My original 60G hard drive now has some bad tracks. The system, Windows XP, prompts me to check the hardware each time I restart my computer. I just ignore the prompt and everything still works fine.


Is this a big deal?

Yes.

Backup your data immediately and start shopping for a replacement drive.

Good luck.

But my hard drive has a preloaded Windows XP system, along with other IBM utility softwares. If I buy a new one, how can I recover them?

You can burn a set of recover CDs (presuming that the recovery partition hasn't been corrupted) or buy a set.

And don't wait, don't even use the machine except for preparations for a new drive. It will fail, it's just a matter of time.

run a program that can do a SMART system scan to see if you have reallocated sectors.

Try Crystal Disk Info at: http://release.crystaldew.info/redirect ... nfoSetupEn

Thanks but I don't have an idea on how to "burn a set of recovery CDs" from my machine. Forgive me since I never did that before.

I visited a computer store this afternoon. The store owner said replacing a 60G hard drive with Windows XP installed would cost $75 (not including tax). I am not sure whether it is a reasonable price. He also said I could purchase the same hard drive but without Windows XP installed at a lower price.

So here comes my question:

Is it tedious to install Windows XP onto a new hard drive using the "set of recovery CDs".

Start reading the HOW TO... Forum and search other postings.
Here's the FAQ "How to use Recovery CD Disc Set"

And no, it's not hard, nor really tedious if you know your way around at all with Windows.

It will take some time though, initial install perhaps a little more than an hour and then another few hours to download and install all the accumulated Windows updates (including service packs). Most of that time you can just leave it to run and drop by every once in a while to see if it's done and needs a restart.

Have you moved your personal files from the old HDD yet? I would do that asap if I were you, to a USB disk, network share or similar. Don't forget stuff like browser favourites, any locally stored mail etc.

Thanks. But it is too long and most importantly, it does not tell how to burn these CDs.

Will the "red point" (the red button in the middle of the keyboard) still work after reinstalling the system?

Take the finger out and do some homework!
Use this special Google Forum-search to find answers here.
All of this has been chewed over ad nauseam!

Hi, even better.. look for a disk imaging utility such as drive snapshot, norton ghost, acronis true image or such and clone your disk into a new one. This way you avoid to have to 'reinstall' all the sw... Note that some/most drive manufacturers do even offer such utilities from their web page for installing their drives. (WD, seagate do). You will need however some way to connect your new disk while still using the old one, but this is easy if you have a USB enclosure or similar.

As much as I like cloning myself, I wouldn't recommend that for a disk reporting bad sectors.

Today I asked a computer technician to replace my hard drive. But the old drive does not copy.

generic computer technicians do not neccessarily know the Thinkpad way of doing things.
In any case, if the old drive has been used for years it is a good idea to do a fresh install. But if the old drive is still working for now, first make the set of recovery CDs. It's simple: go to Start-All Programs---> Access IBM --> Create Recovery discs. Then simply follow the instructions. This is assuming that recovery discs were never made from this computer - it can be done only once and is meant to be done by the first owner as soon as he starts up his new machine. I assume that this has been described to death in the How To section as well... (and Access IBM is also available direct, by pressing that big blue button in the top left corner of the keyboard, the computer will then explain to you how to do these things. It's an IBM, it was built by smart people to be used by non-tech corporate users on the road away from their IT departments).

Of course you or your tech will need to reinstall all your favorite applications as well. That takes time.

If your Thinkpad is still OK apart from the harddisk, I'd advise you to get a nice large new harddisk. They are relatively cheap compared to the old days (apart from the shortage caused by the floods in Thailand) and it remains to be seen how long PATA laptop drives will still be manufactured. Probably the best you can get is a Western Digital Scorpio drive, they exist up to 320 GB in the 2.5 inch PATA format and work without a hitch in a T42. In any case, no need to play around with say a 60 GB drive if you can get five times that size for a few dollars more. The only reason a store will offer you the 60 GB is that it's the only old-style PATA laptop drive they have had in stock since a long time and they want to get rid of it.

Thanks for your helpful reply, fschwep.


I bought a used 80GB hitachi from a small computer store, manufactured in May 2005.


This morning I made 1 CD, using "Create Rescue Media". It seemed successful. I assume this CD does not contain Windows XP or IBM softwares.


I'll try "Create Recovery Discs" tomorrow. (Actually I opened the program yesterday and it started to decompress stuff but since I did not have CDs nearby, I cancelled the program after it finished decompression. I hope this decompression would not use up the "only one time" policy.) I need to buy 7 CDs? That's a lot. Can I use an 8GB USB key instead? But there seems to be no such option.

I have successfully made 7 recovery CDs (1 Rescue and Recovery CD + 6 Product Recovery CDs), using the "Create Rescue Discs" program. It took about one hour.


Then I swapped the new hard drive, powered on my computer, and insert the Rescue and Recovery CD into the CD-ROM. The installation seems work well.

Excellent.

If you have any content you still want from the old drive, then it may well be worth to buy a USB adapter and hook up your old drive. Unless it's totally gone it will show up as an external drive with the entire file tree available and many files can often be copied.

I found, using the software HD Tune Pro, that the new hard drive has actually been used for ~5,000 hours, even worse, it has pending sectors ...


I went back to the store and the owner gave me another one. However, it also does not work: blue screen at the 5th product disc.


Where can I buy an unused hard drive for T42? I am in Canada.


Interestingly, the same store has a second-hand Thinkpad T42 for sale at a price of $150, but replacing my battery and hard drive has cost me $110. My fan is also quite noisy now; it would cost another $45 if I replace it.

You can get a good fan for well under $25 depending on the type that you need.

Try NewEgg in Canada and see what hard drives they can offer...as well as eBay...

Good luck.

Sorry to hear about your problems and well done finding and using a disk diagnosis tool!

I would definitely ask for all money back on the HDDs. Selling a used disk is fine, but the dealer should at least take responsibility for it having no errors at purchase, it's a very simple thing to check (as you noticed yourself).

2.5" PATA drives at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... 2f%20ATA-6

Forum thread about T42 fan replacement: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=96111

HD Tune Pro reports the following on my current hard drive:


ID Current Worst Threshold Data Status
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reallocated Event Count 100 100 0 275 warning
Current Pending Sector 100 100 0 21 warning

You have TigerDirect.ca stores around Toronto. The hard drive prices are low, but tech services are priced kind of high.

Thanks everyone. Finally I returned the hard drive and got half of the money back.

I decide to buy a new one. Do you have any to recommend? Below are my most important requirements:

(1) Good screen. I do a lot of programming, web browsing, and pdf file reviewing.
(2) Quite.
(3) Portable (for a man)
(4) Can last at least 3 years without trouble.

Sitting on my desk is a IBM T40 that I purchased but powered-up perhaps 3 or 4 times -- just to verify that battery stills holds a charge. The Windows desktop has all of the familiar IBM-related things like Access IBM and Battery MaxMiser.

I would like to burn Windows Recovery CD(s).

I start "Access IBM"
Under "Learn", I see...
Use System Features, Configure, Protect & recover, Download & upgrade and Stay current
Under Protec&recover, I see...
Protect computer data, Secure your computer, Diagnose a problem, Recover you computer data.

Using Control Panel, Administration Tools, Computer Management, Disk Management
I verify that the "Service Partition" is present (FAT32, 4.10GB)

Can I presume that recovery discs were previously made from this computer?

On eBay, there is a listing for official IBM T41 2373 Recovery CD. My machine is T40 2373. Will this T41 recovery CD be able to install Windows on my machine?

Yes, no problem.

Recovery CDs are nice if somebody else is making them. But, they don't always work, and eventually you may need to restore a machine without owning recovery CDs.

The first thing you need to do is to get the Thinkpad drivers for your machine onto a flash drive, mainly the 802.11 or other networking driver, because you are going to reinstall Windows-XP from an install-CD, and you'll need the networking drivers so you can download the rest of the drivers from the Lenovo support website after XP is running. No networking = chicken and egg problem after Windows XP installed.

Then, buy a Dell Windows-XP SP3 CD on Ebay for $12 or whatever. Every Dell computer came with a Windows-XP clone disk (thanks for NOTHING, IBM). The activation code on the bottom of your machine will allow you reinstall Windows-XP from the SP3 CD. After Windows-XP installed (and by the way, this might require a phone call to microsoft support where you talk to a very nice Indian guy), you are ready to turn your generic XP machine back into a Thinkpad.

Now, suck down every last thing you find on the thinkpad driver download website. I recommend downloading first, the "ThinkVantage Updater", because that one utility will scan your machine and download 300 MB of tools (15 separate tools) for your laptop, after Windows XP is installed.

Good luck !! I did this over xmas 2012 when my disk went bad, and it killed the crypto service. Turns out, without a crypto service, your laptop is useless. 820.11 wep doesn't work. Installation of ANYTHING does NOT work because it cannot check the digest key. Useless !! Windows XP was designed by monkies all of them on typewriters !!

No need for that if he's installing XP from the original restore set...



SP3 is available as a free download...



It's called "System Update" and one should choose carefully what to install so they don't end up with more bloat than really needed...