New Lenovo Support Page (June 2011)

[misfit]

I still don't get why, no matter which page I go through, when I download TVSU, install it on a TP and run it I get the message that the software is an old version and needs updating. But I just downloaded it! Lots and lots of wasted megabytes through teh intartubes, like bandwidth and data are free.....

[jdhurst]

There is a patch for TVSU and I have not been able to download a new version that includes the patch. I have the same problem as you. The driver matrix continues to be out of date. ... JDH

[ozzymud]

All old links that redirect are now not working, they were giving the new site popup that you could click "No Thanks" to...

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... PAD-MOVIES

redirects to:

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/?lndocid=TPAD-MOVIES

but it does nothing... same with any of the other 1000's of links found in old posts here and other place on the net. Endless hours of users helping users all lost

[rkawakami]

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=98364

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... gacyDocID=

then add TPAD-MOVIES at the end of that partial URL

[ozzymud]

Some admin here with MySQL database access here should do a global search/replace on all the messages here... as there are litterally 1000's that point to the old site

Dunno the db name or fields, but in phpmyadmin a simple sql statement like:

Code: Select all

UPDATE `phpbb_posts` SET `post-content` = REPLACE(`post_text`, "http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=", "http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?&LegacyDocID=");

Should be easy enough after doing a db backup.

[AceyMan]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet (I don't think) -- the MIGR document numbers were always well and uniquely indexed by the major search engines.

So if Lenovo Support mentioned a MIGR document you needed to access, you would just search: MIGR-12345, or whatever, and viola, the right Lenovo document would always be one of the top 3 results returned (usually #1).

This alone made the old system better.

Also, as far as I can see the new system's web application doesn't create a unique url for each page (not that can be bookmarked/copied from the address bar); many pages are dynamically built from the same apparent URL.

So if you want to bookmark a commonly used page (for ex., I always bookmarked the Driver Matrix page for the Types that my company owns) you are out of luck.

Boo, Lenovo, boo.

[rkawakami]

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=98364

For example, MIGR-62928 can be accessed directly here:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... MIGR-62928 (T60/T60p drivers and software)

Or using the current DocumentID number (at the bottom of each Support page):
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... D=HT037020

[jdhurst]

Slowly the driver matrix is improving. I am now finding current stuff there for my T61p. It is at least working and my machine is current once more. ... JDH

[crashnburn]

I miss the old site and links. Its such a pain to go through the new site.

[fschwep]

It's 2012 now and I can't even get into the Lenovo Support page at all. It is just dead as a doornail. Is there any other way to get to drivers for say graphics cards?

[jdhurst]

The main page (lenovo.com is usually up (so they can sell)). The support page has a success rate for me over the last six months of about 25 percent availability. The support site has not been available any time today that I tried but was available last week sometimes.

Much of their core software (Access Connection, Hard Drive Protection and Software Update) have all failed in the field and have all been pulled. New updates have not been issued as of last week.

I have the new Software Update (luck) and it seems to work for me. It tells me I need new HD Protection but that is simply not available. I have the new Access Connections (luck) and it seems to work for me.

I have tried to be supportive and I still purchase Lenovo computers. However in terms of support, they are apologetic but have lost their way. Apparently the profit managers have figured out that supporting what they sell is more costly than they want.

Here is a link to a Lenovo apology:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Feedback-on ... d-p/889285

... JDH

[emeraldgirl08]

I tried accessing the site to link a HMM for a fellow member but the support section has been inaccessible all afternoon. Change is a funny thing. When the old 'tried and true' just gets old people want to change it. Not sure if that makes any sense

[RealBlackStuff]

Here is a link to a Lenovo apology:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Feedback-on ... d-p/889285

That's no apology, and it's not from Lenovo.
Their support website is outright disgusting at the moment, and has been extremely poor ever since they let some junior klutz revamp their website.
You can start a page, go out to buy a hamburger (or whatever), come back an hour later, and you still haven't got the page you want.
What a shambles!
Do you listen, Lenovo?

[jdhurst]

Do you listen, Lenovo?

No, they stopped listening years ago. Look at the mess called Windows 8. Microsoft does not listen any more either.

I got QuickBooks V2013 with some lines using dull gray on dark green (unreadable). Change the skin or colour scheme? No chance in QB V2013. Intuit has also learned how to stop listening.

To NOT LISTEN is a standard and contagious disease amongst software programmers and manufacturers. It is easier to tell customers they are a pain in the butt instead of listening.

... JDH

[Radioguy]

I have the new Software Update (luck) and it seems to work for me. It tells me I need new HD Protection but that is simply not available. I have the new Access Connections (luck) and it seems to work for me.

Don't rely on SU right now. 4 out of 5 updates I've received through it are at least one version behind what's listed in the matrix. I know it's a pain in the @$$ to deal with the site, but you can try google caches of the matrix and driver pages. While the individual pages might not load otherwise, once you can obtain the direct links to the files, they download at normal speeds.

[twistero]

Well, seems like the support site is at least online right now.
It wasn't when I actually needed it though, so I ended up downloading drivers from Lenovo's Chinese support site. They are on a separate domain (support.lenovo.com.cn) which actually works. Of course, it would be kinda difficult to navigate if you can't read Chinese...

Here's Quick Path (sort of): http://support1.lenovo.com.cn/lenovo/ws ... t_Driver_1
And here's manual selection: http://support1.lenovo.com.cn/lenovo/ws ... nLoad.aspx

All drivers are language-independent, but the self-extracting archives may be in Chinese.

[Radioguy]

Well, the drivers I looked at through Lenovo.cn do seem language neutral, and retain file properties in English. That makes them fine for use if you can navigate to your model and reach the applicable driver list. It looks like a good option.

Yet, I still like the Google cache of the matrix:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a

Instead of clicking the model and stalling again as it tries to load the direct page, you copy the link and Google that itself. Eventually you get to the last cached version of each driver page, and you can just download the drivers from it, as the file downloads themselves don't seem to stall.

For instance, from that page, I right-click T61, copy the link, and enter that into Google, and get the cache of that:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a

Do the same with the driver page link (SoundMax, as an example):

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a

Now, we have the download link, while the original driver page link still times out. Of course, you need to look at the cache date at the top of the page to make sure it's a recent cache.

[jdhurst]

The Support Site was back up this evening and actually working. That is the first time in a long time.

I got the following new:

1. System Update V5 download (V5 had been forced on me earlier)
2. PM Driver new
3. Power Manager new
4. Hard Drive protect new that System Update had been telling me about. Now I have it and it is installed.
5. New Video driver (first since 2009). Installed and working.

So some small (very tiny small) progress on the part of Lenovo.

.... JDH

[Radioguy]

Gotta say, I grabbed a few of those builds from the matrix via the cache method a few days ago (SU, PM, HD Protect, etc). Like I said, it's best not to rely on any one method if you want to keep up to date as possible. That said, oh so many updates deliver little to no improvement to older covered models. Sometimes it seems pointless.

EDIT: Oh, and thank heavens they use frames. It's nice to get directly to a model page when the site is up.

T61 by category:
http://download.lenovo.com/lenovo/content/ddfm/T61.html

T61 by date:
http://download.lenovo.com/lenovo/conte ... _date.html

Tweak the the model number to what you want, and then bookmark it.