Upgrading Thinkpad T6x's to Windows 7

[Muse]

I have two Thinkpads now, a T60 and a T61. I have been making plans to upgrade them to Windows 7. I want to feel I have my feet beneath me before I do the upgrades.

The T60 (Core 2 Duo T5500 1.67GHz, GMA950 graphics, 1.5GB, 60GB HD) I bought new almost exactly 4 years ago in November 2006, has about the same stuff it came with direct from Lenovo, including the original installation of Windows XP. I could have gotten a free upgrade disk of Vista from them (I pay shipping), but I never got around to it. I called Lenovo later and they told me it was too late because I was out of warranty.

Well, I upgraded the 1.5GB RAM to 3GB, have a Windows 7 32bit upgrade disk I got for an Acer Vista laptop that died a few weeks ago, so I plan to install that on the T60.

The T61, I received last night and it looks like a new machine. It might be, or maybe it was just lightly used and cleaned up really well. It has Vista 32bit Business on it, the stock Lenovo OS and Lenovo specific etc. software installation, evidently exactly as it came from the factory. In fact, it may have been refurbished in a Lenovo factory, is my impression from the parts that came with it and the way it was packaged and the way the machine is performing right out of the box.

The T61 currently has 2GB DDR2, 100GB HD, a 15.4" WSXGA+ screen, Intel graphics, T7700 2.4GHz processor. I have two 2GB G.Skill DDR2 DIMMs from the dead Acer machine that I plan to put in the T61 for a total of 4GB. They are 667MHz, and I think the T61 may support 800MHz, but I figure they are pretty adequate. I also have a new unused Samsung 640GB 2.5" 7200RPM HD I just bought from Newegg that I can put in the T61 (was going to put it in the Acer before the Acer died). I can move the 250GB HD from the dead Acer to my T60, which has a 60GB right now (cramped). I have a copy of Windows 7 64bit Ultimate I can put on the T61.

I need some assurances and encouragement to proceed with the OS upgrades, so please please indulge me. Can I download all the stuff I would care to from Lenovo that supports both the T60 and T61 with the Windows 7 versions I have? I'm thinking about ThinkVantage and the dozen or more Thinkpad specific utilities and so forth that I currently see on the machines. Please, can I get some recommendations concerning which of these are really worth it and which fall in the category of bloatware? Thanks!

[Tasurinchi]

I used to have Win7 Ultimate in my T43p before. I could upgrade without a single issue so I don't see why it shouln't work in a T6x. Currently I'm using Win7 in my X60, it runs very well. I don't have all Lenovo software but I'm using the FP reader, Lenovo Connections, Power Management and Lenovo's System Update.

I'm very happy how it works with the X60! I'd love to upgrade any of my T6xs but I don't have more licenses.

I'm pretty sure it will work fine in any of your machines!

My 0,02 cents

[mixz1]

You will have no problem(s). Get the OS installed and then download ThinkVantage System Updater V4. Let it take care of the rest. If you don't need it, avoid Access Connections. Good luck.

[hhmcsv]

I run a T60 for half a year now with a clean Win7 Ultimate. Did the "rescue&recovery" disks as recommended, I hope I will never use them. No issues whatsoever

[Muse]

My concern was not whether it would work. From what I've seen in threads, I'm pretty confident it will work. What I'm not sure of is just how to set things up, what to download and install. After all, the systems as they are have all the Lenovo software (some of which is probably bloatware, I figure). It's too easy to sit back and stay with Vista, though. I posted this to get guidance in how to go about the upgrade, not whether or not to do it. There is some in the posts so far, and thank you very much for that. Any further clarification and suggestions are much appreciated!

I don't have all Lenovo software but I'm using the FP reader, Lenovo Connections, Power Management and Lenovo's System Update.

All that stuff is readily downloadable from Lenovo? Can I get something that will run the DVD-RW/CD-RW drive?

There's a ton of other stuff that Lenovo put on the machines. Can I get some of that stuff for the Windows 7 installations?

[tannerj]

Download Lenovo System Update software and your network drivers prior to starting (7 may have a net driver built in, but better safe then sorry). Install them after Windows 7 is installed, and run System Update, it will take care of all the drivers, and you can have it download any of the Lenovo software you may want such as Power Manager. If you're really concerned you can make an image backup of your hard drive using Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost.

[Tasurinchi]

As the previous poster said, Lenovo System Update takes all the work for you. But I've ignored some of the stuff they offer. I did also make sure that all drivers (network, video, audio, etc.) were installed from Windows Update first and as last task I've run Lenovo System Update.

[Muse]

You will have no problem(s). Get the OS installed and then download ThinkVantage System Updater V4. Let it take care of the rest. If you don't need it, avoid Access Connections. Good luck.

What is Access Connections? Is it a Lenovo feature/utility?

I thought I had system update set up on this T60 I've had since new in November 2006, but looking last week I saw I had the original Nov. 2006 BIOS and the video driver for the integrated Intel GMA950 was also quite old. I don't know what it did. Once in a while it would prompt me to look for updates (it didn't say what program it was, if it was a Lenovo updater or what, but I always assumed it was the Lenovo updater ) and it usually looked for a second or two and informed me that there were no updates!

[mixz1]

Windows 7 requires ThinkVantage System Update 4. Get it here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 73695.html

ThinkVantage Access Connections is designed for users who connect to several diffent networks at multiple locations. It keeps track of all TCP/IP, sharing, printers and security settings for each location. Obviously big, obviously not needed by the average home user. Windows 7 network management does a pretty good job of maintaining multiple location's connections all by itself. Also, when Access Connections goes bad, as it will sometimes, you can have a difficult time fixing things. Best avoided (IMHO) if not needed.

[Muse]

I run a T60 for half a year now with a clean Win7 Ultimate. Did the "rescue&recovery" disks as recommended, I hope I will never use them. No issues whatsoever

At what point do you make the rescue and recovery disks? When's the right time to do this? I do have the Windows 7 64bit Ultimate install disk, if that's an issue.

[RealBlackStuff]

I'd say that's obvious, as soon as everything is installed!
Why do you think they call'em Rescue disks?
Disaster can strike the very next day.

[Muse]

I'd say that's obvious, as soon as everything is installed!
Why do you think they call'em Rescue disks?
Disaster can strike the very next day.

OK, here's where I am:

Installed Windows 7
Did a bunch of Windows Updates (all?, not sure...)
Ran Lenovo System Update and did just about all of them
Installed Avira Antivir Free

Time to create restore disks? I plan to download and install Firefox next, maybe I should do that first?

[Muse]

I'd say that's obvious, as soon as everything is installed!

Everything??? I have a ton of things to install. I haven't installed any of my programs or utilities, none of my data. Should I do that before making restore disks?

[BeeJayEmm]

To clarify the situation, would you please tell us what you mean when you say rescue and recovery disks? It is best, when contemplating an OS change, to burn recovery disks first so you may return the ThinkPad to like-new condition whenever you desire. Since you've already installed Win 7 (clean install?), your recovery partition may be gone, removing your ability to burn the disks. If you are talking about making backup disks using backup or cloning software, you may do this at any time. Make a backup now and incremental backups before a major change/update or software install. Then when everything is as you like it, make another full backup as your permanent baseline.

[Muse]

To clarify the situation, would you please tell us what you mean when you say rescue and recovery disks? It is best, when contemplating an OS change, to burn recovery disks first so you may return the ThinkPad to like-new condition whenever you desire. Since you've already installed Win 7 (clean install?), your recovery partition may be gone, removing your ability to burn the disks. If you are talking about making backup disks using backup or cloning software, you may do this at any time. Make a backup now and incremental backups before a major change/update or software install. Then when everything is as you like it, make another full backup as your permanent baseline.

If there was a recovery partition on the T61 when I got it, presumably with the factory install of Vista on it, I couldn't find it. I did look.

Yes, I did a clean install of Windows 7, but it was on a different, a new HD.