dumb questions about clean install

i want to do a clean install on my x220 but the laptop didnt come with any discs? is this a mistake? is there a way to dl it off the internet? tia

 

Hi Holly,

Thinkpads don't ship with setup/restore discs, but you can make them from a recovery program installed on the computer, or if the computer is still under warranty, if you call and complain, tell them having recovery on the drive itself is useless if the drive fails. My experience is they will send you complimentary discs, if it was a recent purchase, or they may just tell you how to burn them. (if you tell them you have no discs *act blonde*, you might get a free set).

They also sell them for a nominal fee, about $20 last time I checked.

You can also install from a windows setup disc, then download systemupdate from lenovo website and it will install all your needed drivers. You can also download and install each driver separately from lenovo.com

It's also to do a factory reset direct from your harddrive (no discs needed).

 

Thanks, that is ridiculous...I mean, considering how much I paid for this thing! I think I have a w7 disk at home somewhere..otherwise I'll do the reset from hd. I really hate bloatware.

 

If you're going to install windows yourself, then consider repartitioning your drive and installing the windows twice. This is an enormous advantage if your system ever becomes corrupt and won't boot, you can simply boot into the second installation and be up and running in minutes, instead of hours of fixing and restoring.

It's also wise to store all your valuable data in a separate partition so if you ever decide to reformat, you can format only the windows partition and none of your data in other partitions will be lost. Additionally, if you need to run recovery to restore lost files, you don't want to recover from the same partition you booted from, so a second windows version is a huge advantage.

For example, if you have a 500GB drive, I'd make three partions. 100GB windows #1, 100GB windows #2, and 300GB for storage.

It's well worth the time and effort to set it up right now, you'll be very glad you did if you have problems in the future.

 

thanks! I never thought of installing w7 2x but that makes a lot of sense! The partitions for data though, I have done. I have way too much music at stake.

 

yes, installing a backup windows version is a "must" in my opinion. I also install XP on my systems since I do software testing, so I need to test it on different OS versions.

If you're considering having XP (or prior) windows co-existing with Win7, let me know, there are some things you'd need to be aware of first.

 

I don't know if you want to install Windows twice. Windows 7 has built in tools to create disk images of your installations. You can then restore those images if anything goes wrong. Images can be stored on an external device or NAS. That way you do not waste hard drive space on the notebook itself. And you are covered should your hard drive ever fail.

Also if you have an ssd, chances are it is not too big to accomodate Windows twice.

 

Regarding the tools to create disk images, what are you referring to?

 

Partitions are old school. Install into a VHD. Much easier to copy for backup purposes.

 

so my w7 disk is 32 bit and i want to use 64 bit

I can't reformat from the disk to completely remove lenovo, correct?

 

i think im going to delete the lenovo recovery partition

 

You'd need a set of x64 recovery discs to install Win 7 x64. You might want to post over on ThinkPads.com to see if anyone has a set of x64 discs. Alternatively, if you want to do a clean install, you can download a Windows 7 x64 disc in the Windows forum.

 

I prefer partitions because if the OS or data is to corrupt to be worth the effort of repairing, you can simply reformat without effecting the rest of your drives. I'm also unsure if Virtual harddrives will even work with linux, even if it does, will you lose all your virtual drives if you have to reformat your primary partition?

Sometimes "old-school" is better... if it ain't broke, why fix it.


@holly, you can easily reformat and install your 32bit Win7, but you'll be limited in the amount of ram you can use, probably about 3GB. The 32bit os only has address space for 4GB, and some is used for your system hardware, so you should have at least 3GB left for ram. Some 32bit windows versions have support to translate the address space, but win7 does not.

 

If it's so broken it won't boot or work, you simply delete one file, the VHD. It doesn't get ANY easier than that, even for linux people. Who introduced a linux requirement anyway? Oh right, the same guy that said to install Windows 7 on two partitions. OMG.

What's linux share of the desktop market?

 

Thanks zaz! Sorry lazy typing..on cell

Should I install programs on same partition as os?

 

I have 8 gb of ram so I'm going for 64 bit

 

I'll tell you how I do it. Any programs that require full integration with the OS, I install in the same partition, but I save all work, documents, projects in a separate partition. Programs that are portable, or have portable versions, I install into my storage partition and make a shortcut to launch them in each OS.

I'd definitely use a 64bit windows version with 8gb ram. There are windows server editions (32bit) that support large amounts of ram, but I'd only recommend that if your cpu required a 32bit os.

 

btw, your questions are far from dumb !!
they are pretty excellent actually
good dialogue too
now....

Yes you can reformat the whole harddrive during the Win 7 install
and wipe out the lenovo recovery partition which is what it sounds
like you want to do. I also personally recommend this route.

Now your talking !! LOL

if you have a Microsoft COA keycode sticker still intact on your unit
you can use that 'number' for either 32 or 64bit of Windows 7.
But only for each version, i.e. code for Home won't work with Pro.

here are legal links to dload what you might need:

Download Windows 7 SP1 Integrated ISO

32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium x86 SP1 (bootable)

64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1 (bootable)

32-bit Windows 7 Professional x86 SP1 (bootable)

64-bit Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 (bootable)

32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate x86 SP1 (bootable)

64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate X64 SP1 (bootable)

 

I almost forgot

take a good long peek here too:

Windows 7 Clean Installation - ThinkPad T420, T420s, T520, W520, X220 and X220 Tablet

 

So I'm using an external DVD drive and trying to install Windows 7 with UEFI, but it keeps saying I don't have the required DVD/CD driver??

I've burned the image twice so I'm pretty sure it's not a bad disc. Anyone else have trouble with this?

 

x220 I presume ?

 

From Start menu, type backup to launch Backup and Restore. From there, you can create a system image (left panel has direct link to that).

You can also create a restore disk, from where you can then restore your system image. You can also skip this step and use a Windows 7 DVD to boot up your computer and start restoring from the image.

 

Did a clean install yesterday and had that issue. found solution through google:

You need to cancel the install and close that window so that you return to the initial Win 7 installation screen. Once you see that screen, unplug your drive and plug it into a different USB port. Start Installation. I was like when i read that, tried it out and it worked!

Also see http://forum.notebookreview.com/8008891-post41.html

Warning: Do not install Intel HD Graphics driver prior to installing Win 7 SP1. This will result in a BSOD and you will need to reinstall Win 7!

 

"I've burned the image twice so I'm pretty sure it's not a bad disc. Anyone else have trouble with this? "

Try running chkdsk to create the CDs again and try them. Make sure to use the correct switches on CHKDSK.

Renee

 

I don't think Thinkpads are that bloated. With HPs a clean install is a must. I honestly don't think there will be any real gain to a clean install with ThinkPads. If you do this route remember to install the Lenovo utility for updates (I can't remember the name). It'll update your computer with all the latest drivers.

 

I took your comment, "Windows 7 has built in tools to create disk images of your installations" to mean the Backup and Restore program would create a bootable DVD disk set. That is what I thought you meant when you said "disk images".

If you use a DVD drive as the target of the backup, you will see " The selected backup location does not support the creation of system images."

This means your backup will not have the OS, SID, installed programs, and other core components needed to restore to a working environment in the event of a hard drive failure and replacement.

Granted most people aren't using DVD or BD media for backups, but I just wanted to point out you don't get a DVD set with all the goodies. You need to use another tool for that.

 

Yup.

Thanks guys, got a different external dvd drive and that solved the issue.

 

sweet !

good to hear

 

"You'd need a set of x64 recovery discs to install Win 7 x64"

Zaz, I dont know thats true. I'll certainly installed Vista on a t61 with out those things.

Renee

 

thanks for all of the information. i am doing a clean install now, so far it's going perfectly

 

"Partitions are old school. Install into a VHD. Much easier to copy for backup purposes."

Thor,

Partitions might be old school but everything that "old school" is not automatically bad. Virtual systems are always much slower perfomers and lack significant I/O capabilities like eithernet. Sandy Bridge and/or Ivy Bridge are supposed to fix the I/O problems. As far as performance is concerned, that is not fixable with the archtecture you recommended.

Renee

 

I didn't say old school was bad. Sorry for the implication. However, you are mistaken. What I am recommending is NOT virtualization. The boot from VHD method I am referring to uses native drivers, hardware and performance. The VHD is a simple container for the files and DOES NOT increase the I/O overhead in a significant fashion.

If you want links on how to implement this technique, let me know.

 

yes, please! i'm just about to clean install a new thinkpad....

 

boot from vhd - Bing

boot from vhd - Google Search

Of those links, see the following:

Boot from VHD in Win7 | TechNet Edge

Less Virtual, More Machine - Windows 7 and the magic of Boot to VHD - Scott Hanselman

Dual Boot from VHD Using Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 - Keith Combs' Blahg - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

 

grrrrrrrr

im having problems. i used the methods described here but they are saying my product key (now for some reason) does not work

does anyone know why this is

 

so what is the reason that your product key is rejected? maybe you could call up Microsoft to find out.

 

i copy and pasted it from that program you guys recc'd

i dont understand why it would install at all if the key was wrong

 

i get a new error message, it says the product key isn't in the bios

 

Wow perhaps I'm from a different generation to the rest of you all.

I have a All-In-One Windows 7 USB Key (10x FASTER THAN DVD!!!) that contains all versions of windows 7. I downloaded this on bittorrent and extracted the install to a 8GB USB key.

I use ABR to backup my win7 license from the computer and restore it.

ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us

I don't think this is that difficult to do.