Thinkpads Forum

Okay, so my X230 is dual-boot with Linux and OpenBSD. As life happens, I need to re-install the original Win8 that it came with from the factory. There is no longer the "recovery partition". What are my options now? How do I obtain the Win8 or 8.1 DVDs to install? Thanks, and appreciate your input.

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

Here's some suggestions:

- If the system is still under factory warranty, you can get a set of recovery disks for free. Call 1-800-426-7378 (Support number in Atlanta), give them your type and serial number and you'll have it in about 3 days.
- If the system is not under warranty, calling the same number and ~$45 will net you the same disk set.
- Post a WTB here in the forum's Marketplace.

Good luck!

edit: Oops, here's the site to check on the system warranty: http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/warrantylookup

rkawakami wrote:Welcome to thinkpads.com!

Here's some suggestions:

- If the system is still under factory warranty, you can get a set of recovery disks for free. Call 1-800-426-7378 (Support number in Atlanta), give them your type and serial number and you'll have it in about 3 days.
- If the system is not under warranty, calling the same number and ~$45 will net you the same disk set.
- Post a WTB here in the forum's Marketplace.

Good luck!

edit: Oops, here's the site to check on the system warranty: http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/warrantylookup

Thanks. Mine is out of warranty, so I'll try option #2 and #3.

The problem here is that X230 never shipped with W8.x

AFAIK, there's no recovery disk set for W8.x for any of the *30 generation.

I checked the tabook before answering this and there were some systems that shipped with Win8, namely 2324-62U, 63U, 64U, 65U, 66U and 67U.

rkawakami wrote:I checked the tabook before answering this and there were some systems that shipped with Win8, namely 2324-62U, 63U, 64U, 65U, 66U and 67U.

I stand corrected - although quite surprised - then. Thanks for setting me straight...

A quick look back through my archived copies of the tabook and ltwbook seems to say that the *20 generation was the last to offer only Win7. Starting with the *30 generation, Win7 and Win8 were available; L430, L530, T430, T530, W530, X230, X1 Carbon.

ref: ltwbook dated August 2014 - Version 458

You can legally and freely download the Windows 8 installation ISO image from the Microsoft DigitalRiver site, make sure you get the version that matches your product key (64 bit Pro I assume). There is a Microsoft utility to create a bootable USB flash drive from the ISO image. I assume you have the original Windows 8 product key (on sticker or I believe in some cases somehow embedded in the BIOS).

This won't get you an install with all the original Lenovo utilities, but is a legal way to do a clean Windows install (DigitalRiver has versions from Vista upwards). I've done it for Vista installs no problem.