"blow away" new hard drive

[aamsel]

If a T42 is received from IBM, what utility can be used to "blow away" the diagnostic and all partitions on the hard drive?
(to have 100% use of the drive, and replace the OS, and all software) ???
Thanks!
Andrew
Austin, TX

[dclee012]

just disable the pre-desktop area in the bios and reinstall an os.
when you install, clear all partitions and recreate a partition that is 100% of the drive

[cooljw]

I just got my T42 (2378-FVU) recently and did just this. I could not stand how the 40gig HD had only 26.5gig free out of the box (1/3 of the drive eaten!). After reformatting and clean installing everything, my T42 boots much faster and I have recovered several gigs of HD space.

I'll try to outline what I did if anyone else wants to. If you don't have the recovery CDs from IBM already call them and ask for them. If not no problem, just follow these steps. I followed the tips in this thread: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... s&start=45

1.) Burn a bootable CD, then copy the C:\I386 folder from your HD to it. Don't forget to slipstream in Windows XP Service Pack 1. Instructions at: http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/#wxp

2.) Copy the C:\IBMTOOLS, C:\DRIVERS, C:\SUPPORT, C:\VALUEADD, and C:\IBMTOOLS\APPS. These store all the stuff that comes installed on your new Thinkpad. As I understand, this is the same contents as the Recovery CDs.

3.) Disable the hidden partition in the bios.

3.) Boot with your homemade WinXP installation CD. Let the thing reformat your HD and install XP, don't forget to delete all partitions (or re-partition your HD how you want). Re-activate WinXP with the serial # on the bottom of your Thinkpad. You have to call MSFT, but it's an automated recording.

4.) Now that WinXP is installed, there are lots of IBM drivers and tools you need to reinstall to make your Thinkpad work properly, since many components were made after WinXP (so XP does not have the drivers...i.e.- wireless cards, network cards, active protection system, modem...etc). Fortunately you don't have to do them all one-by-one. Find the "Thinkpad Software Installer" that you copied from your old C:. Install it. This program searches for all IBM utilities and lets you install them all at once or selectively. Run this program and have it search wherever you put the files you copied from your old C:.

5.) Cross reference the Thinkpad software matrix on IBM's website if you think you missed anything.

Hope this helps!

[sswany]

When you say "copy" the C:\IBMTOOLS, etc. directories, do you mean onto CD? That directory alone on my ThinkPad is 1.x GB

[dragius]

Bought a 2nd hand T41 2372-1FA at US$1200, bought a new hitachi 60GB 5400 rpm, reinstall win xp pro.

But downloading all the dirvers of the net was a pain, spent the whole night to download it from IBm homepage zzzzzzzzzz

[cooljw]

When you say "copy" the C:\IBMTOOLS, etc. directories, do you mean onto CD? That directory alone on my ThinkPad is 1.x GB

Yes, I split my C:\IBMTOOLS into 2 CDs. The programs are self-contained by directory.

Also:

Bought a 2nd hand T41 2372-1FA at US$1200, bought a new hitachi 60GB 5400 rpm, reinstall win xp pro.

But downloading all the dirvers of the net was a pain, spent the whole night to download it from IBm homepage zzzzzzzzzz

Although I didn't try it until later, I believe you could have also just gone to the IBM webpage: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... date=false and downloaded multiple files at once. There's even an autodetect what stuff you need and autodownload from IBM's website (I think it's in the Access IBM utility), but I didn't try that either because I didn't want it installing junk I didn't want.

Remember you can't download any original 3rd party apps (like WinDVD) from IBM's website since it would be piracy to do so for free. But the installation files for all these apps are in the C:\IBMTOOLS (or another).

[dragius]

Hmmm, i am unable to get WinDVD, since i have already change my hard disk and i do not have IBMTOOLS..... unless.... could we also download IBM toolds?

[RaysMD]

In addition if you don't want to enter the Windows Product Activation key, then follow these steps.


1. Looking in your I386 folder for a file called UNATTEND.TXT.
2. Write the product key down.
3. When windows asks you to enter a product key, then just enter the one that you just wrote down. No more product activation.

The reason this works is because the I386 folder is actually from a "Volume License Media" CD. You can also make your own bootable WinXP CD which is fully automated. You won't have to enter a single thing at all.

Look up on google, the following
winnt.sif
unattend.txt



[EDIT] Make sure you obtain the key from an "untouched" I386 folder. i.e., before slipstreaming etc.