Recovery CD vs Clean WXP install

[Monck]

Hi,

My T61 will ned a system reinstall soon, i just got Recovery cd for it, and now i've small dilema, better install Clean WXP or just put Recovery CD and wait. Any idea?

Thanks

[jronald]

Clean install will leave out the IBM Bloatware. UNLESS you want the bloatware, then use the recovery CD.

Ron

[A31]

Restore CD will have all the required drivers and should be pre-activated by IBM? Mind you, the drivers might well be out of date and you can always activate with your COA, so it's your choice really.

[farmall]

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=97992

I'd make the full set of media if you don't have them in hand. Just in case. I collect all I can find because one never knows what one will need to reload.

The bloatware is nasty so if it were mine I'd do a clean install unless it was going to "use up" my Windows Product Key. Were that the case I'd do a factory restore and then remove the bloatware programs one by one, leaving the key for use elsewhere.

You can Ghost or otherwise copy your "clean modified" install and make your own backup of that partition.

[ozzymud]

Neither (but using both), get the correct OEM files from the factory install media, use a clean XP cd, with nLite to make you own custom install cd/dvd with all current drivers and even pre-installed apps that you actually use instead of bloatware (same dvd can be set up for multiple machines/brands)

Then after you get a fresh installed system exactly the way you want it, use Acronis or something to image it to an external drive... then you basically have a recovery disk.

[farmall]

nlite is sweet.

There are lots of ways to restore systems, but since I've been experimenting with the FalconFour 4.5 live CD here's one to consider.

http://falconfour.wordpress.com/2011/03 ... cdusb-4-5/

Ensure you have proper licenses for any proprietary software referenced herein.

I installed XP on a test PC, updated it and downloaded various progs without installing them (so if they are superseded I can choose not to install them) to the Desktop.

The default settings for the FalconFour Ghost automatically splits the image into CD-sized chunks. That's cool even when using a DVD because if they are all in the same directory they work seamlessly. I Ghosted to a USB DVD burner since the test PC CD drive was occupied. You can Ghost to USB key, another partition, or wherever you like.

I went to my Ubuntu machine, and opened the FalconFour CD image using isomaster (listed in the software center). Opening an image allows you to remove and insert files and folders. You should then save the new iso under a different name so as not to disturb your original.

Of course there are plenty of .iso tools for Windows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison ... e_software

I added the (three in my case) .GHO files TO the .iso then booted it in Virtualbox to test . Ghost saw the files so all was good. I burned the .iso (now too big for a CD) to DVD.

So long as your restore image fits on a DVD you can do it that way. If you install FalconFour to make a USB drive bootable you can store any size image you can fit.

The result is a very featureful computer rescue toolkit with multiple operating systems (PE, Linux, DOS, etc) including a restore image. Your reinstall disc is also your troubleshooting and file rescue disk. You can do all the .iso manipulation and burning easily on a Windows machine, but since my downloads etc are on my Ubuntu laptop I used that.

[BootSectorVirus]

Install XP Clean, install your ethernet or wireless driver to get Internet access, download Thinkvantage System Update 3.14 software and install, then you can pick and choose what gets installed.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... MIGR-66956