Restoring T43p

[robeward]

I have a T43p (2668). I have a factory set of product recovery cds (1-6 + supplemental product recovery cd)

I recently purchased a new HDD as my old one crapped out. I do get the message about incompatible HDD but that currently is not the issue.

I first put a bare copy of XP on the new HDD with the intention of loading drivers myself. After some pain i decided just to dig up the recovery cds and use them.

My problem is that i cannot get the computer to boot from the recovery cds. I have the cd drive set first in the BIOS. with i put my bare xp cd in, the computer gives me the option so i know it is checking the cd drive but skips over the thinkpad recovery cds.

i have also tried pushing f12 on startup giving me the option of selecting a boot device. when i select cd drive it again skips it, and boots windows.

is there something trivial i am missing here? i sure hope so.

[Neil]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

My T43 recovery set is a total of 8 disks. Data disks 1-6, a supplement disk and a bootable Rescue & Recovery disk. Looks like you may be missing the boot disk.

In my opinion, you are better off staying with the XP install you already have. It's not difficult at all to install drivers and Lenovo tools, or if you want to install System Update, it will install the drivers for you. Here is everything you will need to your ThinkPad:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... D=HT035703

[robeward]

If i can't get the cds to work then i may just have to do that. when i started that process last time i tried to update drivers through the device manager as instructed in on the lenovo website but the computer would not let me select a folder on my hdd (for ex the desktop) or a thumb drive to select drivers. it only wanted to look at the cd drive and i didn't have any cds to put the drivers on.

thought the recovery disks would be an easy way to just handle it all. i have used them several years ago so i know they work. just can't remember how.

[robeward]

Problem solved.

Found out from another forum that there is another cd that i had misplaced. it is the one titled "rescue and recovery" and is the only bootable one out of the bunch.