new X220, unknown devices, WEI, fingerprint, etc.

I got and X220 today and am happy. The screen is great and it runs fast, cool and quiet. A few questions:

1) Device manager shows exclamations points next to two Other Devices, COM3 and Unknown device. What might they be?

2) Do I want to install
ThinkVantage communications facility (VOIP?)
Intel AMT 7.1 - MEI and SOL drive (seems designed for corporate IT)
Lenovo Autolock (spyware to lock computer?)

3) WEI scores are 7.1, 5.9, 4.7, 6.2 and 7.2. From other posts, this seems normal and I could improve by installing a second 4gb of RAM?

4) Windows asks for a password, then the fingerprint reader wants either a fingerprint or a password.

To eliminate the windows password, I believe I uncheck "Users must a enter username and password to use this computer" from netplwiz->User Accounts.

How to get rid of the fingerprint reader windows logon?

It might make more sense to have a fingerprint/password logon at BIOS rather than windows. If so, how to?

5) The keyboard is a bit loud, certainly louder than my x61s. Keys are somewhat "clacky". Is this normal?

6) I've installed an msata SSD for Win7, programs, etc. The HD has three partitions, system_drv (1.46gb), regular and recovery. The SSD is c:. I relettered system_drv as g: and regular as d:.

What's system_drv?
Backup recovery (with acronis, easeus, etc.) and then delete?
Anything else I might want to keep from the HD?

I hope I didn't miss too much in search.

 

You should be able to swipe your fingerprint with the computer totally powered off. Look at the reader....it should have a green light on. Swipe and it will turn on, boot up eliminating the need to re-login to windows.

 

To clear out the missing drivers probably the most easiest way is to use Thinkvantage System Update which does all the hard work for you.

 

I second this; also the TSU will install in sequence they were mean to be, so drivers "talk" to each other. Single best thing about Thinkpads imo!

BTW--did you by any chance reformat the drive and reinstalled Windows 7? Is that why you have missing drivers under "Device Manager"?

 

I did a clean install, installed the wifi driver, the Lenovo toolbox and TSU, then used them to install Windows updates and Lenovo updates.

TSU doesn't list any critical updates and the only recommended updates are those listed in the OP. There are also three optional updates: BIOS (which I'll run), Access Connections (which I don't plan on running) and Screen Reading Optimizer (probably).

See #6 in the OP and the reply immediately above this.

Turn on with swipe.

Windows asks for a password, whether or not I uncheck "Users must a enter username and password to use this computer" from netplwiz->User Accounts. (I can also get to User Accounts with control userpasswords2).

Unchecking show at startup on the reader stops it from showing on startup

EDIT: now when I swipe at poweron, windows starts, shows a logon screen for a few seconds and then goes away without requiring any action

 

You need to learn how to edit your post instead of making multiple consecutive posts. The edit button is in the lower right corner.

 

1) Use TVSU. It will install drivers in the proper order, and you shouldn't have any unknown devices in device manager afterwards. Cross check it with the driver matrix for your machine.. I've found at times one contained newer versions than the other and vice versa.

2) Do I want to install
ThinkVantage communications facility (VOIP?) - Yes, if you have a webcam and mic. This will enable FN+F6 functionality
You probably don't need AMT.
I consider Autolock to be junkware/bloatware. You can try it and decide for yourself.

4) Windows asks for a password, then the fingerprint reader wants either a fingerprint or a password.

You need to install TV Fingerprint Software to control the FPR. It has options for replacing POP/BIOS/HDD passwords with a fingerprint, options to be able to power on with a fingerprint, to be able to tie your FPR to the windows password. There's a windows authentication section that will allow you to disable using it for win log on, and then in windows just remove the user account password and set it to auto-login. The utility also lets you control the indicator lights, lockout attempts, lockout duration, and a bunch other stuff.

6) System Drive is probably the recovery partition. Make sure you're not deleting the mbr/boot partition. Burn your recovery disks and use PartedMagic to delete the partition and extend your current one.

 

I am using TVSU, as described above.

I'm using TVFS. I didn't have a power on password set in BIOS. With the power on password set, a fingerprint scan allows start. Windows then shows the fingerprint or password screen for a few seconds, then that goes away.

I'm having trouble setting auto-login. Many sites say to
- run control userpasswords2
- uncheck "users must enter a user name and password to use this computer"
- hit apply
- fill in password in auto-login dialog box
- click ok to exit

but that doesn't seem to do it.

There's another partition labeled recovery (see my OP). Recovery creates two partitions - system_drv and a regular c: drive. The MSFT utility imagex.exe can be run against the wim files in the recovery partition to restore these to partitions (i.e., it does the same thing as running recovery).

 

Are you trying to eliminate the logon screen completely? Like you don't even want the FPR/Password screen to show up at all during boot?

C:\Recovery is the windows-created recovery partition. C:\system_drv is the lenovo rescue&recovery-created recovery partition

If you have the lenovo restore disks, it's not necessary to keep the system_drv partition. I keep the WinRe partition, but many do not. I'm not sure if that answers your Q's regarding the partitions?

 

I'd like to swipe the FPR at power on, then not see any more FPR/password prompts. At the moment, the only action I take is swiping at power on, but I see the FPR/Password screen for a few seconds when Windows starts (it then goes away by itself).

Any ideas why the keyboard (especially the space bar) is noticeably noisier than the x61s and x31 keyboards? It seems to be seated properly and the two screws go in without forcing.

The first google hit for the first hardware id (PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1C3D&SUBSYS_21DA17AA&REV_04)
for the COM3 device is Intel AMT. The first hardware id for the unknown device is the same. This leads me to believe these "exclamation point" devices are related to the Intel AMT.

 

About the AMT - I had the same issue. Even if you don't use it and disable it from the BIOS, it will still show up as unidentified in the device manager. You need to install the driver for it, but not the control application. For example, for my T400s

Drivers and software - ThinkPad T400 and T400s

The AMT Management Engine Firmware will get rid of the !. Don't install the Management Engine Interface or the Local Manageability service unless you plan on using AMT. I forgot about that, that really bugged me to until I figured it out - it's the AMT thing.

The keyboard, not sure. I assume you've removed it and reseated it? I had some clackyness by the escape key, and I put 2-4 layers of electrical tape under the corners to solve it. Is the clackyness from the backplate hitting the rollcage? or the keypresses themselves. If it's the keypresses, you can't really do anything about that except for try out different keyboards. There are 3 manufacturers for our keyboards, Alps, Chicony, NMB. You'll get every possible order of them when you ask people to rank their feel, but I have an NMB and Alps, and I found the Alps to be clacky, the NMB firm and not as clacky.

As for the windows logon screen asking for a password or fingerprint, the best I've managed to do is to automate it and have it cache the logon fingerprint swipe so it runs all the way to the desktop without having me to input it again during windows logon. But, I use a windows password. And from what I remember that logon screen will always pop up, even if you disable auto logon from windows I think it will still pop up with your user id picture for a few seconds before bringing up the desktop. I may be wrong though, because I'm not familiar with that setup since I use tons of lengthy passwords from boot to logon. Perhaps someone else can shed some light on that.

 

AMT: it seems easier just to leave the !! showing. I don't believe they do any any harm.

You assume correctly I've reseated it a few times. The screws go in smoothly, so I'd imagine it's seated properly. It seems to be the key presses, but it's hard to tell. Do you have a good source for keyboards?

This is my first Win7 computer. On XP machines, including with FPR, the windows login screen didn't show at all.

FWIW, the IPS screen on this is excellent.

 

Honestly I just buy straight from IBM parts. They're a bit pricier than ebay or amazon, but have excellent service, fast shipping, and wont argue if you want to return or exchange something.

https://www-304.ibm.com/shop/americas/content/home/store_IBMPublicUSA/en_US/parts/parts_r.html

You'll have to go through the Hardware Maintenance Manual on the lenovo website for your model and it should have the various part numbers for the keyboards in there. The difficult thing is that outside of user reviews and googling old posts (or buying a bunch of keyboards), it's difficult to match up part numbers to manufacturers. Often they don't even assign distinct part numbers, and a keyboard part number good be a random selection of whatever brand keyboard they have in stock.

I also failed to notice that this is your first W7 machine. In that case, if you're talking about the XP functionality, where it completely eliminates the user logon screen if you choose to, and it goes straight from the loading bar to the desktop environment - then no, there is no way to emulate that functionality. The user select/logon screen will always be there, regardless of weather you use a PW or not.

 

I wouldn't go anywhere without my HMM.

It lists three part numbers for the keyboard without, as you say, giving any clue as to the mfg or the differences. A new keyboard is more than 10% of what the computer cost

I probably should spend more time learning about W7. So far, it launches programs, seems to have more security features than XP and has some eye candy I don't care about. The security features have silently blocked some stuff from running or installing, which is annoying.

EDIT: the main keyboard noise issue is the spacebar, especially releasing it (pushing it less of an issue). Someone on another forum had the same issue and recommending taking off the spacebar and oiling the mechanism. Sounds a bit dodgy.