W520 Win7 Clean Install Must Haves

[Deleau]

I've finished installing Win7 on my W520 on an 80GB mSATA Intel drive (GPT format UEFI only), tweaked it a bit and am now proceeding with installing apps and moving over my stuff from my T61.

What are peoples' opinion on the must have apps (Thinkpad or otherwise) for the W520? (For my T61, I pretty much ensured all devices had proper drivers and I installed the Thinkpad Power Manager.)

Thanks.

[ZaZ]

The only thinkvantage tools I use are power manager, hotkey and ultranav. Since I'll be using the X220i with a platter based drive, I might toss hard drive protection on there too when the X220i shows up.

[davidhbrown]

Win7 SP1?

[Q-Ball]

So for apps:

Standard drivers for proper operation of the computer (graphics drivers, Turbo Boost 2.0, Intel AMT driver, anything else Windows doesn't handle itself)
Standard updates (yes, this includes Windows 7 SP1)
ThinkPad Active Protection System (AFAIK it isn't pre-installed for some odd reason, at least it isn't on the T510)

And the only ThinkVantage programs I'd recommend are:
UltraNav
Hotkeys (I believe the Mic Mute functionality is integrated into this now- it's not on the T510)
AutoLock (This locks the computer when you're not in front of it, and I believe it also can do facial-recognition logins as well)

I don't care for Power Manager since it breaks your computer when you try to uninstall it, an as far as I know it doesn't add much- it does, however, give you specifications for your battery life (how many watt-hours you're getting this charge, for example).

[commander]

are they any other features/advantages the power manager can do over the windows7 settings?

[davidhbrown]

are they any other features/advantages the power manager can do over the windows7 settings?

It will warn you when you hook up something less than the 170W power adapter. I didn't notice Windows itself complaining about that, but I didn't try it without Power Manager. Might not count as a feature/advantage unless your users are likely to expect the 90W adapters to do anything useful.

[davidhbrown]

(unimportant, but...)

...
AutoLock (This locks the computer when you're not in front of it, and I believe it also can do facial-recognition logins as well)

Unlocking again -- securely! -- would be cool, but there is no mention of such capability in its controls, nor can I find any training routine like there is for the fingerprint reader. (AutoLock is accessed through a program shortcut called "Lenovo - Camera-enhanced Security" if anyone is having trouble finding it.)

[eulers1729]

A great app I'd recommend is the Notepad++, a free simple text editor like emacs but for Windows.

[Colonel O'Neill]

I'd go with Power Manager. Uninstalling it and reinstalling it has been fine for me. You'll want to set battery charging thresholds to maximize battery life.

I'd recommend AltDrag; it's remarkably useful if you're mostly TrackPoint, but it also lets you scroll in a window without making it active.