Recovery and Restore - no option for factory default

Hello,

Just got x120e. Went ahead and burnt the recovery and restore media, replaced the hard drive to a SSD and booted off the recovery disc. I go to full recovery but my only two options are restore everything from a backup, or restore only OS from a backup.

I thought this disc WAS the backup, but it wants something else..

So I called tech support, and they're really freaking clueless. They say there should be an option for a factory default install in there, and that something must have gone wrong in the burning process (if that was the case, the DVD just wouldn't boot, it can't selectively not include an option out of thin air).

They're sending me recovery discs but the earliest it will be here is Monday. I already waited 2 weeks to get this machine, I don't think I can wait another 4 days for recovery media

 

You can do an OEM install but you will not get any preinstalled software. I would just wait for IBM to ship you the recovery media.

 

Figured it out. In the future if someone else encounters this:

Update the ThinkVantage software BEFORE you do the recovery media process. Before updating I did not have the option of creating factory default restore media, only rescue media (which is different, but I didn't know that then).

So first update TVSU and whatnot, then you'll have the option to create factory default restore media