Can the IBM Recovery Disks for an x31 work for an x32?

[elevated]

Hi Everyone,

That is basically my whole question there in the subject line! Has anyone tried this? If not, does anyone have an educated guess? I'm considering picking up an x32 with no hard drive included.

Thanks,
Jake

[ryengineer]

They might and actually would work with few missing drivers here and there, I'm merely extraneously speaking without keeping any licensing matter in consideration.

[ajkula66]

It most likely will work, since the recovery disks specify the series (2672,2673 etc.), and both X31 and X32 fit in there...the hardware differences are not that great, you'll likely have to add a driver or two from Lenovo's site, but apart from that you should be in good shape.

[mpcook]

They work, I have done so. Had to download a few drivers from the web but everything worked (wireless card etc).

Mike

[elevated]

Thanks for the responses everyone! This forum is such a great resource.

[aboveliquidice]

As everyone else has posted - they should work as long as their is no hardware lock (the recover disks realizing it is a different machine).

The machine would run better however, with a clean install not including IBM bloatware.

I may be on a crusade against bloatware - My X41 tablet runs SO MUCH better without the IBM standard install.

~above~

[Ken Fox]

They will work, but it's not optimal.

The X32 has a different "service" partition type than was present in the X31. I know this because I ran an X32 with a cloned hard disk from an X31 for some time, not knowing that this difference existed.

The service partion in an X32 will update with the latest Rescue and Recovery program installation; you will end up with more or less the same functionality that you would have with a current system, if you can get the update installed and working (e.g. R&R 4.10, which is what resides in my X32's service partition now, after the update). The X31 has either no recovery partition (I have an ancient set of X31 recovery disks that do not even make one) or a recovery partition of a much earlier sort (I think they were called "HPA," or "Hidden Protected Area.")

The update to R&R 4.10 did not work initially, but I think there was some sort of bug that the software engineers fixed during the last few months. I doubt that a stock X31 is capable of updating in this fashion, and hence doubt that an X32 with X31 software can do this either.

[elevated]

To aboveliquidice--

I notice that many people here seem to prefer installing from a plain Windows disk and avoiding all the extra IBM software. I just got the Hitachi 7200 RPM hard drive for my X31, and can't decide if I should install from a Windows disk instead of the IBM restore disks.

My thought is that I could really just uninstall most of the IBM stuff-- Or would there be some mysterious files left in the registry, that I don't have a great understanding of?

And then the other issue is figuring out how to create the install disk from the i386 folder and all that...

Jake

[Ken Fox]

To aboveliquidice--

I notice that many people here seem to prefer installing from a plain Windows disk and avoiding all the extra IBM software. I just got the Hitachi 7200 RPM hard drive for my X31, and can't decide if I should install from a Windows disk instead of the IBM restore disks.

My thought is that I could really just uninstall most of the IBM stuff-- Or would there be some mysterious files left in the registry, that I don't have a great understanding of?

And then the other issue is figuring out how to create the install disk from the i386 folder and all that...

Jake

I'm not the person you have asked, but I think you may be in for some aggravation if you use a Windows disk. You may be unable to use your generic windows disk easily, as it may not recognize the key on the sticker that came with the laptop.

In addition, there are a couple of tricky drivers needed on this machine, such as for the CF reader (and maybe also for the PCMCIA card slot), and without them you won't be able to use these things.

I think it would be preferable to install from the recovery disks, then to uninstall the applications you don't want. You can then delete directories under C:\Drivers that have installation files you don't want, which will recover almost all the otherwise wasted space. You can then use a free registry cleaner like Ccleaner to get rid of other stuff that wastes space and for tidying up the registry after all of this is done.

I think you will save a lot of time and aggravation with this approach, and will probably get a machine that works right the first time and doesn't waste a lot of your time looking for driver files and the like.

[aboveliquidice]

I think Ken is speaking with sound reasoning. I went to the lenovo site and downloaded all of the drivers for my tablet - and believe me there were many. It definitely takes more time to do a fresh install. Using your restore CD's, and then removing software, fixing registry, and deleting unused files may be easier.

One thing to consider - there are many updates to software and drivers - and usually the updates increase performance and or fix issues. You will not get these updated drivers/apps if you utilize your restore CD.

In the end - if you are willing to spend the time - I think there is a definite benefit to utilizing a fresh install. Let us know how it turns out...

~above~

[proaudioguy]

The bloatware is hardly there on an X32. I just did it. I uninstalled a few things including update connector and software installer. I instilled System update and only updated what I wanted. This requires several passes. I installed my apps and ran Ms update until nothing was left. I ran eusings free registry cleaner and registry defrag. I ran Perfect disc until the disk was free of fragments. With the latest version of RnR installed I am just about ready to run off a backup to my new Lacie Big Ethernet Disc.

Let me be clear. Lenovo added the bloat-ware

[Ken Fox]

Let me be clear. Lenovo added the bloat-ware

Lenovo is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the thinkpad software has only gotten worse over time, probably because it is inadequately tested prior to release.

On the other hand, the real-dollar-price of a Thinkpad has gone down by at least a factor of 4 since Lenovo bought the PC division from IBM. I can't imagine they make any money at current prices for this level of a machine at the current prices.

We should be thankful for what they have given us, and forgive the rest.

[aboveliquidice]

Just as long as they remember they are making Thinkpads... which at one time was THE choice for people who wanted hardcore business machines w/o the fluff of dell/hp. It seems like more and more, they are forgetting it. I love my x41 tablet - to no end - but the other pharmacy students in my class that have the x61 tablet are not nearly as taken by their machines.

I am not exactly sure why - but despite being slower, my x41 tablet seems more solid than the MUCH faster x61 tablet... which shouldn't be the case.

~above~

[Ken Fox]

Just as long as they remember they are making Thinkpads... which at one time was THE choice for people who wanted hardcore business machines . . . I love my x41 tablet - to no end - but the other pharmacy students in my class that have the x61 tablet are not nearly as taken by their machines.

I am not exactly sure why - but despite being slower, my x41 tablet seems more solid than the MUCH faster x61 tablet... which shouldn't be the case.

~above~

I don't see any decline in quality, at least in the X and T series; have no experience with the tablets. I have 2 X60 machines which I think are as good (at least) as the X32, with a couple of minor niggles.

Likewise, my T60s are better made and at least as sturdy as my T43, which has been demoted to use as a 2nd desktop, on a mini-dock.

[proaudioguy]

I would like my X32 better than my X60T but I love the wacom pen.