Questions from new X41 owner

[jonu]

Hello, everyone. First time poster, long time lurker, and soon-to-be Thinkpad X41 owner! I finally ordered a 25286NU today with a lots of accessories. This will be my first Thinkpad (I currently use a Fujitsu S-series and have used a Dell Inspiron before), so I have a few questions about the features specific to Thinkpads that persist after reading what feels like every thread in the forum and lots of documentation on the IBM/Lenovo site. Specifically, I still have questions about:
1. Embedded Security Subsystem
2. Other Thinkpad-specific software

Embedded Security Subsystem
My X41 will have the fingerprint reader, and ideally, I would like a setup where I will have maximum security at boot-up all authenticated with a single fingerprint swipe. Presumably, this would include authentication of the following passwords:
-UVM
-Power-on
-HDD
-Windows

Is this right? Is this doable? Am I missing anything?

Then there are all these other passwords I have read about (are some of these duplicate terms for the same password?):
-UVM master
-Administrator (ESS, not Windows)
-Bios
-Rescue and Recovery

What is the significance of these passwords? What should I do with them? Are there other passwords?

Regarding setting all this up, is there anything specific I need to be aware of during first boot-up that is different than other laptops? (Will be doing this connected behind a firewall, etc.)

Sorry for the lengthy questions in this area, but IBM/Lenovo’s documentation is confusing, and my specific questions aren’t covered by any old threads I could find.

Thinkpad-specific software
Is there anything I should consider deleting because it slows down the system and either adds no functionality duplicates functions handled by Windows?

I found this thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1913
Anything new since then or specific to the X41?

[andyli]

Hey,

I recently just got the same system for a family member. They needed it as soon as possible for a trip, so I was unable to do what I would have normally done, that is, reformat the system and start from scratch. I just did that on my T42p, and it works wonders. There's a good thread about doing this at: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=3827. Make sure you create your recovery CDs first. I choose not to destroy the hidden partition as well.

Since I wasn't able to do a format on this system, I will tell you what I did do:
- Uninstalled the old version of Software Installer and updated it and installed new drivers from IBM/Lenovo
- Uninstalled Access IBM Message Center.
- Uninstalled Norton Antivirus 2005 (I have a Corporate License. The Corporate Edition uses fewer resources in my opinion).
- Installed all Windows Updates (except drivers, which I only use IBM's).

First boot is like any brand new laptop. You setup the user information, passwords, network information. Nothing different.

Regarding Duplication:
- There was a thread about this in the Windows OS Software Forum. I'll try to find it when I get back.

[jonu]

Since I wasn't able to do a format on this system, I will tell you what I did do:
- Uninstalled the old version of Software Installer and updated it and installed new drivers from IBM/Lenovo
- Uninstalled Access IBM Message Center.
- Uninstalled Norton Antivirus 2005 (I have a Corporate License. The Corporate Edition uses fewer resources in my opinion).
- Installed all Windows Updates (except drivers, which I only use IBM's).

First boot is like any brand new laptop. You setup the user information, passwords, network information. Nothing different.

Thanks for the reply. I just got my X41, and this is pretty much what I did. My only issues so far are how the thing beeps whenever I open and close the lid and trying to authenticate into an EAP-TTLS wireless network (both covered in other threads).