URGENT: Help needed with software installer and system updat

[Temetka]

Ok,

So I am trying my best to install software installer 3.0. It tells me to remove the older version (2.x) and system update and update connector.

Ok did that.

Now I reboot.

Run the setup again (for software installer).

It tells me to remove stuff.

I hit ok.

I reboot.

I run setup....again

It tells me to remove stuff.

I hit ok

I reboot.

I run setup....yet again

It tells me to remove stuff

I hit ok

I reboot.

This is so frustrating. So much for the ease of use. I have rebooted close to 20 times. I have removed the folders: Updater from c:\IBMTOOLS it still says the bloody software is installed.

Ok then, WHERE!?!?!

This is freakin' ridiculous!

Why am I going through this hell? So I can get Access Connections to work with my newer Intel b/g card I installed a few weeks ago. Following advice here on the forum, I have removed Access Connections and the drivers for the card. Now software installer says it can't update the software for the version of access connections and the card drivers for the newer card and to download a version above 2.9. That is what led me to downloading version 3 and the hell I am stuck in now.

Someone help me, nay, tell me how to get software installer put back on here so it can download the newer software for my card and access connections. I swear this type of experience should be left for Dell customers, not IBM.

/breathes

[GomJabbar]

I don't know what to say about your problem with Software Installer. FYI, System Update is replacing Software Installer. Regardless, you always have the option to manually install the software and drivers from Lenovo's site. The general procedure is to download the software from the site, run the file to extract it's contents to your hard drive, then run Setup.exe from the folder the software was extracted to, to install the software. Pay attention when you run the downloaded file to see where it's contents are extracted to, so you know where to run Setup.exe from. Tip: you can double-click on the .XML file in each folder, to see what software that folder applies to, and to see which version of software is in that folder. In any case, you should read the text file for any software download and follow it's installation instructions, as there may be special procedures to be followed.

[Temetka]

Umm yeah. No.

The whole point of software installer is to do this for you.

[Paul Unger]

Temetka,

The other point is that if a piece of software isn't working for you, you need to find a way around it, which is what GomJabbar is trying to help you to do. Now, it seems you have an outdated version of Software Installer (2.0) and are trying to install an 'update' that is itself outdated (3.0). This could be a large part of the problem. Software Installer is now up to version 4.01.0615 which is available for download here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ZKMCT.html

Download the exe file, double click it, remember where you extract it to (preferably your c:\drivers folder?), run the setup.exe file and follow the instructions on the screen. You should get a functional version of Software Installer out of the deal. Good luck.

Now, for what it's worth, some people around here don't rely on SI to update their computers, at least not w/o a 'guiding hand', so to speak. SI does it's job well, but not necessarily intelligently: it searches for updates and applies them indiscriminately. And sometimes, that's a bad thing--especially if the updates 'fix' things that were never 'broken' with the version you were running . . . So two things:
1. go ahead and use SI, but don't complain when it updates a driver for a device that had been working for you but no longer does when SI is done
2. use SI to see which updates are available for your computer and then do a bit of research--check out what the update 'fixes' and determine whether you need that particular 'fix' (for example, there are a host of new drivers coming out for Vista, but if you're running XP you may not want a Vista driver potentially screwing things up for you). From that point there are two roads to follow: let SI download and apply the updates you want; or download them manually and apply them yourself (which some feel is the 'safer' route).

I hope something here helps get you going again!

[Temetka]

I found version 4. It's installed. Updating as we speak. 284MB of various updates. Which is fine with me. This is the stock install since I got the drive from IBM. So in other words it XP SP1 (I updated to SP2) and whatever drivers and software shipped with the machine when it was being sold new. So basically everything is outdated, now being fixed.

One point of interest. SI3 requested the .NET framework 2.0 which I did not have installed. Once I installed that, everything seemed alright. So just in case some people weren't aware, you need .NET framework to run SI3. This was mentioned somewhere in Lenovo's site where I downloaded it from, can't seem to recall at the moment.

To reply to GomJabbar (sorry if I mis-spelled your handle / nick):

Thanks for the help. To be honest I wasn't looking to put that much work into it. I was mainly looking for a 'click and go' type of operation. Checking the .XML files and everything (while not hard by an stretch) is, IMO, something that should not need to be done in 2007. We should have come further than that by now, I hope.

[Purcy]

I'm glad you got your problem fixed to your satisfaction, but be cautioned with letting anyone, including Lenovo, download to it's heart content on your machine. I personally use Software Installer to see what is available for my machine, but I still pick and choose and sit there watching the things install. The first time I let Software Installer work unattended, I ended up with things that caused problems, then I had to sit and uninstall, reboot, cry, etc.

I guess I'm saying that nothing is "click and go" when it comes to computers, even IBM, and when you are in "gone bad" hell, this is the place to come - you can trust what our seniors are saying.

[simonbrew]

Like the guy at the start of this thread, I'm trying to update to SU3. I apparently still have the old IBM Update Connector (IUC) installed, as it's visible in Start/All Programs/Access IBM. However, IUC is not in the list of installed programs (Control panel/add or remove programs), so I can't uninstall it by hand.

can anyone suggest please how I uninstall IUC by hand?

Thanks (this is a great site - VERY helpful!)
Simon

** Update 2008-01-22 **
In case anyone is still interested, I've now found out how to uninstall Update Connector & Software Installer. They are listed as separate items of software within IBM Access Tools, which is within control panel/add/remove programs.

But I'm taking other mods' advice and doing all IBM/Lenovo updates by hand in future, just in case things go wrong.

I also recommend the new lenovo community site (where I solved my problem). It's at http://forum.lenovo.com/ but currently contains few postings.

[Kyocera]

The first time I let Software Installer work unattended, I ended up with things that caused problems, then I had to sit and uninstall, reboot, cry, etc.

Great advice right here. Some of the stuff is just not needed. Especially if you've already gone through the trouble of slimming down on some of the factory software.