Updated/New IBM ThinkPad Software Installer

Message

ranjit · #31 Post by **ranjit** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:30 am

Hi James,

Thank you for your response.

I don't understand your suggestion... Could you please elaborate?

Btw, what about the "Intel Chipset Support II", does this app have anything to do with my problem?

Cheers,
Ranjit

JHEM · #32 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:32 am

Stillstuck wrote:Apologies,
I'm located in Lansing, Mi. USA

800-IBM-SERV (800-426-7378)

Make sure you have the latest Windows updates installed on your system.

"Some driver updates may not be shown in the download list unless the latest Microsoft fixpacks have been installed through Microsoft Windows Update".

Regards,

James

JHEM · #33 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:38 am

ranjit wrote:I don't understand your suggestion... Could you please elaborate?

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... hlocataion

ranjit wrote:Btw, what about the "Intel Chipset Support II", does this app have anything to do with my problem?

I wouldn't think so. Like Stillstuck you should ensure you have the latest OS drivers and fixpacks installed.

Regards,

James

JHEM · #34 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:46 am

Bonjour Yves,

yves wrote:I have the same problem as Stillstuck but with an A31P.

Is your machine type properly reported in the BIOS. You can also check in the Configuration Utility by clicking on System Information> Summary.

Regards,

James

yves · #35 Post by **yves** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:15 pm

Yes , it is . In the Summary, it is writen = System Model 2653h5g
TIA

JHEM · #36 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:37 pm

Yves,

yves wrote:Yes , it is . In the Summary, it is writen = System Model 2653h5g

All I can suggest at this point is to call IBM support (+33-238-557-450 9AM - 6PM Monday - Friday) and explain the problem to them.

That unit should still be in warranty.

Perhaps Ian will chime in here, he's in France and speaks the lingua Franca, I'm sure he's had dealings with local support although I know that he prefers taking his Thinkpads "home" to the UK for support.

Regards,

James

Stillstuck · #37 Post by **Stillstuck** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:11 pm

Just catching up with the rest of the conversation:

I do have the latest windows updates and patches:
Running Win XP 5.6.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
Running IE
System Model as identified by System info: TP-A21p_

Actual System: ThinkPad A21p 2629-RRE
512 MB Ram
Running from Docking Station with Windows Firewall enabled, although I don't see how that could affect things.

Stillstuck · #38 Post by **Stillstuck** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:14 pm

Added comment:

My A21p warrenty expired roughly 14 months ago.

JHEM · #39 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:57 pm

Stillstuck wrote:Running from Docking Station with Windows Firewall enabled, although I don't see how that could affect things.

Undock the unit, try again and report back!

Yes, the fact that the unit is docked can most certainly have an effect.

Regards,

James

Stillstuck · #40 Post by **Stillstuck** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:42 pm

JHEM wrote:
Stillstuck wrote:Running from Docking Station with Windows Firewall enabled, although I don't see how that could affect things.
Undock the unit, try again and report back!

Yes, the fact that the unit is docked can most certainly have an effect.

Regards,

James

Tried removing from docking station, but No Luck.

Pulled from docking station:
1.) re-tried install of "Automatic thinkpad software installer".
Same error message: "invalid machine type"

2.)Tried auto detecting machine type at IBM's web site.
Still get "Information for '-' was not found".

andyli · #41 Post by **andyli** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 6:36 pm

For my T42p, the installer worked great.

However, for some reason, the versions on the installer are OLDER than those available through Windows Update. That really confused me (and caused me to have to reinstall a few things twice). Now, I am ignoring updates from Microsoft that is IBM-related and using the Installer for IBM-related software.

plasdom · #42 Post by **plasdom** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:07 pm

Works great here. I wiped my t42 clean and reinstalled the OS (wiped the hidden partition too). This helped restore all the drivers that I needed to make things work like they did when I got it from the factory

ranjit · #43 Post by **ranjit** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:22 pm

Hi James,

Thank you for your message.

Yes, I do have the latest OS drivers and fixpacks installed in my system.

Like you said, I moved the folders where the drivers are located on my HD (in my case, it was the folder named "IBM", and the folder named "PkgMgr" in C:/Program Files/Thinkpad for the "Software Installer") under search locations. In the retrieved list, I found under "Available Versions" the latest versions of the drivers and updates, and under "Installed Versions" I found a "<--" for most of the packages. What does this mark mean? Does it mean that I do have the version indicated in the available version list?

Strangely, for the "Software Installer", I found version 2.32.0492 in [u]available version [/u]and 3.01.0503 in installed version. Surely, the available version should also have been 3.01.0503. Right?

Please advice.

Cheers and best regards,
Ranjit

mattfromomaha · #44 Post by **mattfromomaha** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:16 pm

I installed it yesterday and it seems to work great on my T-30.

pat · #45 Post by **pat** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:35 am

I'm having a problem using this on my 2378FVU. it seems to freeze when it's installing some drivers. I let it go the whole night and woke up this morning to it and it was still installing the same driver!

The driver in question is the power management driver.

I also unchecked it and installed the next driver in line and I got the same deal.

What gives?

Stillstuck · #46 Post by **Stillstuck** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:46 pm

Does anyone know a way to restore the internal system ID, (Machine Type/Model, & Serial Number)?

I think the root cause of my problems trying to install the "Automatic thinkpad software installer", (ie. error message "invalid machine type"), is that my machine no longer has any internal ID data.

When I try the 3 System ID Tools I've found on IBM's web site I get blank or near blank responses.

1.) "Detect my System" Feature at the IBM web page
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... y=2373-xtx
Yields the response: "Information for '-' was not found".

2.) "System Details" on the IBM web page
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... uestion.vm
Yields the response:
System Details
Machine Type/Model: - (dash)
Serial #: -blank- (null field)

3.)View, save and compare snapshots of more detailed system information (drill down feature of #2)
Yields the response:
Computer Model: -blank- (null field)
Serial Number: -blank- (null field)

On the other hand:
Microsoft System Info gives:
System Model TP-A21p_

Any insight on how these internal ID's and serial numbers could be restore would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Stuck

JHEM · #47 Post by **JHEM** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:33 pm

Stillstuck,

Email me from a valid account.

Regards,

James

Uncletoad · #48 Post by **Uncletoad** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:41 pm

Boy am I glad they designed this. Makes updates super easy. Excellent utility.

yves · #49 Post by **yves** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:55 am

My A31P is detected with both the 2 links

But I still get invalid machine type !!

DavidNZ · #50 Post by **DavidNZ** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:42 am

It's a nice piece of software, to be sure, but I wish there was a way to permanently refuse a particular driver option. For example, it's telling me that it is 'mandatory' that I download and install "Intel Chipset Support III", but when I find out more info about it from the IBM ftp site, I read:

"If you use the Product Recovery function shipped with your ThinkPad to restore the Windows preload environment, you do not need this package. This package is required when you install Windows Operating Systems without the Product Recovery function."

Ok great, so it's not really for me. So, I wish the software installer would give me the option to say something like "I'll never need this. Thanks anyway." Same with Access Connections 3.7, come to think of it (I'm happy with 3.30, thanks)!

jsalb · #51 Post by **jsalb** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:05 am

There unquestionably is a bug in the new installer. My A31p (2653-H5U) has SP2 and all subsequent MS hotfixes installed; it's up to date (In any case, I suspect that's irrelevant).

Also, none of the other proposed solutions in this thread have solved the problem: namely, that the installer will not pick up the newer versions of certain of the utilities and drivers.

I've carefully tested different path configurations for the IBM driver directory, with no change. I don't doubt that the installer is performing as expected on many machines. But there is a persistent bug that seems to be machine-specific.

yves · #52 Post by **yves** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:25 pm

I have a 2653 and the installer does not work at all

No SP1 or SP2

JHEM · #53 Post by **JHEM** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:42 pm

yves wrote:I have a 2653 and the installer does not work at all

No SP1 or SP2

What OS and release are you running Yves?

Regards,

James

JHEM · #54 Post by **JHEM** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:47 pm

Even though the Transnote isn't listed as one of the units the new updater works on, I downloaded and installed it anyway just for a lark.

First time I attempted to run the app it froze and I had to three finger salute it to get it to shut down.

Then I had an all too infrequent brainstorm and rebooted the machine. Works perfectly now and is presently installing all of the updates it downloaded.

Running W2K SP4.

Next up: 600X!

Regards,

James

yves · #55 Post by **yves** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:27 pm

I am using Window XP without SP1 or SP2.

Just the pre loaded XP US version (from Bill Morrow)

JHEM · #56 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:36 am

Yves,

yves wrote:I am using Window XP without SP1 or SP2.

As previously noted, the updater stipulates that you must have the latest Service Packs for your OS installed in order for the Updater to work properly.

I would strongly urge you to run the Windows update utility Start> All Programs> Windows Update.

If you continue to have problems after you update to SP2 I would again suggest you contact IBM support in Paris at the number I previously posted.

Regards,

James

n3il · #57 Post by **n3il** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:19 am

JHEM wrote: I would again suggest you contact IBM support in Paris

Paris?!!!!!

yves · #58 Post by **yves** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 6:38 am

Yes I am in Paris, the betrayer's city

thank you very much

I am doing immediately Windows update utility Start> All Programs> Windows Update.

n3il · #59 Post by **n3il** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 6:40 am

I was not meaning offence - just that the IBM support for France is not in Paris...

yves · #60 Post by **yves** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 8:26 am

Yes I was writting that because I received a strange email from a guy "Bruce Markowitz" <scosgt@worldnet.att.net

I asked him to purchase a ThinkPad

Here is his reply
"Say hello to the Eiffel tower. I don't ship overseas, and I would never do
business with the cowardly French. Bye"

Updated/New IBM ThinkPad Software Installer

IAN!!!!

My A31P is detected with both the 2 links

Updated/New IBM ThinkPad Software Installer

Updater Works on Transnote!

Who is online