R61 Used (need help)

Hello Everyone,
I just received my used R61 that i purchased off NBR! However, I'm having some trouble with the set ups and everything else. Sorry, but i am a complete newb, with the ThinkPad's settings. Here is a list of complications i ran into, and i was wondering if someone could help me out, or give me advice on what to do. Okay, so the person i purchased the notebook from, said he returned it to factory setting, but when i started it up, laggs like hell and then there is a pop up for some tool preparation 2.0 that keeps popping up, and then there is the administrator password, that i have no idea how to get rid of. So with all that said, should i do manual uninstall everything like the bloatware, or can i use a Windows XP Pro. disc and reformat my entire HDD? Any recommendations?

Here are the specs: (if they should help in anyway)
14.1 WGXA
Intel core 2 duo Centrino T9300 (2.5 ghz)
2 GB RAM 2 DIMM
160 HDD
Intel 4695 ABGN Wireless w/Bluetooth
Trackpoint W/ Fingerprint reader

Thanks!

 

to make your life easier i would do a reformat, so you know what drivers and programs are installed etc etc.

Not that I don't trust the NBR community but it would be a good precaution to wipe out everything in case of any hidden programs that were installed.

 

So I am assuming you have Vista installed already on the machine? Did you get the media from the seller, either recovery discs or other type of media? If not try to make your own recovery discs using the rescue and recovery Lenovo utilities. Doing a clean install would be best but at the very lest you should back up your files and then reformat and reinstall your OS using the recovery discs. This way you have a clean machine, the way it was from the factory.

 

The OS is Windows XP Pro. Didn't come with Vista. And since the there is the thinkvantage application in already installed, if i do a complete reformat meaning i delete the partition would i lose the thinkvantage feature? And how would i create a recovery disc?

 

Factory settings actually include a decent amount of bloat so I don't see any reason to doubt the seller so far.

I can't make any promisses since my system came with Vista and I used the OS media tools, but I would suggest looking for the " Create Recovery Media" program in the ThinkVantage folder. It should be pretty simple to follow once the program starts. You will probably need at least 1 DVD, Vista required 2 DVDs and a third disk that could be a CD or DVD.

Afterwords you would then put the disks in your computer and reboot to the disks. That should let you get a factory set-up. Beware though that the factory set-up includes a lot of crap.

Also you might want to get some info on activiation. Vista's is a *****, but I remember XP as being much simpler/more lax in general.

Good luck!

 

So I really dont need a windows XP Pro disc? Just need to make copies of Rescue and Recovery, and boot from there? But if i did want to boot from XP, can i still do it? and will it also wipe out the ThinkVantage application?
Thanks MuchO!

 

I am not sure exactly what you are asking but basically there is a hidden partition on your harddrive with Win XP and a bunch of programs already on there from Lenovo. Manufacturers are not giving out discs much like before . They put an image on your harddrive and want you to create your own discs. When you create recovery discs using Lenovo's rescue and recovery program, it copies this image from your hardrive to the discs. Then when you have the discs made, you just back up any files on your machine that you want, like docs you typed, music etc and then pop in the first rescue and recovery disc. Reboot the machine and then it should start the Win XP installation. It will reformat and reinstall XP and your hidden partition will remain intact. Once the installation is done it will look exactly how it did when it came from the factory with all the thinkvantage apps and other apps installed. Hope that helps.

 

I get the part using the Rescue and Recovery and stuff like that. But in my POV that is the ThinkPad's way of reformatting. Can i just take it back old school style and use a friends Window XP Pro Boot disc, and boot the notebook at the start going through BIOS, and deleting the C: drive, and reinstalling XP pro onto the fresh C: drive? Hope i made it clear now Thanks!

 

Oh, I see you want to wipe everything and do a clean install, yeah you can do that(need to use your own XP key ofcourse). This is what I did with my machine, but I did it for Vista. That is the best way but takes some more work. Check out this great guide by Ark - > Here

Basically you will need to download your own drivers and make sure they are installed properly after the OS is installed. You can then download any and all Thinkvantage apps from lenovo and reinstall them. I am not sure about XP on the laptop, since I use Vista, but before doing the clean install make sure to backup the drivers folder installed on the machine for XP. Mine was in like C:\Windows\SWTOOLS, but that is with Vista, not sure if it is the same as XP.

I did lose my use of the Thinkvantge button once booted into the OS, since I got rid of my hidden partition, but I didn't really care.

Let me know if that answers your questions, if not I can explain some more.

 

Yep, That definitely answered my question. Just a few more quick questions. So after you did the reboot did your thinkvantage button still work or you reinstalled the drivers then it worked again? Thanks

 

For some reason i my laptop is unable to access the internet, through both wireless and cable... So can i DL the drivers on my desktop and move it over to the laptop?

 

My Thinkvantage button works fine before the machine gets into the OS, that is, I can use it to get into the BIOS just fine with it. The problem occurs once I am logged into Windows. From what I understand the Thinkvantage button is connected to the Hidden partition somehow and since I don't have one, it isn't functioning. It really doesn't do much, it just brings up the whole Thinkvantage center, which you can get to through your start menu and going to the 'Thinkvantage' folder. And anyways I don't have much of the Thinkvantage suite installed on my machine. I will have to work on the Thinkvantage button as a project at a later time when I get a chance.

 

Yes you can.

 

>< just finished copying the media files and everything, im following the XP clean Installation guide, but i am stuck at step 3. The laptop does not want to boot from the CD0 drive. I moved it up and down the list, and even went to boot device. It doesn't seem to want to read the XP CD >< Thanks

 

URGH!!!!!! Can someone help me?? I can't install windows XP pro. I followed the guide that says go to >bios>Config>Serial ATA> Changed to Compatibility
I then did the >Startup>Boot> ATAPI CD0 moved to 1st. then i saved the configurations and when i restart the laptop nothing happens x.x! I also tried to boot the system directly from the CD0 by using the F12 functions. Anyone have any suggestions or a solution so i can access the page where i can install and partition my C: Drive?

 

I am sorry I don't know. I did not run into this. Try sending Ark a Private message.