Reinstalling XP on T60

I am getting a T60 very soon and I was wondering if I can do a clean install from XP Professional disks I bought a few years ago or do I have to use some sort of factory supplied disks?

Thanks for the help

Lobert

 

I just did it for my second hand x60 with a dl xp.

 

Probably depends on which disc you have, but probably.

 

I tried to use my XP downgrade recovery disk sent with my T400 to install xp on the x60. It didn't work.

 

I have been reading about some laptops requiring the installation of special OEM drivers for specific companies. Is that the case for Lenovos too?

 

yes that is the case for many drivers, what is the model number of your Thinkpad?

 

If the Win XP discs are generic there should be no problem in installing on any computer or laptop. Needless to say you should update to latest Service Packs and updates.

I recommend you to install ThinkPad drivers.

This is because ThinkPad recovery discs will only work for the same model type.

 

I found this Guide by Kyle Farnung really helpful. It shows you how to make a clean install disk using the I386 folder in your T60 original HDD.

http://kylefarnung.com/2007/02/22/thinkpad_t60_how_to_make_a_custom_oem_wi

 

That is another option.

Requires the OP to have the I386 folder available, which I am not sure he will have. Perhaps the T60 he is getting comes without OS.

 

The machine I'm getting has XP on it but I plan to format and reinstall regardless.

I am getting one from the IBM refurbished website. Is this a good idea or should I look for a good one on ebay?

 

One issue you may run into is that the disc you use may not accept the product key you end up using. For instance, you cannot use an OEM product key with a retail disc and vice versa. This has caused me to have to go online and find a OEM/Retail .iso depending on what key I was using. Also, if your product key is SP1, you can't use it on a SP2 disc or anything else. So if you're using the XP key on the bottom of your Thinkpad, you're going to need a OEM disc with XP [Pro/Home] [SP1/SP2/SP3].
Also, if you're doing a clean install in which you're just popping in the 'unmodded' disc in and installing, you'll most likely want to go into the BIOS and set the SATA mode for 'Compatibility' instead of 'AHCI'. Otherwise, the install will likely fail. (Unless the disc you're using by chance has the Intel storage matrix drivers installed, but I've never come across such a disc. That being said, I've been using the same relatively old XP discs for a few years.)

If you discover that you're trying to use a Retail disc on an OEM install/key, you can use this guide to 'modify' it: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/...etween-retail-oem-and-volume-license-channel/
And here's a guide I found to tell which key you have: http://www.technibble.com/how-to-tell-what-type-of-windows-xp-cd-or-license-key-you-have/
Unfortunately, I cannot recall which sites/methods I used last time I ran into this problem. (which was when I bought a desktop second-hand, and wanted to reformat XP using the product key on the case)