New Harddrive and Vista Install!

My new T61 should be on my doorstep tomorrow along with my 320gig harddrive I ordered to upgrade it with.

Is it as simple as buring the Restore and Recovery disks and then swapping out the hardrives and using these disks or is there more too it?

I was thinking about doing a clean install of Vista, but i dont want to have to worry about retrieving all of the correct drivers or screwing something up.

 

That is exactly how you can do it, and it will work out almost perfectly.

Perfection would be doing a clean install

 

yeah i really would want to do a clean install, but i just dont want to screw something up with all those drivers.

also i dont have a retail vista disk and couldnt find a goodone thats sp1 online. and i dont have time to buy one and wait for it to ship to me.

How much more beneficial is it to do a clean install, and if i use the restore disks, which i probably will use, how much bloatware am i looking at.

And is using the disks as simple as powering up the computer and sticking them in the drive and booting from them?

 

Clean install with Vista on a new thinkpad is VERY simple.

Insert any 32bit vista disc (borrow your friend's disc if needed) and enter in the key on the bottom of the notebook. Go through install clicking next and following the prompts. When it is done, get a USB thumbdrive with wireless driver and LAN drivers if Vista did not detect it already. On my T60 I think the Intel 100/1000 LAN was fine from the start.

Install Lenovo System Update

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TVSU-UPDATE

Install all all the software you want, pick and chose.

Run windows update and pull in all remaining updates and you are good to go.

 

Vista isnt as bad about the bloatware on the ThinkPads as it was with XP. Everything you dont need can be uninstalled fairly easy. If you dont want to do a full clean install you can get by very well with the base configuration or restore discs.

When you make the factory restore discs you will have a startup disc, and one or more data discs. Use DVD's if you can, otherwise you will have like 6 CD's. You just put it in the drive, start the notebook, and follow the prompts.

 

wait so doing that basically eliminates steps 2 and 4 from stalens vista guide then right? then whats the point of even doing in manually? is it not the exact same either way?

 

thanks! Kevin, is the 64bit the same?

 

Doing it manually ensures you're doing it correctly and in the appropriate order. System Update has had problems in the past (search for it), so kind of run the risk of it not working as expected.

 

Can one first update a new system, eg. t61p to Vista SP1 and do all Lenovo System & Think Vantage Updates & then make Recovery/Rescue set ?
Will such disks have the new updates ?
Or is it wiser to use a 3rd party software like Paragon Drive Backup to clone the 5400rpm disk to a new 7200rpm disk (after all updates)?

Why I ask is I have a new T61p (6460-A27) with 5400 rpm 160GB disk and wish to transfer it to a 7200 rpm disk.

Grateful for any tips/advice

Skry

 

The recovery discs are created from the hidden partition, not from your current system state. This means that your discs will not have the new updates.

The best backup, IMO, would be to create a ghost image once you have your system exactly the way you want it for which you can return to if need be.

 

Thanks Arkit3kt, noted your tip for Ghost.

Skry