Thinkpads Forum

Hello fellow ThinkPad owners,

I just joined today. I have a question about how I should go about updating certain things in my R51.

I greatly favor Linux over the other, dominant and troublesome OS-- I use MEPIS 8.5 in one desktop tower, and sidux in another desktop tower. I just bought an R51 (type 2895-AU3) Thinkpad a few days ago- this is my first laptop. While I wasn't given any OS disc(s), it came loaded with WinXP Pro. Shortly after getting home with the R51, I looked up what updates are available for it from Lenovo. For WinXP, there are a number of them but when I changed the OS option to Linux, only 3 turned up, as I recall, for the HDD and for the CD-RW/DVD. I'm wondering if, while I still have WinXP installed, I should update the BIOS and various other things for WinXP and then wipe the WindowsXP and install MEPIS.

When I ran my MEPIS live CD in the R51, I noticed that the boot info said the BIOS was outdated (and maybe it said it needs updating?) The BIOS is currently version 1.21 (1VET63WW) and is dated 21 Feb. 2005.

Are there so many updates for WinXP because that OS needs them in order for that OS to be optimized for use today, while so few updates for Linux because things are basically OK for Linux (except for the 3 I found in my seach)?

So I'm asking should I first do the Lenovo updates (BIOS, etc.) for WinXP, then wipe the WinXP and install MEPIS, doing the Linux updates later?

[A short while ago I read about some bad update bug offered in a Lenovo BIOS update for some unspecified ThinkPad. I of course want to avoid anything that makes my laptop unuseable.]


Thanks

It's just easier to do BIOS and firmware updates in Windows if a .exe is offered to run them. Otherwise you'll be stuck doing those same updates from a diskette drive assuming that you have one.

Harryc wrote:It's just easier to do BIOS and firmware updates in Windows if a .exe is offered to run them. Otherwise you'll be stuck doing those same updates from a diskette drive assuming that you have one.

Thanks Harryc.

There's no diskette drive in the laptop, but there's some card reader port on the left side. Is that used for some adapter that accepts a floppy diskette? Or is it for those older, larger digital camera cards?

I figured that I'd make CDs for the various large update files from Lenovo and use them to update the laptop. [I have to read all the Lenovo instructions first. Maybe it's best, as you say, to do this with WinXP.]

You're referring to the PCMCIA slot. Yes there are diskette drives that will run from that port, but that is not the easiest or best way to do it. An external USB diskette drive is far more versatile. As an example -
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-External-USB-Po ... 0422016496

Harryc wrote:You're referring to the PCMCIA slot. Yes there are diskette drives that will run from that port, but that is not the easiest or best way to do it. An external USB diskette drive is far more versatile. As an example -
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-External-USB-Po ... 0422016496

Well, I'm sure I'd rarely use an external USB diskette drive. I do have USB flash drives. I suppose I can put the Windows *.exe files on the flash drive and do the updating that way unless this updating with *.exe files has to be at a DOS level.

blm wrote:unless this updating with *.exe files has to be at a DOS level.

Well, it has to be at an OS level, and Linux is not one of them that recognizes .exe files. You can update BIOS from DOS or Windows. Last I checked drive firmware was only available as a DOS update, and is update-able from an .iso image (which you write to a CD) supplied by Lenovo.

Harryc wrote:...... Last I checked drive firmware was only available as a DOS update, and is update-able from an .iso image (which you write to a CD) supplied by Lenovo.

I think I have to download a few (or a more than a few?) *.exe files which I think are in iso format for a CD. Can I put all of these iso's on 1 CD (to save CDs) or must each be on its own CD? And if it's possible to put all of the iso files on 1 CD, how is that done?

I have only ever put one .iso image on one CD. I do not think it is possible to put more than one on a CD and then boot it. You have to burn the .iso file to a CD as an image. You cannot do a straight copy because it will not boot.

Keep in mind, while neither supported nor endorsed, it *is* possible to do BIOS flashes via GRUB without a CD or floppy drive. I've done it with an X61s, X60s, T500, and X200s all with no ill effects. There are instructions on ThinkWiki if you're interested.