Purchasing Official Recovery Disks from Lenovo post Warranty

[eecon]

Let's consider a T500 that came with Vista Business and has the COA sticker on the bottom, however the warranty expired.

Will Lenovo still sell the proper Vista Business Recovery disks so it can be reset to original factory state (remember, the warranty has expired)? I think they are around $50 or $60 and I want the "official" Lenovo disks so that they will also create the hidden service recovery partition on the new SSD I am installing. I do not have the original recovery disks burned when the unit was first new.

I know there are some sites that claim to sell recovery disks, but I don't think those sets also install the hidden service recovery partition, etc.

Thanks.

[rkawakami]

As far as I know, it should not matter that your laptop is out of warranty. Lenovo should still be able to sell you a recovery set as long as it goes with the COA on your system and that it is still being supported (i.e., "new" enough).

[Brad]

I haven't asked about recovery media on a out of warranty ThinkPad myself. I have heard others have and were denied. There denial may be policy I don't know. I do know that from my experience more than one call may be necessary as there are wide differences in a representatives willingness to help. A quick call though and you can find out for yourself.

A couple of thoughts. Even if you didn't make the recovery disks when your ThinkPad was new as long as the recovery partition is there you still may be able to make them. Or if you can't make them and the recovery partition is still there I would clone the exsisting drive to your new SSD then recover your ThinkPad from the recovery partition which would be the same as the recovery disks. From the newly recovered system you could make a recovery set for future use.

Lastly post a WTB and I am 100% sure someone has something that may fit the bill.

Brad

[eecon]

I don't have the recovery partition on the HDD as the laptop has a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher's COA and install of Win7pro SP1 (like an OEM version). There is a brownish COA sticker on the bottom for Win7pro's COA with a license number on it plus an MS Win7pro 32-bit install disk. The original factory preload was Vista Business.

At this point I'm about to simply give up on having a recovery partition on the HDD (along with Lenovo's associated new machine bloatware) ..... That being the case, what would be the best or easiest way to obtain that Lenovo factory install look and feel after an clean OEM Win7pro install to my new SSD from the official MS refurb Win7pro disk (I have not activated it yet ..... just exploring and learning about Win7 after years using WinXP Pro) .... Are there any special Lenovo Download packs with System Update, Toolbox, Thinkvantage stuff, Lenovo wallpapers, etc. that I should download from Lenovo?

I've been told that some places sell unofficial recovery disks that do everything but install the recovery partition and I'd be willing to spend a few bucks for an all-in-one solution assuming my new Win7pro refurb activation code will work with disks from such places.

I be grateful to hear about anyone's experience with such an approach .... thanks.

[RealBlackStuff]

Just install whatever you have from your OEM disk.
If wifi is not working, download/install it manually from the Lenovo website: http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... D=HT035871
Then install Lenovo's System Update from the same page, for your Windows version.
Now run it to get/select all the Lenovo stuff that you want (or not).

[Radioguy]

Check out the driver matrix page too. SU doesn't always get the current version of everything.

[eecon]

What if you have a Win7pro 64-bit preload and COA sticker from the factory, but want to downgrade to 32-bit Win7pro ...... Would Lenovo sell you the 32-bit Recovery discs?