Re: How to reinstall Windowx XP on an IBM Thinkpad A31p laptop PC

From: Orak Listalavostok (oraklistal_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 03/31/04 

Date: 31 Mar 2004 04:27:23 -0800

> If you can't boot from a CDROM, you can download 6 WinXP setup boot disks:
> support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994&ID=kb;en-us;Q310994
> Then you can run the clean install using your Windows XP OEM product key:
> http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
>
> If you use the IBM recovery disks, it's much harder to do a clean install.
> The 1st Recovery CD just restores WinXP, but it automatically formats the
> drive to a FAT32 file system. You can convert the files system using the
> WinXP CONVERT command, but the Windows XP help system recommends not
> doing that - it recommends installing WinXP on a preformated NTFS drive.
> If you pre-format & then run the IBM Recovery Disks, you're back to FAT32!
> The recovery CD-ROM will re-create the pre-existing FAT32x file system
> every time. Some people have suggested the following workaround:
> a.- Re-install per the recovery CD.
> b.- Install Paragon Hard Disk Manager, and using this software suite
> re-partition the hard drive the way you want it.
> c.- Do a defrag on the XP partition.
> d.- Use Paragon Hard Disk Manager to convert the existing FAT32x
> filesystem to NTFS. This is important, do NOT use the Windows
> convert utility to convert the filesystem to NTFS or you will wind
> up with 512 byte clusters. This is inefficient and per my tests
> (and the tests of others) significantly slows disk access.
> Select a size of 4k for your clusters, this is 8 sectors per
> cluster in Paragon. This is the most efficient size for your drive
> size. And don't worry about wasted space with these size clusters,
> this is NTFS and smaller files are stored in the MFT in their entirety,
> not in mostly empty clusters. This cluster size also allows you to
> take advantage of the compressed folder option in Windows.
>
> Also note that Partition Magic uses the Microsoft conversion utility and
> creates the unwanted 512 byte cluster size. As far as I know Paragon in the
> only utility that allows cluster size specification during a conversion.
> Paragon will also allow you to convert the cluster size should you have
> inadvertently used the Microsoft utility. I would recommend against
> re-conversion of the cluster sizes (in other words, re-sizing after having
> already converted to NTFS once), as the MFT will not be correctly located on
> the disk surface.
>
> The reason Microsoft does not recommend conversion is because of the 512
> byte cluster size that results. When a drive is formatted from scratch,
> using a full install CD, Microsoft will properly create the 4k cluster
> sizes.
>
> Once conversion has completed, defrag again.
>
> IBM uses the FAT 32x file system because it is easier for inexperienced
> users to apply recovery techniques. Note that it is *NOT* easier to recover
> a FAT file system than an NTFS one. NT/2K/XP makes it pretty easy to recover
> from some fairly catastrophic file system errors (which would be
> unrecoverable on a FAT filesystem), but it takes a bit of practice to become
> familiar with the required utilities. I prefer NTFS because of the
> file-level security it offers, and the journaling capability that offers
> better stability and reliability.
> And should you be considering Linux, RedHat 7.3 installs fine on the
> IBM ThinkPad A31p series.
>
> Others have had success creating a clean WinXP install by this method:
> 1.- Resize C: and create D:
> 2.- Use IBM recovery CD and boot in XP
> 3.- Copy the XP installation files from C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL to D:
> 4.- Format C: and install from the folder at D:
> IMPORTANT - NTFS partitions aren't easily accessed from DOS.
> You can leave D: as FAT32 or use www.sysinternals.com to access NTFS from DOS.
>
> The WinXP setupp.ini controls which product key the CDROM will accept
> (CORPORATE won't work directly with OEM for example). You'll find the
> setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on the VL CD for Windows XP.
> You have to change that VL PID="value" to:
> Pid=51883OEM
> in order to get the VL version to accept an OEM product key. Using a program
> like WinISO will make it easier to edit the ISO, so that you can create
> your own XP VL CD that takes OEM keys.
>
> I don't recommend a "clean" install anyway because you need also to install
> scores of IBM ThinkPad drivers & utilities. Its much easier to invoke the
> add-remove programs to uninstall the IBM provided programs that annoy you.

Since the USENET is all about helping others, here's the latest status.

IBM, true to their promise, overnighted by Airborne Express from the
Durham Exchange Club Ind on 1717 Lawson Street, Durham, North Carolina
one package with a part number sticker "01R6024" containing 2 discs:
  Product Recovery CD for ThinkPad A31, A31P Type 2652,2653,2654
  Disc 1 of 2, 8/23/2002, P/N 01R6044, XP-P, EN, FRU P/N 01R6024
  Disc 2 of 2, 8/23/2002, P/N 01R6044, XP-P, EN, FRU P/N 01R6024
and a *** of paper titled "Instructions for using the Recovery CD."

Here's what I did so far (following IBM instructions verbatim):
1. To make the CD drive the first startup device in the startup sequence:
a. I shut down the IBM ThinkPad A31p & turned the laptop PC off.
b. I pressed (& held) the F1 key, & then pressed the IBM 'eyeball' button.
c. I released the F1 key when I heard repeated beeps (some see an IBM logo).
d. This started the IBM BIOS Setup Utility where I wrote down all settings.
   - Then using the arrow keys, I selected STARTUP from the main menu.
   - Then I selected BOOT from the STARTUP menu.
   - Then I selected my CD-ROM DRIVE from the BOOT menu.
   - I pressed the F6 key repeatedly until my CDROM moved to the top.
2. I inserted the bootable Recovery CD into the internal CD-ROM drive.
3. I pressed the F10 key to save & exit the IBM BIOS Setup Utility program.
4. I selected YES in the Setup Confirmation Window & then pressed ENTER
   to start the IBM A31p ThinkPad from the bootable IBM Recovery CD.
5. That didn't work, so I pressed <Control + Alt + Del> to restart the A31p.
6. I answered all the questions in the recovery menu screen.
7. Finally, it said the recovery process finished.
8. I removed the recovery cdrom from the internal cdrom drive.
9. I restarted my IBM A31p ThinkPad laptop computer.
10. I restored the original startup sequence based on the written settings.
a. I again shut down the IBM ThinkPad A31p & turned the laptop PC off.
b. I pressed (& held) the F1 key, & then pressed the IBM 'eyeball' button.
c. I released the F1 key when I heard repeated beeps (some see an IBM logo).
d. In the open IBM BIOS Setup Utility I selected STARTUP from the main menu.
e. I selected STARTUP SEQUENCE from the STARTUP menu (some use BOOT).
f. I pressed the F9 key to select SETUP DEFAULTS from the BOOT menu.
g. I pressed F10 to save & exit the IBM BIOS Setup Utility.
h. I selected YES in the Setup Confirmation window & pressed ENTER.
11. I removed all extraneous programs installed by the recovery CDROM.
12. I installed the latest drivers previously archived from the IBM site:
    http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-MATRIX

Improvements are always welcome because someone will inevitably follow in our
footsteps.

Orak

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