaptics driver & you loose the unav tabs on the mouse properties. reinstalling resolves the issue.
#7 - UltraNav Utility <- probably not necessary, but I prefer it
#8 - Intel PRO/1000 LAN adapter <- agreed
#9 - Intel Wireless LAN (bg, abg, abgn) <- agreed
#10 - Conexant Audio <- when we installed the nVidia display driver, we also installed their HD audio & avoided the Conextant altogether.
#11 - Power Manager <- I prefer this, as it gives me more control over my consumption
#12 - Power Management Driver <- necessary with #11
#13 - Integrated Camera Driver <- this is for the integrated cam, if you opted for it. I couldn't get it to work without the driver
#14 - Hotkey Features Integration <- hotkeys are Fn+F2, Fn+F3, etc. Not necessary, but nice, IMHO.

BTW - while T400plus is right in that there's no real value in wasting a little space... just KNOWING that there's cr*p on my drive that I don't need/want keeps me up at night. It's like having something caught in my tooth & not having a piece of floss. Color me OCD.

[What]

I went Home Premium 64.

I had no trouble getting my clean install up and running and I love it.

I went the following install path thanks to help from here and another forum, installing very minimum drivers past the windows default installation. I haven't finished yet, am going to test out power manager etc, but it works great as is so far:

#1 - Windows 7 Home Premium 64 - duh
#2 - nVidia Optimus Display Driver
#3 - Intel PRO/1000 LAN adapter
#4 - Intel Wireless LAN (bg, abg, abgn) - deselect PROset tree to install only driver (thanks ktannenbaum!)
#5 - Hotkey Features Integration - selected only 'Lenovo System Interface Driver' to make on screen display for volume etc work. I would also install the Magnifier function if it supported magnifying to more resolutions.
#6 - Power Management Driver - Trying this out next
#7 - Power Manager - As above

Everything else I need seems to be handled fine by windows:
Ultranav (Trackpoint + Touchpad)
Intel Turbo Boost Technology driver
HD Audio
Integrated Camera

Things I haven't tested:
If I need SmartCard reader driver?
If 'Registry patch enabling Wake Up on LAN from Standby for Energy Star' is useful (admittedly clueless about what it is, I'm not a laptop guy)?

There are also some !s in device manager and I need to figure out what they are:
Base System Device
PCI Serial Port
PCI Simple Communications Controller
Unknown Device

Any ideas on these or any other tips would be great. Much happier with my T510 now though.

[Colonel O'Neill]

The Base System Device and other stuff are Intel AMT devices. I don't think it matters whether or not you install those.

Out of curiosity, are you getting better battery life with your own install compared to the preloaded OS?

[What]

The Base System Device and other stuff are Intel AMT devices. I don't think it matters whether or not you install those.

Out of curiosity, are you getting better battery life with your own install compared to the preloaded OS?

Ok thanks, I won't worry about those devices then.

Honestly never tested it with the preloaded OS, and I haven't used it away from my desk just yet, this is my first laptop and I haven't had it very long, but I can try to test my own install at some point somehow, with and without power manager installed.