Access IBM and new Hard drive

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Blake · #1 Post by **Blake** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:15 am

well im about to order a new drive for my x31 and i plan on doing a fresh install with the cd send with my laptop and was wondering if the access IBM is available for general download or will i need a recovery cd?

ychandrani · #2 Post by **ychandrani** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:54 am

What CD was sent with your laptop?

You can download drivers and most of the preloaded software for the X31 from www.tpdrivers.com.

You can also go to the IBM support pages and type in your machine type and it will take you to a dowload page for your system.

However, only the upgrades for software such as WinDVD (dvd playback); RecordNow (CD/DVD burning) and IBM DLA (Drive Letter Access) are available on the website and will not work unless you have the prior version already installed. These latter pieces of software are installed when using either the IBM recovery CDs or doing a product recovery from the hidden partition area of the original harddrive that IBM sent out with your system.

Alternately, could you check if your current hardrive has two directories, C:\Drivers and C:\Ibmtools on it? If it does, then make copies of these onto blank CDs, because you will find versions of all X31 drivers and IBM's preloaded software in them available for you to install on the new harddrive.

Finally, if all of this is too much, then call IBM and tell them you need recovery CDs for your machine because you want to upgrade the drive.

Blake · #3 Post by **Blake** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:30 pm

wel i thought there was an xp cd, but there wasnt. just an xp book

i want to do a full install, with no partition.

1. can i use my other xp pro cd, with the serial key on the bottom of the laptop?

if not how can i do a fresh install

im not really worried about the dvd stuff. i own like 3 dvd's i think, if that many.

suggestions please

Blake · #4 Post by **Blake** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:33 pm

also what about access ibm?

ychandrani · #5 Post by **ychandrani** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:40 pm

Blake wrote:wel i thought there was an xp cd, but there wasnt. just an xp book

i want to do a full install, with no partition.

1. can i use my other xp pro cd, with the serial key on the bottom of the laptop?

if not how can i do a fresh install

im not really worried about the dvd stuff. i own like 3 dvd's i think, if that many.

suggestions please

No you can't use your "other xp pro cd" and IBM's serial key.

Does your current system & harddrive have the following two directories: c:\drivers and c:\ibmtools? If yes, then you will have all of the applications including IBM's Access connections, Access IBM (which is btw, IBM's help software) available to you. I suggest that you back these two directories up by copying them to a blank cd or dvd and then putting them on the new harddrive. The drivers and installers for all the software that came preloaded from the factory are in either of these two directories.

Also, take a look at this thread: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=3827. It will walk you through the steps for doing a fresh install of Win XP Pro on your thinkpad.

Blake · #6 Post by **Blake** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:29 pm

thank man,

question

if i copy those files to a cd. then how would i get them to load on the new drive?

ychandrani · #7 Post by **ychandrani** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:04 pm

Copy them to the new drive after installing windows. The link I gave you in the prior post walks you through the process.

Blake · #8 Post by **Blake** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:53 pm

yea seems easy, as soon as i sell my digi ill be gettig a new HD

#9 Post by **aamsel** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:23 pm

What is IBM's Drive Letter Access (DLA) ???
Why is it needed ??

Andrew
Austin, TX

ychandrani · #10 Post by **ychandrani** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:29 pm

Its the packet writing software that IBM ships with thinkpads with CD and DVD burners. You can take a look at Sonic's website, since they license it to IBM. Features listed on Sonic's web site (http://www.sonic.com/products/dla/default.asp):

"Drive Letter Access (DLA) allows you to quickly and easily create data discs. Using DLA, you can read and write files directly to your CD or DVD disc like you would to a floppy diskette or hard drive.

Drag and Drop: Allows you to save files and folders to your recorder drive using My Computer or Windows Explorer.
Send To: Uses the Send To command to save files and folders.
Save As: Uses the Save As command in most software applications to save active files.
EasyWrite: Supports EasyWrite technology, which provides a more satisfactory user experience through background formatting of discs and defect management.
Making discs compatible with CD-ROM drives: Makes CD-R discs readable by virtually any CD-ROM drive."

#11 Post by **aamsel** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:39 pm

So, does that do you any good with an X series purchased without ultrabase and drive? i.e. will it work with a 3rd party USB external drive?

Andrew
Austin, TX

ychandrani wrote:Its the packet writing software that IBM ships with thinkpads with CD and DVD burners. You can take a look at Sonic's website, since they license it to IBM. Features listed on Sonic's web site (http://www.sonic.com/products/dla/default.asp):

"Drive Letter Access (DLA) allows you to quickly and easily create data discs. Using DLA, you can read and write files directly to your CD or DVD disc like you would to a floppy diskette or hard drive.

Drag and Drop: Allows you to save files and folders to your recorder drive using My Computer or Windows Explorer.
Send To: Uses the Send To command to save files and folders.
Save As: Uses the Save As command in most software applications to save active files.
EasyWrite: Supports EasyWrite technology, which provides a more satisfactory user experience through background formatting of discs and defect management.
Making discs compatible with CD-ROM drives: Makes CD-R discs readable by virtually any CD-ROM drive."

ychandrani · #12 Post by **ychandrani** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:59 pm

I use it with my external Lacie DVD burner and haven't experienced any problems.......as yet.

selvan777 · #13 Post by **selvan777** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:38 am

IBM - Download Driver finder - United States
http://www.ibm.com/products/finder/us/e ... C2=5000044

You can get Access IBM from the above and I don't see any reason why you couldn't use any XP CD to load a new drive provided you have the serial for it.

Get the new drive, install XP, go to the above and download all the drivers and what ever you need for your specific machine.

That's exactly what I did, and I never needed to restore anything from the original image (I took an image of the HDD before I formatted it), not C:\Drivers, not C:\Ibmtools, never used the IBM recovery CDs, not then and now, never have.

And yet, Update Connector works successfully, the ThinkPad button works, the volume indicators on the screen work, everything, all the original functionality of my TP is still there and working.

Access IBM and new Hard drive

Access IBM and new Hard drive

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