Thinkpad out of the box guide?

I was searching this forum for a type of topic for those who have purchased a Thinkpad, which recommends what to do with it upon your first use.

Something like what the HP forum has: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq/432564-hp-laptop-out-box-guide-2-0-windows-7-a.html

But I didn't come across such a topic, so I was wondering whether such a topic exists? Or if not, could those of you more experienced write one up, and then make it a sticky?

 

Why be so anal about everything? Enjoy it for a bit. It's never better than when you take it out of the box.

 

most of the rules still apply. a laptop is still a laptop regardless of the brand.

definitely don't wait to create your recovery discs. the rest of the stuff can happen over time and there's no rush.

 

Generally, for all laptops the process is the same, but here's my short and to-the-point guide:
1.- Verify your computer has all the parts you ordered.
2.- Create recovery media
3.- (A) If you want to do a clean install, do it now, and then use ThinkVantage System Update to install drivers and the ThinkVantage utilities that you need.
3.- (B) If you are not doing a clean install, uninstall the programs and ThinkVantage tools you do not need.
4.- Install the programs you use.
5.- Enjoy!

 

Somewhat on this topic - is it possible to use anything other than DVDs/CD's to create the restore media. I'm running without an optical drive until I order a dock later this year, and I'd like to make a restore thumbdrive when the unit shows up. If it's not possible, I'll just take my chances and reinstall from my MSDN iso if I really mess things up.

I've never had anything with restore CD's before - shame on me for buying used laptops for so many years - but in the case of my new X201, I figured I'd ask before it shows up on Wednesday.

 

Well, I suppose you could make the CD + 2x DVDs and then turn them into ISOs...? But I highly suggest that you make a set even if you do not plan on using them, as people often ask for them when purchasing used computers (they're $50 from Lenovo).

 

But I'm not being 'anal' about anything. I merely wondered whether such a guide existed, because when I bought my HP notebook, the guide in the forum helped me greatly.

Thanks for the responses anyhow.

 

In 10 years, I haven't sold a single Thinkpad I've owned. I don't buy for resale value - by the time I'm done with a unit, it's not worth much anyway. No one wants a laptop that I've beaten up on for 5 years or so.

Without an optical drive, I guess I'll have to do without.

 

Would an external USB DVD writer be suitable for creating the restore discs for a X201? e.g. a Liteon ETAU108-02 8x Slim Top-Load External DVDRW (Black)

 

1. Open the box.
2. Take the Thinkpad out of the box.
(2a. Flatten and dispose the box?)
3. Plug in the battery.
4. Start the computer.
5. ???
6. WIN!

Seriously though it should come with everything installed. If it has too much trash, I usually do a clean Win install. If not (usually) I just remove stuff I don't need from Add/Remove programs and install my own. I have a USB key with install should I need it; there are free programs online to do it or you can follow my command line guide (from my sig) if you're feeling comfortable.

 

What happens to the wonderful Lenovo "EE" ((Windows) Enhanced Experience) tweaks when one does a clean install? Does anyone know what these tweaks really are, where they are applied, and whether one can re-apply them through some downloadable installer?

Lenovo Recovery Disk creation expects CD/DVDs. However, you can always borrow such CD/DVDs (or their ISO images) and create your own bootable USB flash drives. I'm not sure if you want to spend the money (flash drives being affordable, but still far from dirt cheap) for such an exercise.

Yes.

In any event, if the Recovery partition is intact, you can always recover (Lenovo-doctored, model-specific) Windows from it.

To expand on this topic a bit, I seriously doubt if the Recovery disks and the Recovery partition make a lot of practical sense after a few years. What is "recovered" is ancient, outdated stuff that must be treated with layers and layers of updates!

 

Taking it 'out of the box' is always a disappointment for me as the packaging it so spartan and the box is basically an empty box other than the laptop. Kind of a non-event.

 

No idea about their tweaks. I do my own, like disabling tasks in task scheduler and useless Windows services, updates, etc.

I actually love unboxing. Holding that bran' spankin' new laptop out of the wrapper is like holding a new born baby. Well... you get the point.

8 GB Flash drive is $13. If that's expensive for someone's budget, maybe buying a laptop isn't a good idea either. (Really.)

 

I do too, but not with the way Lenovo packs its products. As realwarder said: so spartan. There is not even a sheet of plastic between the keyboard and the screen.

In the specific context of creating Recovery "disks": One, you need 3 of them USB flash drives (one appropriately made bootable). Two, you cannot use them for anything else. I have about 20 flash drives lying around, each costing more than 13 bucks, but they are not used ONCE for Recovery purposes.

 

Well, I had several unboxing and really couldn't care whether I'll be throwing away fancy Alienware packaging or cheap Lenovo cardboard. Alienware (m11x) comes with a thin screen protector cloth, but despite that - it has a big problem of keyboard pressing against the screen, which I never had on either Thinkpad X200 or X200t. Despite official AW/Dell rep claiming it's normal on a laptop to leave keyboard marks (sure it is...). I think the packaging - at least the one I received - either from buy.com or Lenovo Outlet, was sufficient and functional for transporting the laptop. I prefer the cardboard packaging and a laptop that works over the super-fancy packaging just to find out the touchpad on a laptop is completely unusable (which is, btw, what happened with my Alienware M17x unboxing). If you want a fancy box, get a mac.

I honestly don't know what you need 3 USB drives for. I have "only" 1 with Win install and all the drivers (which can be downloaded online too, but just in case I can't get online and need the working computer). And I bet my Photoshop and Acrobat Pro installs would fit on it too. In addition, you can dump the image of your hard drive partition on an external hard drive (I don't have that, but have working Win install on a regular HD in case the SSD gives away).

 

^^^ Ships passing in the dark? I was replying to another poster who was wondering if a medium other than CD/DVD may be used for creating Lenovo Recovery disks -- not "clean install".

However, if you do know (specifically) how to create Lenovo Recovery bits using "only" one (reusable) flash drive, I'm all ears.


Regarding packing boxes, HP and Sony boxes are even more "fancy" than Apple ones. But that's not really the point.

 

I back up/recover disk to a flash drive. Then when I'm around a PC with a DVD burner, I make a few copies. Frees up the flash drive and only costs a buck or two for blank DVD's. Most friends have a spindle of 50+ DVDs sitting around. None have charged me that buck or two yet Granted only a few PC's have the burner in them at the office.

* Something I always check on a new PC is the Bios and drivers. This normally gets overlooked alot due to newer systems normally would have the most recent Bios and drivers, but not all the time.

I have a few lists of programs that I install right away for most the PC's I set up. (about 5-20 a month)
Bare in mind, this is a little edited and not out complete list, but the basics.

Here is the basics:

(Copy Paste)
*BACK UP Original Setup: One to DVD & One to External HD (USB drive ok for TEMP.)
Delete all Bloat ware or re-install windows (Back up one more time if wanted) I use CClean, Decrapify, and if need be reg hack. (We hack the reg anyway to keep certain users from certain rights/programs)

Firewall - Norton or Windows Firewall
Web-browser. - Firefox, Chrome
Email. - Microsoft Live Essentials or Outlook

Anti-virus - Norton or Microsoft Essentials
Anti-spyware - Norton or Microsoft Essentials
Mapping - Streets & Trips, Thomas Bros?
Office- MS Office or Open Office
Graphic apps - (*Depends on the user being setup)
PDF-viewer - Acrobat reader *User may need a writer
Media players and codecs. - Install if needed
Tweeks and utils! - PC Decrapifier, Drop Box, CClean (If needed)
Programs - Teamviewer, (VPN Company Software), (XXX Company software), MS LIVE Essentials, WinRAR

 

^^^ OK as a general "backup/restore" approach that can be used with any computer.

I see that you own an X201 which does not have an optical drive. How would you create Lenovo Recovery disks, using Lenovo utility, with USB flash drive(s)?

 

I think there was a sheet when I got my T500? Maybe they've changed it since.

Although I think CD/DVD drives are largely useless nowadays, you still can't quite get by without them, so I'd recommend getting a plain vanilla CD/DVD multifunction external drive (usually $20-40) for backup, media creation, etc. It'll probably come in more handy in the future, as more and more laptops eliminate the ODD.

 

Instructions from Lenovo:

The steps below will absolutely delete ALL information on the USB drives Permanently. Be sure the data on the USB drive is backed up PRIOR to performing the following steps.

1. Insert USB drive.
2. Open Computer, via Windows Start button, the Computer link is on right menu to verify drive is seen. The drive will be listed under the "Devices with Removable Storage".
3. Launch Diskpart by clicking the Windows Start Button and typing diskpart in the "Search Programs and Files" dialog box. Clicking OK if prompted.
4. At the DISKPART> prompt ,
5. Type list disk verify USB disk by size. (e.g., usually disk 1, but depends on the total number of fixed disks).
6. Type select disk x (where x is the USB drive verified in step 5).
7. Type clean
Note: This process is irreversible, ALL the data on the USB drive will be permanently destroyed.
8. Type create partition primary.
9. Type active
10. Type exit
Now the USB drive must be formatted with Windows 7 or Windows vista before making the Windows 7 recovery media.
11. Open Computer via Windows Start Menu.
12. Right click removable drive in my computer and select format, and make the following selections:
1. File System: NTFS
2. Select quick format
3. volume label should be blank
click Start to begin and then Yes to continue after format is complete. Now the Lenovo Create Factory Recovery disks application can be launched.
13. Launch Lenovo Thinkvantage Tools via Windows Start Button.
14. Select Factory Recovery Disks.
15. Follow the instructions to create the recovery media, making sure to have check marks in both Boot Media and Data Media, and select the USB drive from the pull down menu.

 

My group received delivery of many ThinkPads during 2010, and I bought my X201 last summer. The packaging is so "minimal" (verging on "careless") you feel like you're dealing with a discount store instead of a premium boutique. Please don't get me wrong: I don't need to be pampered with "designer boxes," I just want to see the notebooks as well protected as in earlier years.

The battery was in an untaped, generic plastic bag that was thrown into the box, without its own cardboard compartment. Obviously it was tumbling in there during trasportation. The scratchable areas of the notebook were not protected with easy-to-peel adhesive plastic and, as I mentioned, there was not a sheet of paper or plastic between the keyboard and the screen. (Incidentally, that sheet could display the friendly reminder: "Please Create Your Lenovo Recovery Disks.")

That's the situation with my X201 and other ThinkPads at work when they were being unpacked.

My recent EliteBook 8740w DC2 was packed much more securely and professionally than its (equivalent?) W701 that I saw at the office.

Thanks, Ionizer.

 

Ionizer: Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I need to stop after work one of these days and nab a hi-cap thumbdrive to use for my restore media

 

No everything starts to go downhill from there because the lappy is officially obsolete once you opened the box.

 

First thing I do during first use of new Thinkpad is formatting entire hard drive and putting Linux on it

At least no crapware, system works out of the box and is nice

 

Do the wifi and hotkeys, among other things, work out of the box? The last time I tried the Ubuntu flavor, I had to fool around with ndiswrapper, which was a real pain and I just could not be bothered (but this was a while back - say, around 3 years back). I was trying to set up a dual boot system on my then Acer machine. Yes, it worked, but it was a real problem setting it up.

If as you say ThinkPads work out of the box with Linux then I'd be tempted again - though I am obsessed with Office 2010 (but that can be worked on...if you know what I mean!)

 

Yeah, 3 years back... Most recent distros (I resist naming any one of them in order to live in peace ) contain drivers for the more popular devices. A ThinkPad with Intel Centrino should be fine. I did have to "fool around" recently when I wasted my spare time on an old Dell laptop and an old PCMCIA wireless adapter.

CrossOver for Linux, by CodeWeavers, is a legitimate solution for running Office applications on Linux. However, compatibility has only been worked out for Office 2007. No ribbons for me!

 

Have you done this, backing up it all to one USB Drive? I have a W510 sitting in a box at home waiting for me to get outta work, and I have a 16GB thumbdrive I planned on using for this purpose.

 

To clarify, We only do the recovery disk (Boot media) on our systems.

The answer is yes, quite a few times on different machines of the recovery (Boot media) only. This is not very hard at all, and somewhat basic. Make sure you have an 1/2 hour or so before you start, it does take a little while. Most of the (Data) media is removed from our systems out of the box, therefore we don't do the (data) media B/U. Any of the media worth keeping on it has a D/L link at the Lenovo site. The recovery (Boot media) will fit on a much smaller thumb drive, if my memory is working, about 1-2 gigs or less.

So, if you mean "ALL" recovery and media (Boot and Data), then then answer is no. We have not done this due to no need. We do a complete backup after the system is set with our own media/programs.

I don't recall ever trying Lenovo media (Data) B/U. The instructions posted are for both the recovery disk (Boot media) and the media (Data) backup per Lenovo.

 

Hmmm...interesting. Because, I may try out my incoming x201 with Linux, which will net a neat savings. Anyways, this is off topic. so, apologies.

 

Well, thanks for this crucial clarification -- finally. When I mentioned Lenovo Recovery Disks Creation (a couple of pages back), I meant the whole process. I was hoping there was a way to complete such process with USB flash drive instead of a Boot CD plus 2 Data DVDs. Lenovo Recovery Disks Creation utility will prompt you: insert first disk, insert second disk...