Thinkpads Forum

I can connect up my 600's external floppy disk drive to it, but my 600's internal CD drive won't fit in the floppy disk drive case/shell.

How do I go about finding a CD drive that will allow me to install Windows?

ieee488 wrote:I can connect up my 600's external floppy disk drive to it, but my 600's internal CD drive won't fit in the floppy disk drive case/shell.

How do I go about finding a CD drive that will allow me to install Windows?

The 600 and 570 models have similar hardware and you should be able to install windows on the 600 and then move the drive over to the 570. Alternatively, you could copy the Windows CD to the hard drive using the 600 machine and then move the drive over to the 570 and run the install.

virge wrote:The 600 and 570 models have similar hardware and you should be able to install windows on the 600 and then move the drive over to the 570. Alternatively, you could copy the Windows CD to the hard drive using the 600 machine and then move the drive over to the 570 and run the install.

Or another option would be to go and find the media/expansion base made for the 570 which will give you a bay to put the CD drive into as well as some other expansion possibilities. Give that you'll probably want to load more thing down the road from CD-ROM, it's probably a useful item to have in the long run.

Bases like this for older machines are often very cheap (espeically on eBay) and have the distinction of being one of those items where the shipping is more than the product!

Thank you both for the answers.

I don't think I'll have the patience to wait for the expansion base to appear on eBay, so I'll try the other method.

I notice in the BIOS that it can boot from "Removable devices". What does that refer to?

ieee488 wrote:Thank you both for the answers.

I don't think I'll have the patience to wait for the expansion base to appear on eBay, so I'll try the other method.

I notice in the BIOS that it can boot from "Removable devices". What does that refer to?

Pretty much anything ranging from flash drives to FDDs.

Do you have personal experience with that?

Could install software from USB flash drive?

None on a 570 since I've never owned that machine, but on other machines.

What are you thinking in regard to the flashdrive? I have installed software from flashdrives, but not a complete OS. I've never tried to do that since I've never had a drive big enough for Windows or been a big Linux person. You should be able to find threads regarding this technich though.

I very much doubt that you'll be able to install an OS from a flash drive on a 570. Quite a few of them will not install it even from a USB CD-ROM.

I'd go with ultrabase...they work like charm and you'd be able to use the CD-ROM from your 600 in it (one screw has to be removed, that's it), or, as virge had suggested, just load the OS on your 600 and plug the drive into 570, it should work.

ieee488 wrote:I don't think I'll have the patience to wait for the expansion base to appear on eBay, so I'll try the other method.

There are plenty of 570 Ultrabases on eBay, it's just a question if you want to pay for it or not. I just picked up two of them from some person in the U.K. They are $12.50 apiece. Unfortunately the shipping was almost $30.00. To me it was worth it in the long run.

Actually $27.50 for one Ultrabase including shipping isn't that bad. It haven't seen anything reasonable yet on eBay.

I'm also concerned whether this used laptop will work with an Ultrabase or whether there is a hidden flaw. I would hate to pay money for something that isn't usable, because my laptop is broken with that respect. Is that something that is easily broken?

Sounds like you and me are in the same boat (I have two 600Es and I'm using the parts to get a pair of 570Es up and running).

The Ultrabase should work fine. I received the two Ultrabases I bought from the U.K. yesterday. I docked the two 570Es that I have and they powered up okay. I then took the DVS-ROMs from the two 600Es and tried to fit them in, but they wouldn't go in all the way. I then remembered reading that one has to unscrew the plastic hook/rail thing from the bottom of the drive (the hook is just for the 600s) for it to fit in an Ultrabase. After removing the hook it fit in just fine.

I powered up each 570E and the drives worked like a champ. I was able to boot off of the drive with a bootable CD.

Next order of business is to install Windows on these machines. But first I need to scare me up a couple of hard drives!

How do I go about finding a CD drive that will allow me to install Windows?

If you have a PCMCIA ->CF (compact flash) adapter, and a suitable sized CF disk of course, 512MB or maybe 256MB - you _should_ be able to boot+install from it. I'm pretty sure I've done this before now with an old TP .... but you need to fnd a way of flagging the CF disk as an "active" partition ... the old version of fdisk couldn't do this - maybe a newer one can, or some other util could. Then just copy your inst files (e.g. win98 cab files or i386 folder) - and off you go.

AKelley728 wrote:Sounds like you and me are in the same boat (I have two 600Es and I'm using the parts to get a pair of 570Es up and running).

Is there some reason that you taking parts from the 600Es to build up the 570Es, because spec-wise they seem to be about the same?

I must admit that I am partial to my 600 which I bought used 8 years ago.

I may have a lead on a Ultrabase with drives.

These Thinkpads are incredible. After all these years they still are so "solid".

slaz wrote:

How do I go about finding a CD drive that will allow me to install Windows?

If you have a PCMCIA ->CF (compact flash) adapter, and a suitable sized CF disk of course, 512MB or maybe 256MB - you _should_ be able to boot+install from it. I'm pretty sure I've done this before now with an old TP .... but you need to fnd a way of flagging the CF disk as an "active" partition ... the old version of fdisk couldn't do this - maybe a newer one can, or some other util could. Then just copy your inst files (e.g. win98 cab files or i386 folder) - and off you go.

I bought a few used 4GB drives from a guy on Craigslit. I'm waiting to see if I won a hard drive caddy. If that comes all together, I am going to try to do a network install. Buying a PCMCIA -> CF adapter and the CF disk seems a bit too pricey.

ieee488 wrote:

Is there some reason that you taking parts from the 600Es to build up the 570Es, because spec-wise they seem to be about the same?

Not really...600E has a Pentium II CPU while 570E is a Pentium III...

ajkula66 wrote:ieee488 wrote:

Is there some reason that you taking parts from the 600Es to build up the 570Es, because spec-wise they seem to be about the same?

Not really...600E has a Pentium II CPU while 570E is a Pentium III...

Ah, I just have the lowly 570.

ieee488 wrote:

Ah, I just have the lowly 570.

Nothing lowly about it, it's one of the sleekest and coolest-looking (my opinion) ThinkPads ever. And it will run Linux better than most people would imagine...I had PCL OS 2006 on the last one I've owned (and sold here on the forum) and it ran very well.

ieee488 wrote:Is there some reason that you taking parts from the 600Es to build up the 570Es, because spec-wise they seem to be about the same?

Well I just wanted to get the 570Es up and running. When I first got them I had no idea that they didn't have an internal drive bay. Then I found www.thinkwiki.org which described the relationship between the two (both having UltraSlimBay slots, the 570 via the Ultrabase).

Like ajkula66 said the 570E has a PIII (and is more closely related to the 600X), and the 570 that you have is equivalent to the 600E. Since I had the two 600Es just sitting here, getting an Ultrabase was a no brainer. Now that I have them, I'll use the drives from the 600E to get Windows installed on these.

Another option you might want to consider is the Portable Drive Bay, which provides a portable UltraslimBay casing that can be connected through the 570's PCMCIA slot. IBM FRU# is 37L1511 There's someone on eBay that has 264 of them and is taking offers. If you offered $10 he might take it, who knows?

Buying a PCMCIA -> CF adapter and the CF disk seems a bit too pricey.

Yeah - I wasn't really suggesting buying those bits just for that purpose - just its handy if you already have those bits. Quite a novel method also

I have another method (I think) of setting up the CD-less 570E I'm about to pick up .... a SCSI PMCIA card + SCSI CD drive - remember _them_ ? I _think_ the 570E should be able to boot from PCMCIA SCSI ....

AKelley728 wrote:Another option you might want to consider is the Portable Drive Bay, which provides a portable UltraslimBay casing that can be connected through the 570's PCMCIA slot. IBM FRU# is 37L1511 There's someone on eBay that has 264 of them and is taking offers. If you offered $10 he might take it, who knows?

This sounds very intriguing.

Will I be able to boot off this if I put in a TP600 CD-ROM drive?

Will it work with other laptops?

ieee488 wrote: This sounds very intriguing.

Will I be able to boot off this if I put in a TP600 CD-ROM drive?

Will it work with other laptops?

I believe so. As for working with other laptops, I imagine it would, since it's a PCMCIA connector.

If I hadn't hadn't already committed to buying the Ultrabase from a seller on Craigslist, I would give that a try.

The Ultrabase I am getting has a DVD drive which I am excited about.

Portable Drive Bay will only work with UltraBay 2000 devices, so no, you can't put the media drive from 570/600 series in it.

ajkula66 wrote:Portable Drive Bay will only work with UltraBay 2000 devices, so no, you can't put the media drive from 570/600 series in it.

According to the ThinkWiki http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/UltraBay, the Portable Drive Bay is listed with the TP 600 family. Is that info wrong?

ajkula66 wrote:Portable Drive Bay will only work with UltraBay 2000 devices, so no, you can't put the media drive from 570/600 series in it.

There are two "Portable Drive Bays" There's the original "Portable Drive Bay" which houses UltraSlimBay devices (TP 570/600) and has FRU # 37L1511. The Portable Drive bay only connects through PCMCIA.

IBM/Lenovo overview of the Portable Drive Bay:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4BYJ5T

Compatibility:
The following UltraslimBay IDE Devices are supported in the Portable Drive Bay:
CD-ROM UltraslimBay Drive (05K9122 or 12J2471)
DVD UltraslimBay Drive (05K8890)
Zip 100MB UltraslimBay Drive (37L1504 or 37L1507)
SuperDisk (LS-120) UltraslimBay Drive (20L1929)
Second hard disk drive (HDD) UltraslimBay Adapter (05K5336)

You are thinking of the "Portable Drive Bay II" aka "Portable Drive Bay 2000", which houses UltraBay 2000 devices and can connect through either PCMCIA or USB, and has FRU # 19K4499.

IBM/Lenovo overview the PDB 2000:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4JSSC8

Compatibility:
24X-10X CD-ROM Ultrabay 2000 Drive ( 05K9233)
6X-2X DVD Ultrabay 2000 Drive (27L3448)
SuperDisk (LS120) Ultrabay 2000 Drive (27L3451)
4X/4X/20X CD-RW Ultrabay 2000 Drive (00N8252)
Second HDD Ultrabay 2000 Adapter (6 GB, 12 GB, 18 GB, 36 GB) (08K6068)
ThinkPad Zip 250MB Ultrabay 2000 Drive (00N8253)

Apologies...little gray cells take unplanned vacations on occasion...completely forgot about the "old" version...

Ah, I just have the lowly 570

Sorry - off-topic - kinda ... just wanted to ask someone who actually _has_ one ... what memory does the 570 use ? It must be either PC66 SDRAM or PC100 (but insisting on low-density maybe).

Asking because I might be getting a 570 spares machine (to fix up a 570E) - and wondering if the memory might be the same/compatible.

TIA

slaz wrote: Sorry - off-topic - kinda ... just wanted to ask someone who actually _has_ one ... what memory does the 570 use ? It must be either PC66 SDRAM or PC100 (but insisting on low-density maybe).

I bought a NEC PC100 128MB from eBay, and it works.

Hope that helps.

570E calls for PC100 or low-density PC133 RAM.

570 uses PC66 but will accept PC100 RAM.

Hope this helps.

Hope this helps.

It does indeed - thank ye kindly sir ....