T61/X61 SATA II 1.5 Gb/s cap - willing to pay for a solution

7Zip can open RAR files and best of all it's free to download and use.

If for some reason you're still struggling I've uploaded the contents in a zip file so you shouldn't have issues opening it under the latest Windows OS. Just copy the contents over to your formatted USB stick and follow the previous instructions to flash.

 

On a seperate note. Has anyone upgraded the ram to beyond the stated 4gb. Has it had much improvement. I've been looking at prices of he necessary ram but don't see any cheap options (local shop said it was more expensive as it was server ram, which confused me!).

 

If you mean DDR2 SODIMM modules then yes they're expensive compared to the newer DDR3/DDR4 modules you see today. Your best bet are second hand modules from places such as eBay, look for branded ones such as Crucial and Kingston as they should still have lifetime warranty on them. They're not server RAM by the way, I think the poor guy was just as confused!

Your X61 Tablet will work with 8GB RAM, my own T61 runs on 8GB DDR2 RAM just fine. Scale of improvement is rather subjective as it depends on your usage, I tend to open quite a number of browser tabs simultaneously so having the extra breathing space helps for me compared to 4GB RAM.

 

Hey PatchySan. 7zip worked a treat. Thanks for that recommendation. Got the bios patch to work via your method above. Thanks. And thanks for the ram info. Your very helpful.

 

Hi! I've tried today to flash the Middleton's BIOS on my Lenovo R61e (7650 type). I've downloaded it, and burned img file in ImgBurn. Then I rebooted to BIOS and selected CD as a Primary Boot Device. I've rebooted and then it started automatically without any pressing. It said: "Starting flashing". It showed "Done" and rebooted. Then it turned on one more time and was flashing one more time. How many times should it be flashing? I've interrupted the process after the third reboot (when it showed Lenovo logo) by pressing F1, so nothing bad happened.
I've rebooted to Windows, but it still shows Serial Ata 150. My HDD is Samsung HM500JI so it supports Sata II.

In BIOS I have version 7PETC3WW, which I think is not the Middletone's but Lenovo's original one.

I've been flashing the version without ctrl+fn swap.
What should I do? It looks like the BIOS didn't flash, even though it was showing "Done" and rebooting.

 

Hi Folks,

I have a T61 6470CTO with BIOS version 7LETC7WW (2.27) 04/08/2010 running XP Pro SP3.

I would like to know if the Middleton BIOS 2.29-1.08 will work for this model - 6470CTO. I didn't quite understand if the listed 77xx product codes only applied to the R61 models or to the T61 as well.

To flash the BIOS I only need to follow the instructions in the READ_ME!!!.txt and run WINUPTP.exe correct? Since I'm on Windows XP I shouldn't need to burn the ISO to a CD ... I plan to install get an SSD, install Win 7 or 10 and upgrade the memory to 8G later on.

Your input is appreciated. I don't want to brick my T61 with an incompatible BIOS. I am technical but have little experiencing flashing BIOS-es. Thank you.

 

No, the different modded BIOS editions only applies to R61 series, the T61 series uses the same edition of modded BIOS, no matter if you have Intel or Nvidia graphics; 14.1" normal screen, 14.1" widescreen or 15.4" widescreen. Just go ahead

I did that once in my 15.4" T61 a few months ago, didn't brick it and it's now running Win 10 happily.

Note that you'll need a 32-bit OS to update the BIOS (which you have).

 

So I'm attempting to update the BIOS on my X300. I followed similar steps to what PatchySan did (the HP USB utility wasn't working for me, so I used Rufus instead, with FAT32 and "Create a bootable disk using FreeDOS" option checked). I used WinRAR to open the ISO file, extracted the contents, and copied them over to the USB drive. After entering "FLASH2 /u" in the prompt, I get the "invalid opcode" errors. Any advice?

 

Hey all, does the T61 (6460-8MG) is fully compatible? i bought an ssd and really wanna try to boost the speed :]

 

Thank You OverTallman!! I only saw your reply a couple of weeks ago. I successfully flashed the BIOS over the holidays and now it shows version 7LETC9WW (2.29)! Very exciting!

I'm going to upgrade to 8GB memory, an SSD and Win10. A couple of quick questions:

I assume I need 2x 4GB DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 (200 pin) Sodimm Memory? I have found the following options online. Will these work?

eBay: https://goo.gl/wFb6g9
Jet.com: https://goo.gl/2QwTjS
Amazon: https://goo.gl/y7xlw0

For an SSD I am planning to go with Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5in SATA III. I know only SATA II is supported. Does this look okay?
Amazon: https://goo.gl/t1UKPH

Appreciate your advice. Thanks!!

 

The memory seems good, GM965/PM965 can only reach 667MHz (PC2-5300) maximum on memory anyway so not much benefit to look for PC2-6400 modules. But man that's hell a lot of money.

The SSD should be fine, just it'll max out at 300MB/s (SATA II). But since it's capped at SATA II speed, you can also consider cheaper options, like Crucial MX300 and Samsung 750 Evo

 

Thanks for your response OverTallman. Yes, the memory sure is expensive. I didn't realize PC2-6400 was compatible but that isn't any cheaper. I don't think PC3 memory like this https://goo.gl/oxNNAR is compatible, right?

Thanks for the tips on the SSD. There doesn't seem to be much availability on the 750 Evo. The MX300 is about $10 cheaper but the 850 Evo seems to get better user reviews reliability-wise and I think I may still go with it.

I have one more question if you don't mind. Would you go with these Software Empire options for Win7/10 pro software: https://softwareempire.com ? I've never done this before and OS by download makes me a little nervous. Thanks for all the info!

 

PC3-xxxx = DDR3 RAM, definitely incompatible, it doesn't even fit, T61/R61/X61 use DDR2 RAM.

Software Empire seems fishy to me, and more so on how the site send a copy to the buyer. In fact some people said they got ripped off by this site. Also look at this post for a tech guy's view.

If you already have a Windows 7/8 Pro key on your hand, you can simply use it to activate Windows 10 Pro, they still work, but of course only if it hasn't been used to activate Windows 10.

 

Thanks for the input OverTallman. The hardware's been ordered and is on the way. I don't have a Win 7 key. I'm on XP now! This is a big upgrade! I think I'm just going to pay more and get the OEM Win10 Home version from Fry's. I just have too much pressing stuff going on right now to take on dealing with any problems that may come up with the Software Empire version.

This is my backup laptop but I'm going to be using it more. I usually use my work laptop as my primary. Hopefully this upgrade for ~$300 will give me enough performance to go for another 3 years or so. Then I will invest in good new machine. Maybe another Thinkpad. Let's see what stand's out at the time ;-)

Thanks for all your help. I will try to update when I have something to report!

 

Hi OverTallman,

I did the upgrade over the weekend. I have Windows 10 Home on the Samsung 850 EVO SSD with 8 GB memory now. The machine performs well!

However, there is a hitch. There is no sound! I've tried reinstalling/updating the audio driver in Win 10 and looked up driver updates to no avail. The audio device is Intel/Lenovo 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller and Codec is Analog Devices AD1984 Rev 1.004 from PC Wizard.

Any input on how to fix this or ideas on where to look for a solution? It would be crippling without audio ...

Thanks for your help!

 

I don't remember installing any audio drivers in Win 10 on my T61, R61 and X61, the generic HD audio driver works fine.
However, if you want the specific driver, download it from Lenovo website, search T61 and download the audio driver for Vista, should work in 10 as well.

 

If you guys have a T61P with the FX 570M, there is a chinese undervolted BIOS that reduces voltage from 1.15V to 0.95V, making the system run much cooler than previously. Also includes SATA II hack and SLIC 2.1 module, as well as no-1802

 

OverTallman, I tried installing the Win 8 driver and it didn't work. Uninstalled and reinstalled it a couple of times and checked everything I knew still no luck. Then I just tapped the physical volume button on the keyboard once and the sound came on strong!! It works, Hurray!! I think it is just a quirk of the software. May even have worked with the Win10 generic driver.

Anyway, the whole setup works great now. This is a really fine upgrade and will serve me needs well for a while. I am delighted really!!

Thank you so very much for your help with this. You made it all so much easier and less scarey. Kudos also to Middleton for the fabulous SATA II BIOS mod. I'd donate for this but I understand he is long gone now.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas to you. Have a great 2017!!

 

Anyone?? please,
also, i dont have a battery currently for my t61, and cannot normally flash the new bios due to a restriction of lenovo - need a battery to flash new bios - is there any reliable and safe method to UPDATE BOTH BIOS & EC completly without battery? please help tnx