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    X61 - external USB drive for installs?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by fpnunes, Jun 16, 2007.

  1. fpnunes

    fpnunes Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm debating between the X61 and the V200 and the lack of an optical drive has me a bit leary of buying the X61. I know that it is a better machine and am looking to see how other X61 users have faired with loading other software on the machine without buying the ultradock...

    What CD/DVD burner are you guys using? Any problems? What about doing a clean install of the OS after wiping recovery partition, any issues?

    For those of you that have seen the X61 compared to a T60 or T61 is it that much easier to carry on a daily basis? Screen too small, etc?


    Any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated. :)
     
    fpnunes, Jun 16, 2007
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  2. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    Any standard external optical drive will work just fine. I have used a really generic 5.25 bay with my desktop plextor IDE dvd burner on it and it was just dandy.

    EDIT: My 15" T60 feels like I am walking around with a desktop in my backpack compared to the X61
     
    dietcokefiend, Jun 16, 2007
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  3. fpnunes

    fpnunes Notebook Enthusiast

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    Will the X61 boot from your drive setup? I'm hoping to reformat the drive to eliminate the recovery partition (after making restore disks of course :) ) and need to be able to put an OS back on the notebook.
     
    fpnunes, Jun 19, 2007
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  4. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    When I am back at my house I will see if knoppix and a vista business disc boot from it. I wouldnt see why it wouldnt.
     
    dietcokefiend, Jun 19, 2007
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  5. swliu

    swliu Notebook Geek

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    anyway, you can install vista from your external hard disk. The method is as follows:
    1. mark your external hard disk as active
    2. copy all the data on vista disk to your external hard disk
    3. in your current os run the command:
    bootsect /nt60 X: ( X is your external hard disk here)
    4. reboot your computer and boot from your external hard disk
    5. install vista just as normal

    Good luck!
     
    swliu, Jun 19, 2007
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