New T500 / Upgrade-Install question

So heres my question...

I just got my new T500 with Vista Biz 32bit. I am thinking about upgrading to 64bit, and have the 64 bit CD. After reading through the Clean install guide, it sounds like it is alot of work, and a few posts made it sound like you can just go straight into it...

Also, I was thinking about ordering a recovery disk from lenovo in 64bit instead so I can just do a straight install.

Any thoughts? Is this possible, and do I still need to follow all the steps in the clean install?

Thanks!

 

If you do indeed order a 64-bit recovery disk set from Lenovo, you will not need to follow the steps of the clean install guide - you'll just have a factory installation of Windows.

With Thinkpads, there really isn't too much bloatware that is tedious to uninstall - there's no need to do a clean install.

 

So I will not have to go through the backup process to save any license/activation, etc. or anything else before I install 64?

 

Just go off the phone with Lenevo, but they said it SHOULD Work. Any other insight from you guys? Im still wondering about the backup and activation, etc. etc.

And if i understand correctly, these disks have all the thinkvatnage software, etc. installed as well, so its like a fresh factory install?

Thanks!

 

You are lucky if you got a person on the supportline that was willing to send you the Vista 64 recovery disks. For me they refused and told me to go buy a retail license!

 

They were pretty nice, and helpful, simply because mine came yesterday....

Any more answers to the actual upgrade process itself?

Thanks guys!

 

It's very simple to use the recovery disks -- its all automatic. But consider getting a larger disk when you are anyway doing this. If your T500 came with the 160GB 7200rpm disk consider buying the Lenovo 320GB 7200 rpm disk and use your recovery disks on it. Then get an Ultrabay adapter and put the old 160GB disk in that.

 

http://www.thinkpadrecoverycds.com/home.html

I found that website. Anyone have expierence with it? I was thinking about it, and it sounds like they include licenses, etc.

 

What are you doing with the laptop that requires you to upgrade to 64 bit? If you've got 4gb of memory and you want to utlize it.. i think you're better off just leaving it the way it is. assuming you don't ever use up your available memory.. most people dont.

i've got a y530 with 4gb of memory on 32bit vista and have no qualms.

 

I am also considering using this site to recover from a wrecked C: drive, but I have not been able to find first hand references so far. That makes me a little nervous.