lenovo laptop i5 processor
i have a Lenovo laptop i got for work, and tried loading our copy of windows 7 pro on it ( we have a volume license agreement with enough licenses - so it's a legit copy ). but unlike every other laptop i got for work, this didn't load right, the video and wireless refused to cooperate. it was bad enough that after several calls to Lenovo, they had me send it in for warranty repair. Lenovo found nothing wrong and re-imaged the drive and sent it back, so this time a ran the thing to make DVD's to set it back to factory defaults. and i was going to try again, however, i thought i saw somewhere that with the i5 processor the video is different. so is there some special way to install windows 7 on an i5 process pc?
@David-Howard
I'm curious, please excuse my ignorance. Is this the norm for Lenovo? Installing the chipset last is the opposite of what I have ever heard of before. Usually, you run into various problems if you don't install the chipset drivers first. This is kind of a "reverse polish logic" like some older HP electronic calculators used to operate on.
@JeffBeall
What OS did the laptop originally come with? A different version of Win 7? I'm just wondering why you have to reinstall Win 7 Pro on it to begin with. Would it be possible to do an "in place" upgrade instead of a Nuke and Pave clean install?
I'm curious, please excuse my ignorance. Is this the norm for Lenovo? Installing the chipset last is the opposite of what I have ever heard of before. Usually, you run into various problems if you don't install the chipset drivers first. This is kind of a "reverse polish logic" like some older HP electronic calculators used to operate on.
@JeffBeall
What OS did the laptop originally come with? A different version of Win 7? I'm just wondering why you have to reinstall Win 7 Pro on it to begin with. Would it be possible to do an "in place" upgrade instead of a Nuke and Pave clean install?
Yes it is quite the opposite of what is the usual installation order. I first ran across this problem about a year ago. In short, after installing all listed software and updates from Lenovo I had several different systems (T410s, T420, etc.) that failed to detect two hardware items. It was only through sheer luck that I discovered the "fix" of installing the chipset last. Loading software in that manner allowed the Hardware Manager to detect and load all devices. I'm not saying this is a fix for you. But I did want to mention it in case you are up against something of the same nature.
As for the preinstalled software on those systems it varied. Some were XP Pro and others were Win 7 32 and 64bit.
And my resolutions came after I nunked everything and started over from scratch.
You might also want to verify that everything in the BIOS (video, etc.) is set to where it should be.
As for the preinstalled software on those systems it varied. Some were XP Pro and others were Win 7 32 and 64bit.
And my resolutions came after I nunked everything and started over from scratch.
You might also want to verify that everything in the BIOS (video, etc.) is set to where it should be.
ASKER
Jim-R - yes, i always thought chipset was first,
to answer your question, yes, it came with win7 home premium, but my work is on a domain, so i thought i had to put win7 pro on it.
i'll try the chipset last thing though David-Howard - wish me luck!
to answer your question, yes, it came with win7 home premium, but my work is on a domain, so i thought i had to put win7 pro on it.
i'll try the chipset last thing though David-Howard - wish me luck!
If you don't have any luck with the "Polack" chipset procedure, you could probably do the "in place (keeps everything as is" upgrade from Home Prem to Pro from the "working Home Prem version" factory state. Use the "Custom Install" while running setup from within the Windows environment and choose the Upgrade option. I would think this wouldn't mess up an already functioning video driver.
Good luck with this, although you shouldn't really need any luck. This should "just work" to begin with.
Good luck with this, although you shouldn't really need any luck. This should "just work" to begin with.
ASKER
i actually tried the custom install thing and windows didn't like that,
so i just now tried the thinkvantage thing but i guess i don't have a thinkpad - i think it's just a Lenovo
so i just now tried the thinkvantage thing but i guess i don't have a thinkpad - i think it's just a Lenovo
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Are you getting any type of error messages during the installations?
Is you hard drive set to Compatibility mode within the BIOS? If it is set to AHCI, set it to Compatibility and boot from your OS CD.
Is you hard drive set to Compatibility mode within the BIOS? If it is set to AHCI, set it to Compatibility and boot from your OS CD.
ASKER
if i do a clean install of win7 pro, it installs fine, but i can't get the drivers installed for the wireless. from Lenovo, i was told to get the drivers from
consumersupport.lenovo.com
i put my serial number in there but the wireless REFUSES to work.
i am trying the upgrade install again.
consumersupport.lenovo.com
i put my serial number in there but the wireless REFUSES to work.
i am trying the upgrade install again.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
the wireless switch was always on, i looked for that. beleive it or not, i have to restore to factory defaults, then use some windows upgrade live thing and purchase an upgrade to win7 pro. i guess my copy of win7 pro doesn't support upgrading.
this is the first laptop that i couldn't just wipe win7 home premium and load my copy of win7 pro.
oh well, it's working now, thanks for the help.
this is the first laptop that i couldn't just wipe win7 home premium and load my copy of win7 pro.
oh well, it's working now, thanks for the help.
.....i guess my copy of win7 pro doesn't support upgrading.....
Just out of curiosity (mine), you could look at a little file named ei.cfg in the Win 7 DVD "sources" directory on the Win 7 DVD
E I stands for Edition ID. This identifies the version of Win 7. The last computer I upgraded from Vista x64 to Win 7 involved the advice of removing this file from the Win 7 ISO and it succeeded with no problems. The contents of this file look like this:
[EditionID]
Professional
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0I'm thinking your particular issue with your upgrading could possibly had something to do with this. With the file removed, setup asks which version (lists all of them) that you purchased. You select the appropriate one (that your license matches) and carry on from there. I know this works from experience and I wonder if you had the same Win 7 ID file.
ASKER
wow, i'm torn.
i could try that, if there is a "next time', but i hope there isn't another time that i run into this.
so far, the wipe and re-load has worked every time, this was such a hassle, i just hope i don't run into this again.
but curiosity is getting the best of me, and you would like to try your fix.
i could try that, if there is a "next time', but i hope there isn't another time that i run into this.
so far, the wipe and re-load has worked every time, this was such a hassle, i just hope i don't run into this again.
but curiosity is getting the best of me, and you would like to try your fix.
I know for a fact that this worked "for me", but a "Lenovo" wasn't involved. Independent manufacturers and laptops in particular have some rather "weird" idiosyncrasies at times.
This removing the ei.cfg trick is used by many OEMs because it unifies all versions of Win 7 onto one install media which is a nice convenience. The license key has to match the version, but it beats shuffling through so many different DVD's and finding the appropriate version or grabbing the wrong version while multi-tasking.
Maybe looking at the ei.cfg file in the upgrade you purchased to see what is in it.
In the past, remember when you used to get these "error" messages when you used a retail or OEM copy of Windows to upgrade an existing install. "This copy of Windows is for a PC without any Windows installed" or something similar? Now you are supposed to get the "custom install" option and any of your existing files end up in folders named "Windows dot OLD".
In the instance I speak of, "$INPLACE.~TR" and "$WINDOWS.~Q" folders were created and this is where things from Vista were moved to.
You certainly don't have to experiment on my behalf. I was just passing on my experience to you for your future reference, but you and your curiosity reminds me of myself :o) I would totally GHOST image your working drive before messing with it. I'm also a believer in the "If its not broke, don't fix it" motto.
This removing the ei.cfg trick is used by many OEMs because it unifies all versions of Win 7 onto one install media which is a nice convenience. The license key has to match the version, but it beats shuffling through so many different DVD's and finding the appropriate version or grabbing the wrong version while multi-tasking.
Maybe looking at the ei.cfg file in the upgrade you purchased to see what is in it.
In the past, remember when you used to get these "error" messages when you used a retail or OEM copy of Windows to upgrade an existing install. "This copy of Windows is for a PC without any Windows installed" or something similar? Now you are supposed to get the "custom install" option and any of your existing files end up in folders named "Windows dot OLD".
In the instance I speak of, "$INPLACE.~TR" and "$WINDOWS.~Q" folders were created and this is where things from Vista were moved to.
You certainly don't have to experiment on my behalf. I was just passing on my experience to you for your future reference, but you and your curiosity reminds me of myself :o) I would totally GHOST image your working drive before messing with it. I'm also a believer in the "If its not broke, don't fix it" motto.
I haven't had any issues with Lenovo's 7 reinstallation cd's or from hand loading Windows 7.
One thing I do though is run the System Update from Lenovo. Now there is one issue that I did run into. And that was various problems UNLESS I loaded the chipset last. So if you run System Update deselect the chipset installation, run everything else, reboot and THEN run the chipset installation.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?LegacyDocID=TVSU-UPDATE