T400 and Windows 7 drivers nightmare

I tried the intel and lenovo drivers, both BETA versions for Windows 7 RC versions.

I have the Windows 7 RTM version. None of the drivers will install (complains OS version) and even if I use compatibility mode, it won't install.

So now I got 3 generic devices with no drivers.

Both Intel and Lenovo had ample time to prepare for Windows 7, apparently they did not learn from the Vista mess.

Does anyone with a T400 actually have all the drivers installed on Windows 7 RTM?

 

Windows 7 update found the missing drivers, additionally I had to install the AMT driver.

 

Mwok,
Do you have an understanding of what compatibility mode is?
Renee

 

Even with Windows Vista, Lenovo released the drivers a few day after general public availability.
It will be the same thing with Win7, as they made an announcement regarding that recently. They are not responsible if you install Win7 before the official release date to the general public.
Just so you know, no other laptop manufacturer releases official Win7 drivers for their laptops yet.
Also, a lot of people report that they have all drivers for T400. If you don't know how to get all the drivers, I suggest that you wait until October 22nd, which is only a month away anyway.

 

I really don’t understand your frustration. I have the same machine and OS you have and I feel Lenovo has done a DAMN GOOD JOB of getting their Windows 7 drivers available for public consumption before the OS has been officially released. Shame on you for complaining about the commendable job they’ve done.

If you can’t deal with being on the bleeding edge, you might want to run an older OS.

 

Windows 7 is still not released for general availability, so don't expect final drivers to be ready yet. When October 22 comes, you'll get your drivers.

 

When I install Windows, the first thing I do during the installation is install the actual chipset drivers. You can't find this for Windows 7 on Intel or Lenovo.

After windows is installed, I install the Intel chipset software with the -overall switch so it replaces all generic hubs and controllers with the proper drivers. You cannot find this on the Lenovo site. The version from Intel site throws an error because of a version checking issue, it checks for Windows 7 RC version instead of checking Windows 7+/RTM. This is important to get maximum stability and performance.

Then I installed the graphic drivers (in this case 4500 IGP). Neither version on Lenovo or Intel work as they both throw version errors (made for RC versions).

The ONLY driver I was able to install was from Windows Update and that was for the IGP and not the chipset. The chipset drivers are the most important drivers that is why they are installed first.


I get an Unknown PCI communications controller device. I know it's the Intel AMT even though it's disabled in the bios. I had to disable it in device manager in windows.


Also, Lenovo's driver section is an absolute mess. They are very very disorganized. Look at HP's driver section. You type the model in and you can all the drivers by category and versions. Windows 7 was RTMed to Academic, MSDN, Technet subscribers in August. Are you telling me Academic, MSDN, and technet doesn't use Lenovo notebooks? My experience with Lenovo from shipping to using the thinkpad has been 1000% excellent IF it wasn't for the drivers.

 

First of all, I'm really curious (no disrespect intended): If your experience has been 1000% excellent, why have you had so many threads/questions that about what Lenovo hasn't done right? (e.g., "Lenovo should give up VGA and have more USB ports and DisplayPort and eSATA instead).

First of all, Windows 7, even RTM is pre-release. Let's talk about this. If you have MSDN, or Technet, you're most likely a geek. If you're a geek, you probably have the wherewithal and determination to get your ThinkPad working even in a prerelease environment, even if it takes a bit more work. It took me a little bit of work to get some of my drivers set up in Windows 7 x64 RTM, but every last one is working.

Windows 7 will be supported at time of release. Until then, it isn't a released product, and Lenovo isn't fully supporting it, although they are courteous enough to provide us with beta drivers. Plenty of other companies are not, requiring people (once again, people who are geeky enough to have an MSDN or TechNet Plus subscription, or belong to an organization with MVLS) to use third-party drivers, or Windows Vista drivers to try and get things going. Once again, once the OS is officially released, this will no longer be an issue. You only have one month to wait.

Both the Lenovo and Intel Windows 7 beta 4500 graphics drivers have worked with my T400, without incident. Lenovo has an AMT driver that works fine with the T400 and others, I have installed it. I don't know how you're going about things, but the drivers from the link below have all been fine for me.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/WIN7-BETA.html

I won't claim Lenovo is perfect. I'm not sold on some of their customer support (based on the experiences of others). They can be disorganized, as evidenced by not putting driver release dates on their Win7 beta drivers (since they have updated them several times, this would be helpful) and by their Outlet ordering process. However, the expectations you have had seem to exceed what I would have when it comes to a pre-release product, or when it comes to not having features you want (which would normally lead me to say "Find a product that does, then"). HP does some things better, and some things worse than Lenovo; I've dealt with them in a professional environment. The same goes for Dell, and I work with over a thousand of their systems on a daily basis.

 

Yes. Both Lenovo and Intel are evil for not providing 100% support for an operating system that is not yet generally available.

I highly recommend you downgrade to Windows Vista or XP. Windows 7 is, clearly, too much for you at this time and being on the bleeding edge of technology will only continue to frustrate you. Next, you’ll be whining that [insert favorite software manufacturer here] still doesn’t have a Windows 7 version of your software (and even HP doesn’t have Windows 7 drivers, at least not in the usual download section).

 

the poster, mwok, is a TROLL
do not reply to him
he's made multiple threads over the past week
complaining about how lenovo is terrible
he's just trying to get a rise out of you
don't give him the satisfaction

 

I installed Win 7 Pro on my X200 with every single driver successfully installed. You clearly don't know what you're doing, and thus comes my suggestion: Do what the general public do, wait patiently until official drivers are supplied.
It's okay if you don't know what you're doing and ask for advice, but if you don't know what you're doing and start firing off, then you're just a troll.

 

I still have to laugh at all these Windows 7 threads and how people are still trying to get RCs it work with their laptops. The funny thing is once its released next month all their hard will will be worthless as proper drivers will be out.

What the point??? People need to get lives IMO.