X201T: switching from Win7-32 to Win7-64

I found some great deals on X201 Tablets for $1500 on ebay. While not a deal killer, they come with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit rather than 64 bit. As I understand things, the license works for both 32 & 64 bit versions.

New Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Tablet PC, Enhanced MultiTouch - eBay (item 260633419020 end time Jul-13-10 10:24:00 PDT)

I already purchased an Ultrabase & DVD burner from the Outlet. When I make my backup disks, can I switch to 64-bit (both on the restore partition) or do I need to download a 64-bit version of Win 7?

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I also have a warranty question.

The units come with a 3-year depot warranty. Given the wear & tear on the touch screen, I want to add the accidental damage coverage too. A prior thread indicated accidental damage coverage messes up warranty extension, but I can't find a Lenovo explanation of how the warranty extensions work. http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/466622-warranty-almost-up-extending.html Can somebody point me in the right direction?

 

Yes, the license will work with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit as well. You'll need a regular Win7 Pro 64-bit disk to install it, but you can use the same key to activate.

No, the backup disks will be of the factory install, which in this case will be the Win7 32-bit installation.

 

You might be able to purchase a set of 64 bit recovery discs from Lenovo. I believe they're $45. If you want to do a clean install you'll need a Windows 7 disc and you're on your own there.

I believe you can only add accidental coverage for the first 30 days of coverage. It might be worth asking the seller what the warranty start date is. Whether you can upgrade the warranty depends on the warranty it has now. If it's a standard three year warranty, it can be upgraded to five years at any time it is still under warranty, though accidental coverage can only be extended to four years. If the machine came with a one year warranty and was upgraded to three years, only one warranty extension is allowed. You cannot upgrade it a second time to five years.

 

you get the legal win 7 64 bit installation ISO from notebookreview.com, use that installation and activate it using your serial number provided with your laptop.

 

As a clarification of lead_org's post, he's referring to this thread here, where you can legally download the various Windows 7 installation disks.

 

So, is it possible to have 4 year accidental coverage with the 5th year standard warranty?

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Thanks to all who replied on the Windows licensing. I knew the license was good, but I didn't know if I had a version choice when burning recovery disks. I guess it would over complicate things to design the recovery partition that way.

 

I believe it is.

 

GlennT,

It seems you've gotten some great help here.

It really matters whether or not the person you are buying the system from is a recognized reseller and here's why.

Warranty is based on manufacturing date, and can be reset based on proof of purchase of a new system from an authorized seller. This will have bearing on your ability to add accidental damage coverage.

Suppose the system has been in inventory for a month or two, the warranty start date can be reset if you fax in your proof of purchase. If it only has the base warranty, this can be your opportunity to add the extended warranty. As you would understand, we don't reset the date for private party sales, or for sales of used systems.

As Zaz notes, you can have only one extended warranty plan applied, and there are multiple extended warranty combinations of extra years, accidental damage coverage, and onsite repair coverage. Each combination has a unique part number that is linked to a particular family of systems.

Here is a list.
Lenovo Support & downloads - Warranty Service Upgrade (WSU) - Mobile Products

You can also put in the model type and serial number of your system here, and the website will tell you the common upgrades that are available. I will say that this site does not always advise on every option that is available, so calling sales is a good idea.

Lenovo - Warranty upgrades and support

Hope this helped!

Mark