Clean Install Guide (works for 32-bit or 64-bit)

I did the backup...

It won't even let me do the recovery disks i made...

I'm really nor kidding I'm surprised things went so wrong as well.

I've been buildind systems since 98 and have some cis too...

Where did my original pre load go??

 

install vista again...then download lenovo's "system update" manager and it will download all the drivers and the preload software that came along with originally...the computer wlll be basically the same as the preload

Just a word of advice, I wouldn't call people idiots around here...most know what they are doing....you are the first person that really had problems with this...we are here to help you out...but not if you're going to be vulgur

 

Thanks dude that was my next move after getting off the phone with china...

I'm not a vulgar guy at all..."Temporary Insanity"...Everyone's been there...

 

So did the mods delete the posts of you calling me an idiot or did you remove them and that your way of apologizing?

There are 30 pages to this thread. Anyone that has ever had an issue I have been very helpful. I will say right now that if anyone has an issue trying to do a clean install, there is no situation that you can get yourself into that I can't get you out of. (The only exception to that is if you suddenly had a hardware failure. If that happens, then that is what a warranty if for. This guide is about software.) No trouble, I'm not saying you had a hardware failure. I bet whatever situation you go yourself into I could bail you out of it.

I honestly can't figure out how someone who has been building systems for 10 years needs a clean install guide in the first place but whatever.

 

understandable....just another thought...lenovo's system update manager is painfully slow..and requires babysitting..it is probably a 3-5 hour process...but your system will be back to the way it was

 

my comments were deleted as well, along with braddd's so i think the mods deleted a good portion

 

It was a " CarpetBombing Exercise"...

 

I can't figure out what happened to my "Secret Partition" and why my Recov discs don't work...
Well that's what the Ant-time is for.

And also I should have left alone the fine work that the "Real" software engineers" at ibm wrote all that cool stuff to idiot proof their systems...

 

That doesn't sound like an apology. It still sounds borderline insulting. Good Luck.

 

I am Sorry, Ireally freaked.
I apologize...

 

Do you have drivers?
Can you still boot to a DVD?
Do you have the anytime upgrade disk?
What version of Vista do you have?
Did you use the ABR utility?
Does the ABR folder have two files in it as described in Step 3 of the guide?

 

Reloading now...

 

Basically you should be able to boot to the Anytime upgrade disk (or retail or OEM installation disk). If you are having trouble booting to the disk then try tapping the space bar about once every second after you press the power button.

If you are still having trouble booting to the anytime disk then keep tapping the F1 key after you power up until you enter the BIOS. Change the boot order so that the CD/DVD drive is first and the HDD is second. (as a 10 year builder that should be easy). Then power up and tap the space bar until it boots to the anytime disk.

If you followed the directions and you have the ABR folder with two files in it as outlined in Step 3 you should be able to use that to restore activation after Vista finishes installing. Then install the drivers.

 

I even saved a copy of SWTOOLS to Flash drive as you recommended...

 

Can you insert your USB drive into one of your computers and see if you have these two files:

backup-cert.xrm-ms
backup-key.txt

 

If you followed the directions and you have the ABR folder with two files in it as outlined in Step 3 you should be able to use that to restore activation after Vista finishes installing. Then install the drivers.[/

That's where all the trouble started...
First it played the dos script and said activated, then Bill Gates kept comming out of my closet begging for more $$$....
Then it locked me out??

 

Also, click on the .txt file but make sure you do not change anything... don't add any spaces or anything.

Does it have a key code? should be a bunch of random numbers (I think five sets of numbers each containing five letters and numbers), not just all zeros or anything like that.

 

Did you select the same version of Vista during installation that you purchased. I you sure you have Premium and not another version?

 

What if i do??

 

What does that mean??? Just put it into another computer and check the text file.

 

I chose Ultimate because I was under the impression for this much $$ i deserved Ultimate?? The Problem??

 

you know just double click the text file... not the restore or backup file.

 

I have it...What now?

 

Are you serious????

THAT IS THE PROBLEM!

It says right in the F.A.Q. that this only works for the version that you purchased. If the product key code does not match the version you are attempting to install then it just will not activate. It's that simple.

 

Oops.

Thanks for the laugh at least.

 

I thought Bill would give us a little"Lagniappe" for doing so much work...No?

 

Wait for it to finish installing, then actually follow the guide!

This isn't about getting something for free. this is about doing a clean install of the version you already paid for.

Good Night!

 

I thought you were forced to say that as a "General Disclaimer"...

So now it should work??

 

Getting "a little something extra from Bill".......BWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

The guide does what it says it does. That's it. I never claimed anything else. Maybe it's time to go to your little "stallen's guide trashed my T61" thread and explain that you do not know how to follow simple directions.

 

will the volume control buttons work after clean reinstall?

thanks.

 

Yes... hotkey drivers and system interface drivers

This is one of the F.A.Q.
• Will I loose any functionality of my laptop after the clean install?
Please let me know if I need to make something more clear.

 

Thanks.

I've used ABR to restore the product key.

The copy of my vista business can only be installed twice and I've already installed it on my previous Dell once.

will do a clean reinstall on the 5400.3 tomorrow.

Did you get yours? Is it really quiet and cool?

 

I've got my 5400.3 in the ultrabay now. I can't tell it is there! I haven't put it to much use yet though. All I have done is format it. I plan on storing various files on it, I also plan on putting a bunch of movies (iso files) on it and using a program (Alcohol 120%) for mounting the iso files on a virtual DVD drive. That will be a nice test to see how quiet it is.

I am sure battery life is much better for watching movies on a HDD than a DVD drive.

 

cool. I am looking forward to getting mine.

compuvest messed up with my ultrabay adapter order. they promised me they'll send me one overnight. Hopefully I can get it tomorrow.

 

I think you'll enjoy it. I think the SATA ultrabay adapter is a hidden gem that is often overlooked. It is unbelievably simple to swap in and out with the DVD drive.

It is also very simple to insert new HDDs into the ultrabay adapter itself (no tools needed). I will be using the 160GB 5300.3 most of the time, but I also use my factory 5300RPM 60GB HDD for backing up with Complete PC Backup and Restore.

 

With all Respect...

Your reinstallation guide should have a comment that the preload is not that bad--at least mine was excellent and that a format and reinstall will destroy that with "Dubious" benefits...

I really regret wiping my hard disk clean...

 

If you made restore disks you should be able to go back to factory install. No?

 

If it was "excellent", why did you bother? I'll answer that... because you were trying to pirate a version of Vista that you didn't pay for. Since you couldn't do that, now you are mad.

Again, if you could follow simple directions and you made recovery disks, you can go back to the original state.

With all respect... please don't post again until you think about what you are saying.

 

Has anyone tried using the recovery DVDs that they have made? When I put mine in they didn't autorun. Which file do I need to run to use the recovery disks? Or do I just have them in the drive and restart the laptop?

I just want to make sure my recovery disks actually work before errasing everything. lol
Tim

 

The ABR restoration doesn't seem to work right on my Lenovo R61. I used the backup program to create the two files (which I made copies of), however after following the guide by the letter, the restoration program doesn't restore the key/activation settings properly even though it says activation successful.

I just hope that these recovery dvds will at least take me back to square 1.

 

Good for you for making sure everything is in place before you attempt a clean install. When you make the disks you should end up with 2 or 3 disks. The first disk should be bootable. You should be able to put in that disk and do a restart and tap on your space bar to boot to it (or change the boot order in the BIOS to boot to it). What happens when you try to do that?

Also, if you want a set of recovery disks for free, I have read several posts that you can get them for free if you call tech support (NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE) and tell them that you attempted to burn the disks and they didn't burn properly and now it won't let you burn them again.

 

I'm sending you a PM.

 

Wow, so much unnecessary drama. PEOPLE, just carefully read the first post in this thread before you post. It should answer 99% of your questions/problems.

Tim. I can tell you the recovery media i made, including the authentic recovery media sent by Lenovo, did not function properly when the hidden recovery partition was still located on my HDD. The first disk would boot into Rescue and Recovery, but when it came time to do the actual recovery, the following two disk were not recognized by Rescue and Recovery (Keep in mind i've done multiple clean installs before this point, so your results may differ). I have yet to try another recovery using the factory recovery media.

 

hey thanks for the help stallen.

something else that i couldn't figure out is the scroll feature only works in firefox or IE...but nothing else. WMP, or any other application that scrolls doesn't work.

 

Scrolling doesn't work for everything. Lenovo is constantly updating the ultranav driver to support scrolling for various programs. Here are some of the latest releases, but this is not a comprehensive list of supported programs:

Version 9.1.3.5

* (New) Support scrolling on Microsoft PowerPoint 2003

Version 9.1.3.4

* (New) Support scrolling on Microsoft Excel 2007
* (New) Support scrolling on Microsoft Word 2007
* (New) Support scrolling on Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 -
(New) Support scrolling on Google Picasa
* (New) Support scrolling on Eudora version 5.2.1
* (New) Support scrolling on Netscape version 8.1.2
* (New) Support scrolling on OpenOffice.org

Version 9.1.3.0

* (New) Windows Vista support.

 

I am gonna do it now!

will vista business occupy more resource than home basic?

 

I suppose you might have a couple more processes with business than basic. However, you will have less processes if your home basic is factory and you are doing a clean install with business.

I suppose you are not using the ABR utility for this clean install. It sounds like you are going from basic to business so you must be using a purchased retail or OEM product key.

 

done!

Yeah, I have a key from my university.

I am trying to tweak vista now.

 

I will not even respond to your ignorant and unfounded use of the word "Pirate"...