Help with XP and Software Installer

[riski1]

Evening all,

This is my first attempt at reviving a T23 and have some questions to get started. Got a new 80 GB HDD and I'm setting tomorrow aside to install XP Pro.

After reading many threads, this tread pretty much sets the stage...Install XP, then the Software Installer.

My problem is all the stuff between the lines:

Should I update the XP Pro install with current updates before running the Software Installer?

Does the Software Installer come before anti-virus and firewall?

I do set behind a Linksys router if that helps.

Thanks if some gaps can be filled for me in this new endeavor

RJ

[joester]

Before I call it quits for the night, I'll relate my WXP PRO and installer experience with my T21.

1.) installed XP PRO, but only had SP1. Downloaded and installed SP2 from Microsoft (669MB I think) and updated all security patches.
2.) installed AVG AntiVirus.
3.)Installed the Software Installer, and let it do it's thing.

That was about it. No dreaded yellow exclamation points in the device manager.

It didn't fix the beep code error I get on startup, but I need to install CD/DVD software before I can make a startup CD for the Diagnostic software.

Behind the router shouldn't matter unless you have specific address assignments. If you do, it wouldn't hurt to write them down.

[Kyocera]

joesters pretty much right I just got through imaging two machines and it went smooth. Installed XP Pro, validated it, installed SP2 (more like 260Mb), did the rest of the updates from MS, then went to lenovo for the software installer. Then AVG and Windows defender and Media player 11. Then started loading the apps and tweaking the bells and whistles. Really like the Royal Noir Theme gator posted.

[joester]

Yep...
266MB.
What was I thinking?

Joe

[riski1]

Well...now that I've spent the last half hour researching "Royal Noir Theme gator posted", I can proceed with a happy face I think my daughter will like that touch as well.

Thanks for taking the time to reassure my gut feelings before you all retired last night. Being new to the Thinkpad, I just didn't know where the Software Installer and all the software and drivers from IBM sat with XP's install.

Guess the complete, up to date OS would always be the 1st priority

Off to a Sunday install party

RJ

PS: I like this notebook so much, I had my wife put her name in the hat for another...maybe a T30 will be next

[riski1]

The XP install and Updates went without a hitch and spent several days offline getting used to the feel of the TP... niiiice

Got my 2 turkeys a cookin' and decided to give the Software Installer a try before the clan arrived. Once again it almost went without a hitch Because I had a clean HDD to start with, I selected the Software Installer to go to the internet to find my drivers and software...it didn't fail me.

Figuring by now that IBM has things under control, I left everything selected and started the downloads. About the third item on the list flashed a message that it failed to download:

modem driver (Lucent AL or Intel Pro/100 SP combo car...)

After trying a couple more times, I proceeded to download and install everything else that was shown without any further glitches.

I reran the Software Installer, but got the same results. My only thought was that I didn't get the download because I didn't have the modem hooked up to a phone line...
could this be right?

Or maybe I don't need the newer v8.22 that was listed?

Any clues or priors??

RJ

[joester]

Sorry, I cant answer to that.
I had installed the latest modem driver manually before I discovered the software to do it automatically.

Glad to hear everything else went smooth.

Question: Does the modem appear functional in the device manager?

[riski1]

Checked into the Device Mgr and all is well...not a thing out of place. Maybe it's going to good to be true

I dug into the Lucent Win Modem (as shown in Dev Mgr) and found 2 drivers:

Modem.sys as part of XP SP2 update,

and, ltmdmnt.sys from LT V.92 Data + Fax Modem version 8.28

Could the reason this particular driver didn't download be due to the existing driver is adequate? If that being the reason, why would it even show up to download in the first place?

I'm thinking too much, aren't I????