If someone want to access service partition, can use IBM utils in c:\ibmtools\utils\ (at least my R50e has it) .. there is a lot of stuff for manage partition, copy files,....

I just wanted to post to thank you for this guide! It was so easy to follow. I'm not a technophile, so I was concerned that I'd have some trouble, but I didn't have a single snag!

Thanks again!

Stephen

I got this far, http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_Install/Step7.htm

However, i don't have the file win51ip.SP2 or nearly as many as I should have. AFAIK, Im certain I followed everything correctly... also, my bcd file is name bcd111.. any suggestions?

I tried to redo it all, I got this:
http://img132.echo.cx/img132/4274/fresh13we.th.jpg
http://img132.echo.cx/img132/9845/fresh25in.th.jpg

Please help..

Sorry, I overlookd the 111 attached to my bcd file, well why does it have it anyways, I was going by the guide to a T, so I left out the 111 by accident.. wtf.

Why am I having a tough time with this? not everything matches up with the guide, check it out:

http://img133.echo.cx/img133/3696/fresh59yq.th.jpg


http://img133.echo.cx/img133/9557/fresh60gs.th.jpg

http://img133.echo.cx/img133/5307/fresh79au.th.jpg

I tried C:\bcd111\bcd wxppro and C:\bcd111\bcd111 wxppro thus giving me the errors pictured above.. any suggestions?

Hi there;

I was wondering for this great guide. My question is that I can apply this guide with a thinkpad A22m????Thanks

Carlos...

The information in this guide is generic to all computers. Just skip the steps that deal with specific features in the T series and don't apply to your machine.

I have T42 w/ SP2

Step 7 didn't work for me. After extracting the files, a page come up providing information about the "switches" and stopped.

I finally followed the procedure in Tom's Hardware Guide -- extracting the files w/ "/x" switch; then "updating /integrate:". I get the win51ip.sp2.

But Running "bcd wxppro" only gives me a non-bootable CD -- twice. What are the file names that should be on the CD making it bootable? Any idea why my CD is not bootable?

And "bcd wxppro" gave me a *.iso file the first time; after that, it doesn't.

TIA

Since no one has responded to my last post, let me ask this.

In Step 5, we downloaded wxp10.zip which "contains files needed to build the WXPP bootable CD". Are the required files in w2ksect.bin? How can I extract the files from that? Or alternatively, where can I find the files necessary to make the CD bootable?

If I can find the necessary files that make the CD bootable, can I not then simply copy them to the CD before I copy all the other files to the CD? [Burning a CD is simply extracting the files from the *.iso and then copy to the CD.] Or is it not that simple?

TIA

I've made this excellent guide into a .pdf file which makes it easier to print & use offline (or if your trying to do this and only have a single computer).

The .pdf is 0.98MB in size, so PM me where you'd like it sent.

Cheers

UCI_MECH, I did an excellent install with your directions, thank you so very much!!!!

I have one question though, the IMB software installer package installed all packages twice. I ran the first time as you suggested without looking on the internet for the latest relaseses. The installer looked into two folders for the drivers C:\DRIVERS, and C:\IBMTOOLS\DRIVERS. The process installed all the packages, I rebooted, and started the installer again for the updates (this time goin g to the net), but this time it asked to install all pacakges again with the exception of the ethernet card and the intel chipset (which I installed the latest version from the Intel website).

I guess my question is, when you are ready to run the software installer, do you need the two directories available for the program ( C:\DRIVERS and C":\IBMTOOLS\DRIVERS), or can you just use the later?

Thanks.

Hey guys

just received my new t42 2373-3uu, and I want to install a fres´h copy of WINXP pro. I have the original cd and I consider using autostreamer to imply sp2. What I want is to have all the IBM factory installed programs installed again, how do I do this?? Should I make recover cd's or what??

Best regards
Rasmus Maul
'

You should definitly make the rescue/recovery CDs regardless. And yes, this is how you would recover all applications. I suggest you to follow the thread of reinstalling your softwares without the recovery CDs. You will have ALL IBM softwares without loosing 4GB++ for the hidden partition, and for some reason the boot time is much, much more faster.

Could you please post the link to the "reinstalling without the recovery CD's thread"?? TIA!

Hi all,


Is it normal that the key written in my Unatend.txt file is DIFFERENT from the CD key written on the sticker on my computer ?


I have a T42 with the original windows installation that it came with.


Thanks !!!



Edit: I read the guide a bit carefuly and I realised I'm stoopid.

Thanks

Yes, the recovery process often give an IBM Generic key. If you want to keep a certain key and you don't know it, before the recover process find out what it is. Search for Magic JellyBean on Google. This is a program that will tell you what key you have in Windows as well as Office...it also gives you the option to change/edit the CD key....but not recommended.

Good luck

I am having an installation day today

FYI - I have SP2 pre installed:

I did the process as described in the instructions web page and my product key from the (any) unattend.txt didn't work. The before and after slipstream product keys on the unattend.txt were the same.

I then wanted to use the MagicJellyBean keyfinder to find the key, but it was too late since I had already deleted everything. I used the key on the bottom of my TP, and it worked, but required activation.

I used the 7 disks that I have burned to do a product recovery to factory condition, and watched. Right after the recovery procedure started windows, I checked the unattend.txt at the I386 directory, it was a different key than what I had before. But then the automatic recovery process ran a slipstream on that I386 directory which changed the unattend.txt again. I stopped and did the recovery again and this time made myself a copy of the I386 by changing its name to ZZZ before the slipstream got it, I did cut and paste on it making a 'copy of ZZZ', and then I changed the copy's name back to I386. I should mention that the slipstream process hanged until I changed the copy's name back to I386, but then it continued as if nothing has happened. I let the recovery process finish, and used MagicJellybean keyfinder to see what key it would find for me. It found the same key that was on my ZZZ unattend.txt. So I did the installation again and used that key and it worked. I don't need to activate now.

Conclusion:
Computers that arrives with SP2 "preinstalled" has a slipstreamed I386 with a wrong key in the original I386 unattend.txt. Doing the recovery to factory condition shows that the original I386 exist at first but is promptly slipstreamed with XP2 as the first operation done by the recovery process.

Notes:
1. MagicJellyBean should be used under the system which you need its key. It doesn't extract keys from CDs. So don't think, like I did:"if the unattend.txt won't work for me I will check out what that MagicJellyBean is" since by then it would be to late and you would have to install everything again in order to use it.
2. The original unattend.txt and the post-slipstream one looks different in the following part - here is how my original looks like:
FullName="IBM USER"
OrgName="IBM CUSTOMER"
ComputerName=*
And here is how the slipstreamed one looks like:
FullName = "Your User Name"
OrgName = "Your Organization Name"
ComputerName = *


I am now wondering if, and how should I install the OSFIXES. Anybody?
I am also wondering if I should check for drivers from Intel and other manufacturers, or just the IBM's ones?

Edit: By now, went to intel.com and downloaded a few programs ctcenu06.msi (test if it is centrino, who needs it?) infinst_autol.exe (install some drivers or inf files or something like that) and a few other goodies from intel. Anyway right after the install the laptop started to run hot. I have tried to undo what I did, or redo IBM's installations but I it didn't figure it out. Eventually I did a system restore to the point before that. Now it's cool. So now I wonder if it is the infinst_autol.exe that updates the chipset drivers, or something else.

I got my T43 2686-DGU in the mail last week, and I am in the midst of doing a clean install of WinXPP.

For step 13, we have to install the INTEL Chipset support. What chipset does the T43 have? From what I found on the IBM website, the T43 comes with the INTEL 915 chipset (whereas this guide is for the 845 and 855 chipsets found in T42's and earlier). Is this true?

Should I then use the drivers for the 915 chipset (found here) in step 13 instead of those that the guide advocates?

thanks a lot!!

Anish

Within the context of this thread here's my story on how my fresh install went.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=90510#90510

Highlights:
- rescue and recovery on clean blank hard disk how it works
- why i think my serial provided on the back of the notebook did not work
- my working http://www.lijktmeduidelijk.nl/grab/?winnt.sif file
- also C:WINDOWS\system32\$winnt$.inf as i found on my system after factory setup recovery you can find here:
http://www.lijktmeduidelijk.nl/grab/?$winnt$.inf


Might come in handy for someone.

Cheers,

Rob

I tried this process on a Dell (except for the IBM-specific parts, of course). It worked great!

Only one question...how would one do this if they have an SP2 restore disc?

Can anyone confirm this: If the original factory install is lost, and I only have the recovery cds, it is not possible to make a clean bootable Windows XP cd, using the product key on the back on the thinkpad, as the guide instructs? No way of obtaining the I386 folder?

/Mack

it is possible to make a clean bootable winxp cd using prod key and obtain i386 folder:

- by running recovery cds to get back factory install!
the factory install contains the i386 folder on c:
so that way you can make such a bootable disc. i have done so myself and described this here:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=90510#90510

I just made a Windows Install CD, and at least it boots.

What I did was take a SP2 slipstreamed CD that I made from an OEM Windows XP Pro CD that I received with a desktop PC. I copied the CD's contents into a directory (xpcdsetup) on the hard drive. I deleted the i386 directory from this directory I just made, and copied the I386 directory from my T42 to the xpcdsetup directory. I then copied the unattend.txt from the I386 directory to the xpcdsetup directory. I edited the UnattendMode line in unattend.txt from: Unattendmode = FullUnattended to: Unattendmode = ProvideDefault.

I then burned the above files and folders from the above directory onto a CD/R using Nero. (I had previously gotten the CD image file to use from the original desktop PC Windows XP Pro CD, using Isobuster.)

What I am hoping is, that I have a Windows XP Pro CD that I could use at some future date, for doing a complete Windows install.

Has anyone else tried anything like this method for making a Windows install CD for a ThinkPad, and subsequently done a successful install?

EDIT: I wasn't yet ready to do a clean install of Windows, that is why I posed the above question. I don't have the desire to test the CD all the way.

hi there, I was wondering during these steps that UCI_MECH has very kindly laid out for us, that after deleating the ibm restoration partition and expanding the c drive to encompass that partition, that C:\ end's up as 38.5 gigs instead of 40gigs.
I'm using acronis disk director suite, is there any way to get back this 1.5 gigs?
Also just to further confuse matters I'd like to use acronis os selector to run a dual boot setup (XPx2) one for audio production and the other for the net, games etc, each on their own 20gig partion on the system drive.

I found this link on the matter....

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=90621


but a user mentions:
'You follow the instructions in the manual EXACTLY as written. You MUST first boot to a non-existant floppy then boot to the XP retail CD, not a recovery CD (correct me if I am wrong on this point) and follow the usual install routine'

does this mean UCI_MECH 's windows boot disc won't work for this senario?

any input appreciated.
thanks

Isn't the 40GB rating given to the hard drives not the actual size of the hard drive due to the tranlsation of megabytes to gigabytes?

Yep.

k then thanks for this info.
I also just took stock of another t42 and was wondering if I have to create the 6 recovery discs over again and make another windows boot disc for this machine, or can I just use the first 6 discs I made and boot from the windows disc I made first time around.
This new machine has an 80 gig hd and I'm actually going to take the 80gig out, put in a brand new 40 gig and put the 80 in the ultra slim bay.
Is it now just a case of fitting the 40 gig in place, using the windows boot cd I made according to the steps in the guide, then just follow the guide from this point (ie copy over ibm tools/drivers etc)
thanks

I had a copy of bcd111.zip from Bart's site.

When I ran the bcd batch file, I got a warning about the format not being ISO-9660 compliant. The rest of the batch ran perfectly.

Is this a concern?

Hi, I have encountered a strange problem. After following the guide given in this thread to create a clean win xp bootable cd, I get the following error when trying to install:

"Error reading information from netmap.inf. Setup cannot continue". I then receive another error message saying "The option to upgrade will not be available at this time. The system cannot find the file specified".

I have followed the guide 100 %, slipstreaming SP2 on the I386 folder placed on the harddrive from factory install/recovery cd. I did some google search, and apparently some other people have encountered the same error. Someone suggested this problem occurs when trying to apply SP2 on a I386 folder originating from an OEM WIN XP CD, which is indeed the case here (ibm oem recovery cd). But I have not seen anyone on this forum having this problem?

What is causing this error, please help me with this mystery.

Update: Apparently the netmap.inf file should be located in the "winntupg" dir on the created cd. And from what I understand, that directory is created when slipstreaming SP2 on the original I386 folder, because it is not there before the slipstream process. In any case, this is what my "winntupg" dir contains:

ms (a dir)
netupg.inf
netupgrd.dll
nv4prep.dll
setupapi.dll

Can anyone have a look at their "winntupg" dir and see if they have a netmap.inf file, after a SP2 slipstream? And confirm that it is the SP2 slipstream process that creates the "winntupg" folder?

/Mack

Hi all.

My question is; After following the great tutorial and installing a fresh xp on the system, we will be able to use all 40gig of hdd, isnt it? (actually probably 39ish of it...)

And we will not be able to use the "access IBM" button again, ever is it? Can we ever get back to the original setup?

And after the install, if we like to use fingerprint reader, hd protection system, vs.. are we able to download it from the ibm.com and use it as we have used it on the initial setup, I mean is it plug and play easy or makes you tweak bios or so? (I know we can download everyting except dvdplayer vs..)

Last, what the hack all of these programs do, besides FP reader, hdd protection and maybe trackpoint tweaker, what are their use, which to install which to delete. (cant find detailed info in the forum)

Thanx all