About to reinstall windows XP for the first time

[tabithaboof]

I have an R50e and I am about to install English XP over Japanese XP. couple of questions first.

My Thinkpad has what I assume to be a sn for windows on a little sticker on the bottom but I have a product key for windows XP anyway, any reason I should use one or the other?

Secondly, I want to have all the english versions of the software that comes supplied with the unit normally, by all accounts I can connect to the internet and download the automatic update thing from here

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... iagnostics

and get everything at once? Reading the instructions for reinstalling XP it mentions you need to "Copy all the subdirectories and files in the C:\IBMTOOLS directory to a removable storage device." but I am assuming if I do this i will end up with Japanese drivers and software? Any idea how do I get around this?

Thanks very much, I posted about this in the R50e forum but the post was kind of vague, the problem seems more related to windows than the r50e?

[selvan777]

Use the product key supplied with the english version for the english version. Trash the IBMTOOLS folder, you don't need it. After installing the new OS, download all you want in english from the link you posted.

[Zeitgeist]

My Thinkpad has what I assume to be a sn for windows on a little sticker on the bottom but I have a product key for windows XP anyway, any reason I should use one or the other?

Try the unattend.txt key of the JP os:
http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_ ... /Step9.htm

May it works also with an english os.

[selvan777]

There's no need to search for the key, you already have two valid and legal ones.