"Clone" a T42(XP) to a T61 possible? (or alternatives?)

[jwege]

Hi,

hope you guys can help me, I am really under pressure and no solution ...

I run a T42 (XP Pro) for quite some time with music software and multiple special XP drivers (for USB) installed and many, many music files on it (that are processed - analyzed - by the music software which took ages).

Now, that T42 is a trouble maker as the fan started to make noise when I made some test yesterday. And I need this (or another --> that's why I ask) machine in a few days, [reliably !!] for a gig!

I have got a T61 (Win7 32 refurbished here (originally intended for other use). Unfortunately, for the Win 7 installed there, the drivers for the digital/analog devices will not work, and so does the music software that I only have as an XP version.

Here comes my question:

Is it possible to just "clone" (i.e. using Acronis Backup Software) this T42 to a T61 and then install the drivers that are different?

Maybe de-installing some drivers on the T42 before cloning? (To avoid system hang on the T61)?

OR does someone have another idea?

[edit]
Here are the product numbers if that needs to be taken into account:
T42 = 2373-CTO, T61 = 7661-CTO
[/edit]



If none works, Can anyone direct me to kinda "guide to install XP on T61" - I guess specifically the driver installation could be "tricky" and a certain order should be vital?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[ajkula66]

The cloning process will not work since the hardware is way too different.

Why not just swap the fan on the T42?

[RealBlackStuff]

A clone will not work, because there is too much difference in chipsets
Even T42 to T43 would not work.
My suggestion: replace the fan (or borrow a complete T42 from someone for the weekend).
I'm sure you have heard of the forum's German sister: http://thinkpad-forum.de/
Bet they have loads of members in Karlsruhe.

As to XP: it goes out of service as of April 2014, NEVER another update again!
Install W7 on your T61 instead and then install the DJ programs/drivers in Compatibilty mode.
Or look for different DJ programs...

As for your MTMs, xxxx-CTO is absolutely useless to anybody.
CTO means Configured To Order, and would be anybody's guess.
You'll need to get the first 7 characters out of the BIOS main screen (called "System-unit serial number" there).
If that is CTO as well, get the PRODUCTID from the label on the laptop bottom.
If that is also CTO, then you need to tell us at least what GPU is in the machine.

[jwege]

So, ok. Thanks for your answers (even though I hoped for better news - lol).

Sometimes the devil is in the details ... I am not in Germany right now but rather in Spain in the middle of nowhere ...

As to the fan:

I would very much like to exchange the fan, but cost and time involved (and given my actual position with 50% mailed parcels not being delivered) make it not the best choice, also when compared against 200 EUR for a refurbished T61.

Seems I need to hope that the old one will do me the favour to stay silent. Sometimes it does only loudly fan during startup and then return to "normal noise" afterwards.

But the question remains: IF I would decide to go the installation (XP Pro) path, what order to use for the drivers once the basic setup is done? Any help on this?

Thanks

[Ken Edmonds]

There is actually a way of doing it that "should" work as long as you've got an original XP installation CD.

Clone the disc as you said and boot from the XP CD without allowing the system to try to start Windows. Follow screen instructions to set up XP, do not select repair at the first chance, after it's found the installed system it will then give you the option to repair it. XP should then remove unneeded drivers, install the right ones if it's got them, and setup normally.

I've used this method many times when changing a PC motherboard to a totally different one and it's only effectively the same thing.

[farmall]

The classic Hat Monster thread on Ars Technica should be of use:

http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=42051

[Ollie]

I pulled the hard disk from a T43p, and installed it on my T60, to my surprise, the system just worked without a glitch, later converted it to a T60/T61 frankenpad, the system worked as well.

The hard disk is a mSATA SSD with different converters on the two machines.

I don't know about XP.

[sktn77a]

I think it would be worth a try. Clone the drive, put it in your T60 and see what happens. Download the network driver for your T60 (on a different computer and USB it to your T60) and then download Thinkpad System Update. Running this should download all of the correct drivers on your machine. And if for some reason it doesn't work, you've only lost an hour of your time.

I've done this several times backwards (ie a later OS installatuon to an older machine) but never forwards (ie what you are trying to do).

[ajkula66]

You could get away with such a clone on W7, XP will go nuts. Period.

[farmall]

The "Hat Monster" method is long proven which is why it's an Ars classic.

If you run into any specific questions regarding it, he still posts on Ars Technica.

[Ken Edmonds]

The "Hat Monster" method works but it's complicated and if you're not confident, quite worrying. It's simple enough if it's only a video card but for a completely different machine personally I'd only use it if I had no other option.

Using an XP install disc does the same job but much simpler as the installation routine works out what drivers aren't needed, strips them out and installs the correct ones. This depends on actually having an XP disc of course.

It's probably academic now anyway as he said he needed it in a few days.

[TKuser]

Some people here seem really sure that you can't do this kind of clone, with Windows XP.

But I did it successfully, from a T41 to T61, with XP.

And this was also with different disk drive size and geometries.

Other than expected stuff about having to reinstall lots of drivers, the only weird part was getting XP to recognize the multicore processor of the T61. Once Windows XP is installed on a single-core machine, a clone of that XP is going to insist on staying in single-core mode. But there was a trick I found online (involved copying a couple of files around in the Windows folder in safe mode), and it worked perfectly. Here's that:
Enabling Multiprocessor Support in Windows XP

There was also a trick to keep XP from just crashing on boot, having to do with the SATA drive in the T61. The T41 OS had a PATA driver and it would just bluescreen right away. This involved booting to BIOS screen, going to SATA setting, and changing from AHCI mode into Compatibility mode, then booting successfully into XP, installing the T61 SATA driver, and then back to BIOS and re-enable the AHCI mode.

And since this was a Thinkpad OEM WXP, it worked on the new Thinkpad, with no activation worries.

The only thing I haven't been able to get working is the On Screen Display (when adjusting volume or brightness using Fn keys). Tried and tried, never figured it out.

Windows XP is still getting active updates for at least another 7 months. After that, who knows? Meanwhile, it still does so much more than Windows 7. See these long lists:
Features removed in Windows Vista
Features removed in Windows 7