Newbee needs advice, T23 with Win 2k COA

[Dave5049]

I just recieved my new to me T23 that I bought from ebay, seller said it came from IBM with a fresh install of Win 2k Pro, there are no manuals or disks with it, when I started it up it wanted a administer password but I just bypassed that, should I set a password, and should I go and get microsoft updates for it? Do I need to register it with IBM? It has about 6 months left on the warranty. Is there a good cheap way to make a copy of the fresh install so I will have a backup to reinstall, or should I just use it and if anything goes wrong just buy XP Pro? This and any other advice would be welcome. Thanks

[MadeInJapan]

1. "... should I set a password, and should I go and get microsoft updates for it?"
Yes, and yes.

2. "Do I need to register it with IBM?" Not necessarily. You can go to the IBM site and do it if you want. Never saw that it was really necessary. When there was a problem I just call their customer service with the serial number and off it goes for repair, or the parts come to me...all very very fast and great service.

3. " Is there a good cheap way to make a copy of the fresh install so I will have a backup to reinstall...?"
Yes, there is...look at the thread on Slipstreaming Windows XP in this T Series section. The method with AutoStreamer is the same for W2K and WXP.

4. "...if anything goes wrong just buy XP Pro?"
You could do that...it runs fine on the T23, but my personal opinion is that W2K is the sweetspot for this ThinkPad.

Good luck and enjoy your new ThinkPad!

[Dave5049]

Thanks, I just got online with the T23 and did all the MS updates, I'm typing on it now, I REALLY like this keyboard , I've never used W2K before but I like it, It's a lot like Win98 seems like. I tried setting a password at the first log on but it wouldn't let me change it there, I've never had a laptop before and never set passwords, do I have to bypass it and go into Control Panel/Users & Passwords and change it there?

[myckee]

Put Xp on it. I like it much more than 2K. Besides, the T23 was designed to run XP..at least thats what the sticker on my T23 says. I have XP on mine and it runs terrific.

[MadeInJapan]

Dave,
To change the Password, first sign into windows as "Administrator" (without the "). Usually there is no password set for this, but you do need to click "okay," and not "cancel. Once you're in, go to Control Panel and then in there double click on "users and passwords." In that window, click the "advanced" tab and then the advanced button in the middle of the screen next. After this double click the User folder and in there, right click on Administrator and you'll see the options for setting the password. Once you do this right click on Administrator again and select "all tasks," and set the password the same there too. Then double click on Administrator and select the box that says "password never expires." Now you're good to go.

If you download TweakUI, you can use it to enter Windows automatically with your password so you don't have to enter it on boot-up.

Good luck!

[strekship]

2K is a great OS. It runs much better on older/lower-class machines than XP does. That is, unless you use nlite to remove recource hoging crap out of the os.