Putting OS on x200 more recent than Win 8+

[mtgal]

OK. I am getting pretty frustrated.

I installed Win 7 Pro from a rescue and recovery set provided to members of this site. It installed, but it has not activated. I was able to find the product key that is in the OS, however, Microsoft says it isn't a valid product key.

So Win 7 will not activate on my laptop, and therefore I cannot upgrade to Win 10. Furthermore, if I do not activate Win 7 within 30 days of install, it will stop working.

Is there something I am missing here?

Those of you who say you are running Win 7 Pro on your x200 just fine--where did you get Win 7 Pro? If it was from the resources of this forum, how did you get it activated?

And why can't I get any web browsers to function properly?

I really, really do not want to purchase Win10 Pro without first seeing how it operates on my x200. Win 7 looks very nice, but it also looks like, even if I can get it activated, I'm going to run into the same limitations I faced with Vista Business. My x200 came with both XP and Vista Business.

So would someone here be able to please walk me through this? How do I get Win 7 or Win 10 Pro to run and activate and be fully functional on my x200?

THANK YOU

[RealBlackStuff]

Download the Slic Toolkit: https://www.afterdawn.com/software/desk ... oolkit.cfm
Run it to check if you have Slic2.1 in the X200 BIOS.
If it is not there, you cannot activate the Lenovo W7 Recovery.
To get Slic2.1, look for: ThinkPad X200_6duj43us_SLI21_no_whitelist.zip and install that.

[TPFanatic]

I installed Win 7 Pro from a rescue and recovery set provided to members of this site. It installed, but it has not activated.

Exactly as I suspected. My instructions from the previous page will get your Win 7 to activate.

1. Get a flash drive.
2. On the current computer you are posting from, go to this link and download Rufus: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releas ... -3.21p.exe
3. Run Rufus and make a Bootable DOS on that Flash Drive. Here's more instructions on that: https://www.howtogeek.com/136987/how-to ... usb-drive/
4. Download the X200 BIOS .RAR I uploaded to Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/lenovo-thin ... -len-21-wl
5. Copy the contents of the "MarkerTool" folder to your DOS Flash Drive.
6. Plug the DOS Flash Drive into your X200 and boot from it. Hit F12 at Startup then select the USB Flash Drive.
7. Navigate in DOS to the contents of the appropriate "MarkerTool" subfolder, either "TP-6D" or "TP-7X" depending on your machine's BIOS, and run "SETMARK.bat".
8. Reboot to Windows and it will be activated.


May as well throw a copy of the Firefox Setup onto your flash drive to.

Also tell us specifically what error you are seeing with the web browsers or there is no way we can help you.

[nfraser01]

I installed a brand new Samsung EVO SSD, used the Win7 recovery discs I got from this wonderful forum, and the first sign of a problem was that after the third recovery CD the computer asked for a fourth one. I don't have a fourth one. But, I thought, maybe those files are just "extras." So I went ahead and finished the install.

I haven't seen the X200 recovery disks but the set for the X201 is "only" three DVD's.

You'll need to be more specific describing the errors you are having before we can give specific advice I'm afraid. Too many variables...

However one of the most likley issues is that the Windows 7 installed is the original release ,whereas a lot of the software you may be trying to use require a higher Service Pack?

Google Chrome later than v109 won't work in Windows 7 anymore (See https://support.google.com/chrome/threa ... 2023?hl=en)

It sounds like you don't have a spare machine to download software on unfortuinately so at this point you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Obvious thing to try next is to reinstall Windows 7 from the recovery disks to see if that resolves any of your issues?

HTH

[mtgal]

I can download software on my husband's desktop or laptop. I did reinstall the recovery disks, this time using instructions I found on the Lenovo website. I think three disks is all there is.

I think the internet problem has to do with something going wrong with Windows Internet Explorer (always hated that program).

I have to go to bed early tonight (unlike the last two nights' marathons trying to solve this) so I will have to see what I can figure out about Internet Explorer later in the week.

Thanks you for all the links, resources, ideas, and recommendations, all of you!

When I do get back to this I will return with the error messages.

[mtgal]

TPFanatic
You wrote:

You must make a Bootable DOS flash drive using Rufus (https://rufus.ie/downloads/ , 3.22 or 3.21 is the last version supporting Windows 7), put the Marker Tool on that flash drive and run "SETMARK.BAT" for the correct version for your machine, either TP-7X or TP-6D, corresponding to your machine's BIOS version.

I'm following all your steps now, beginning with installing the service packs. It turns out I have BIOS version 3.17 and the BIOS date is 2010-12-02. I am remembering now that my x200 had a new motherboard installed around that time as a warranty repair. Just wondering if that changes anything about your recommended protocol?

[mtgal]

I ran the SLIC toolkit.

I'm not sure if I am reading it right, but I think it says the bios is 2.0.

BIOS Information
Vendor: Lenovo
Version: 6DET767WW (3.17)
Date: 12/02/2010
Size: 8192K
Type: Phoenix BIOS/ACPI 2.0

It also shows most of a product key--all but the last 5 digits--is this useful? I clicked on open the cert. and it shows a file extension that might be the rest of the key. I'm going to try it.

[mtgal]

FYI that product key didn't work.

[mtgal]

[quoteNavigate in DOS to the contents of the appropriate "MarkerTool" subfolder, either "TP-6D" or "TP-7X" depending on your machine's BIOS,][/quote]

so which one do I use in my case?

[RealBlackStuff]

Go into BIOS, on the first page it says: BIOS Version 3.xx (6Dxxxx or 7Xxxxxx).
Based on that use the proper marker.

I ran the SLIC toolkit.

I'm not sure if I am reading it right, but I think it says the bios is 2.0.

In the Toolkit program it should show a line at the bottom left, something like:
Status: Dump OK! (Lenovoxxxx V2.1)
This should be a green text on a black background, ending in 2.1
If it is red on black and/or 2.0, you do NOT have Slic2.1.
See this example: http://cdn1.afterdawn.fi/screenshots/normal/5286.jpg

[mtgal]

I followed all the steps both of you outlined.
I could not seem to get setmark to run. The first time I ran it lots of stuff scrolled on the DOS screen and then it said there wasn't enough memory (it's a 32 GB USB flash drive). So I ran it again after rebooting into DOS and there were no error messages, but it also didn't show the process.

I just rebooted into Windows 7 and re-ran the SLIC program and it shows green on black version 2.0

I went with TP-6D. There was nothing to indicate which was correct.

Should I try again with the other one?

[mtgal]

Whew! I did it!!! It now says

Dump OK! (LenovoTP-6D_V2.1)

My DOS skills are pretty rusty and I forgot to change the directory before running the batch file. (duh!)

Thank you all so much! Now off to see if Win7 is activated.

[mtgal]

IT'S ACTIVATED !!! WooHoo!

[mtgal]

OK, but I still can't get online with a web browser. Win7 loaded with Internet Explorer 8 and it doesn't work.

I have Firefox installer on a flash drive, but it won't install. The error message says:

"Hmmm. For some reason, we could not install Firefox. Choose OK to start over."

Then i click OK, and it just takes me to the Mozilla website (on Internet Explorer--but it is a goofy messed up looking web site) and there is a "Download Now" button. I click that and I get the typical error I've been getting from IE:

"There is a problem with this website's security certificate" If I click "continue to this website (not recommended)" the browser window says "Navigation Blocked"

Firefox says its latest edition works with Win7. So what do I do?

[RealBlackStuff]

On my T440p with W7 Pro/SP1 I'm running the latest Firefox 113.0.2.
I'm also using Waterfox Classic 2022.11 and the last Chrome 109.0.5414.120 that supports W7.
The above are all 64-bit.
You can try to install IE 11 first, to get rid of the outdated IE 8.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downloa ... x?id=41628
Once IE 11 runs, look for another browser and then uninstall IE 11.

[TPFanatic]

Personally I've never had a problem installing Firefox on any of my fresh Windows 7 installs from a T520 or T410 Windows 7 SP1 set.

I wonder if you are working with Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 7, the vanilla version, and if it is lacking some core networking features? In which case I would recommend you manually install those two Windows Updates to get the Updates system working efficiently, then give the computer a day to fully update from Microsoft.

I have no expectation that IE8 will work at all so best stop using it.

Here is the complete Firefox download page, I believe it'll give the full installers rather than a minimalist self-updater. Best go for the Windows 64 bit MSI. Have to scroll to your language.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/

What's the chance you're running 32 bit Windows?

[mtgal]

Yes, you are right. After posting the latest question I ran the updates feature (was not able to do this until I did the other operations this great group guided me through). The updates to Win7 ran overnight and this morning I was able to install Firefox and Google and it is running great.

Now I have the next hurdle: I want to install Office 2016, which as I understand it, is the last iteration of MS Office that works with Win7. I already have an Office 365 subscription, so theoretically I should be able to download Office 2016 for free. But I have searched and searched the microsoft and office websites and I cannot find a single download link for Office 2016.

How do I get this?

Because I don't want to do my work on the cloud. It's okay to have the option to save stuff there if I want to, but I often am working where there is no internet connection, so I want the software on my SSD.

So, any tips for finding and downloading Office 2016?

Many thanks for each and every one of you who has guided me on this journey.

[RealBlackStuff]

https://archive.org/details/microsoft-o ... and-64-bit

I'm still using Office 2010, combined with UbitMenu for the classic Office 2003 toolbar.

[mtgal]

Thank you! I now have Office 2016, courtesy of that link! It works! And at last I'm able to start putting my work system together in the way I need to.

I was not asked for a product key. Is that going to happen somewhere down the line?

I also didn't go online with it to use the Microsoft online services available, and don't plan to.

[TPFanatic]

My guess is Microsoft recognizes your hardware from the last time you activated Office on this machine. So it already knows you're legit.