Z60m - Recommended Windows version and some other stuff.

[larsoverland]

Thank you for an amazing forum people
Sorry for my English (I'm Norwegian)...
(First post) In advance: I really appreciate your help

Recommended Windows version on a IBM ThinkPad Z60m:

I dug an IBM ThinkPad Z60m up from the dungeon for file converting and other non graphic/media hungry use.
It is my only Win PC as I later converted 100% to S. Jobs. Stuff

I also want to replace the CD drive with a 750 GB Hitachi (TS7SAD750) HDD and need a recommended bay replacement for that.
If it´s possible a Gigg or two more RAM would be nice to

I'm able to buy Windows 7 and up.

This is the hardware spec under the titanium cover:

IBM ThinkPad Z60m (Lenovo-C437F62F)

- SDD: INTEL SSDSA2M80G2GC (Running WinXP from ThinkPad Recovery disk set)
--- Intel 82801FBM Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2653

- ATI MOBILITY RADEON X600
- Intel Pentium M CPU 2.00GHz 319MHz
- 2 x 1GB RAM 2Rx16 PC2-6400-666-12 hynix (Korea 08) (HYMP112S64CR6-S6 AB-C)

- MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ-830Sx
- Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection

- PCMCIA: Rico R/RL/5C476(II)
- SD card-R DD0BW1TH001 REV 3A (Does not work under XP)

Lars -

[TPFanatic]

There are enough Vista drivers for the Z60m that you could feasibly run Windows 7 on it. I recall needing to install the labeled for XP version of the Realtek Audio driver from Lenovo and it worked just fine in Windows 7.


Z60m, along with T43, R52, and X41 are also the oldest Thinkpads with chipsets that support 8 and 10, should you want to try them. Another user knows best how to run 10 on these golden oldies:

Okay for your Z60m, which GPU do you have? If you have the Intel GMA, do NOT install Windows 10 as you will NOT be able to install its graphics driver. If you have the X300 like what I have in my T43 or X600, use the Windows Vista driver and it will work.
Here are some guides for that driver installation:
1. Always use the .inf file, not setup.exe
2. After installation, go to the startup tab under task manager and also services and disable the startup of EVERYTHING that's related with ATI/AMD. THESE PROCESSES ARE KNOWN TO HANG AND EAT UP ALL YOUR CPU POWER FOR NO REASONS!! I learnt that the hard way.
3. If you want to use fast startup, you will see it hibernates instead of shutting down when you want to shut it down which is completely normal. Also when you turn it back on, it technically resumes from hibernating but the problem comes after that. You will get a blank screen with only a mouse cursor that can move and change. Don't freak out. The workarounds are listed here:
Important: first wait for some time and eventually you will know when to perform one of the following workarounds.
--> close your lid so that it goes to sleep mode and then open your lid
--> use the sleep hotkey (I use this way and set the sleep hotkey into turn off the monitor only)
--> use nircmd to turn off the monitor (I use this way as well): download nircmd, create a batch file with "nircmd monitor off" and then stuff the batch file in the startup folder under the traditional start menu location. This way is ideal if you use fingerprint or no passwords
After that you are good to go with the GPU driver original designated for Windows Vista.
Everything else other than Infrared should work right out of the box or out of the box after installing the correct driver

I'd recommend 7 since 10 has a lot of background tasks, built in Antivirus and Windows Updates, unless you're comfortable disabling them, that will be taxing on Pentium M and 2GB Ram hardware. I haven't had very good luck making 10 work flawlessly on my Thinkpads but that may just be me. It's an XP-Vista era machine so I believe 7 is the right Windows for it. Or Linux.

[larsoverland]

Thanks for a good answer TPFanatic.

Windows 7 was in the back of my head and as Microsoft will service it 3-4 more years (SP1) it's enough.
I missed the "used-software" deal and bying a new package kind of doesn't work as I can bye a really nice Thinkpad with os included for those 120$
I'l watch for a new software opportunity and maybe also upgrade to two ThinkPads, amazing machines they are and two is better than one

Lars-

[larsoverland]

News:

Decided to digg trough the mountain of PC stuff and found a Win7 Pro CD After install and 200 + updates my ThinkPad is running nicely
When it all was done I installed MiniTool to kill the Lenovo hidden partition and put a system clone there instead.
All I have to do now is check everything to see if it's all nice and dandy.

(RESOLVED)
My first headache is the SD Card reader (Ricoh). It's struggling to formate my Sandisk Extreme 16GB SD card to more than 200MB -
Nice having a meaningful hobby!!

Have a Brilliant week-end.

Lars-