is it hard to do a custom install on T61?

first can some list the steps to do a custom install (using the thinkvantage blue button), back to factory settings which I will not install the bloatwares that comes with the system.

second My HD space has gone down alot now..would it restore the HD space back to my HD?

 

It will restore everything to the factory state (when you first booted it) including HDD space.

Back up your system.

Once you hit the blue button upon startup, it will give you steps. I don't know the exact steps but I remember it was very straight forward.

 

ok , when you say back up my system ..you mean just the files or programs I added to my new computer right?

 

Yes, anything that you installed or saved to your computer because the restore will erase it all.

 

thanks........

 

Here're the steps for R&R reinstall from hidden partition (not a clean install):

1. Hit that blue "Thinkvantage" button while booting.
That would bring up the "Rescue and Recovery" utility.
2. Choose Restore your system.
3. Choose Restore my hard drive to the original factory state.
4. Choose I don't want to save any files. I haven't tried the other option but I figure if you want files saved this is the place to do it.
5. Choose Custom factory recovery.
6. You'll get to the screen where you can choose what bloatware to keep (if any) during the reinstall process.

Upon completion of the reinstall (a couple of hours) your system would be mostly bloatware free depending on what you did on #6.

 

I'm curious .. if you back up the programs you installed, how do you get back them after recovery? I always thought you have to re-install coz' of the registry changes when a program installs.

Backing up personal files I can see happening, but how to backup installed softwares and then recover them after the R&R?

 

By back up data, I mean documents, music, video, etc.; not necessarily programs. Unfortunately, you're going to have to reinstall the programs. The registry will be converted back to factory state so program imprint will not stay.

 

thanks for the help..how many hours do you think it will take???
and most of it is just waiting right??

 

With Xp, it took 3-4 hours and was mostly waiting.

With Vista it took a lil over or a lil under an hour. Woot! for getting a copy of XP pro and Vista Business...

Oh and when you make your recovery discs, if you are running XP you can use DVD's and it does make things go by quicker without the need to be swapping discs.

 

i dont have a dvd burner..but my brother has one on his t61 would that work?

 

If you're asking if you can take his T61 DVD burner and put it into your T61, then yes, you can do that.

 

oh no, i mean can he burn one from his t61?

 

And then have you use it?

No, he can't do that. The produced recovery discs are only compatible with the system they were burnt from.

 

anyone gotten the hotkeys driver working on 64-bit vista? I would like to see the on-screen display for when i press the volume buttons and such, but lenovo only seems to offer hotkeys in 32-bit.

 

so I guess Cds would work fine for me right??
does my laptop only let me create one recovery disk?

 

It should. Works on my Vista x64. I think you need to install Lenovo System Interface driver (besides just the hotkey utilty) if you haven't done so. It's used by a number of Lenovo software and drivers incl the hotkey util.

Yeah you can only make one set..once you've burned a set of RnR discs that's it, you won't be able to make anymore. So keep it safe.

 

Untrue. You can make another set if you do a factory restore. After that, you will get that option to burn recovery discs again.

 

ah thanks for the correction.
Meant to say 1 copy per hidden partition.

 

Hey Jaxxx,

Unless I missed it, I don't think you stated whether your OS factory install is XP or Vista. I did a factory install back in early January when my T61 was about a month old. In addition to wanting to get rid of the bloatware, I also wanted to see if that would fix some assorted problems I kept having, like long shutdowns and even an occasional BSOD. I don't remember all the problems I used to have. At that time, I didn't do a factory custom install, just the standard factory reinstall. I didn't have a DVD burner so my RR recovery discs totaled about 8 or 9 on CD. I think I remember that the factory reinstall seemed to help and it didn't take too long or require much user interaction. I even considered doing a factory custom install after that since I still encountered some problems. But I finally decided to do a clean install instead of a factory custom install.

Depending on whether you have XP or Vista, there are some nice guides on this forum that will guide you thru doing a clean install. Arkit3kt's XP clean install guide is what I successfully used and if you do have XP, this guide is highly recommended not only by me but from the other successful users on that thread. In order to use it, you would have to come up with an XP (non-Lenovo) install CD (not RR disk) and then you can use the product key on the bottom of your laptop with that install CD. Most people seemed to be able to borrow an install CD from a friend or purchase one fairly cheap somewhere (as I purchased an generic OEM XP Pro install CD from craigslisting). Lenovo will not provide you one. A clean install will ensure all unwanted bloatware is gone and also in my case, all of my problems have disappeared. Occasionally I get a minor Win XP error but I know it's not due to the XP install anymore.

So again, if your main issue is getting rid of some of the Thinkvantage bloatware, then a factory custom install sounds reasonable and I hope it works for you as that is the easiest choice right now. But if you also have other problems that the custom install does not seem to solve, then a clean install is highly recommended and for me, Arkit3kt's guide made that seemingly daunting task much much easier to accomplish.