Drivers for XP Pro?

[Copperhead 1]

Hello!, I am brand new here at Tom's and almost as new to the whole computer world, so please excuse me if I am asking things known to all but me... I just recieved an IBM laptop as a gift from my father and while downloading some software, it was suggested by the site that I should download all the updated drivers. I am very wary of this advice because I don't want to fix something that doesn't seem to be broken, but at the same time, I would like to be up-to-date. I am running XP Pro, and would really appreciate some qualified advice about how I should proceed? And where I might safely download such drivers? Thanks for your help... Jeffrey

 

[hang-the-9]

You have some good news, IBM laptops are easy to upgdate. Do a search for "IBM System Update" or "Lenovo System Update". I think for XP you need version 3.14. Install it and run it, it will search for updates for your PC and install them off Lenovo/IBMs website automatically.

Make sure you install SP3 if you don't have it for XP, and install .NET 2.0 as the system update software from IBM needs that.

 

[Copperhead 1]

Wow!, That is super news! I am wondering about how to do the "search" you descibe? I must run out for an hour or two, but if you would be so kind as to explain that to me , I will get to it as soon as I return. thank you sooo much...
Jeffrey (Copperhead 1)

 

[hang-the-9]

Just an internet search, google, yahoo, etc... From the sound of it the laptop is already online.

 

[Copperhead 1]

Ok, Hang-the Nine, I did the search and I came up with what appears to be the "right stuff", but , There are some very complicated directions that I don't feel entirely comfortable doing without your help. Could I please give you the website that I found and ask you to give me a push in the right direction? I'm really afraid of making a mistake as this computer is very important to a new business I am embarking on. I really appreciate your kindness and will return it in kind. Thanks, Jeffrey

 

[Copperhead 1]

The website I found is this: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-66956 Does that give us enough to go on?

 

[hang-the-9]

That's it, download the larger file (ends in .exe), you can just Run it from that location. It will install ask you to reboot. You can actually say no to the reboot. Go to Start - Programs - you will see something called Thinkvantage, go in there. Run the System Update program. It will go online, scan your laptop and give you a bunch of options for the system. Select them all and it will install them in order.

IMPORTANT: have the laptop plugged into wall power and don't interrupt this process. One of the updates is the BIOS and bad things can happen if you shut off the laptop while it's updating that. Don't let this scare you though, I have done probably a hundred BIOS updates, none have gone bad.

 

[Copperhead 1]

Ok, my friend. I will do exactly as you have instructed me. As soon as I have completed this I will message you back with the results of my first real tech work

 

[Copperhead 1]

Hey, my friend, I am not getting the Thinkvantage part. Igo to Start, then Programs and it gives me something that looks like only th programs from the Desktop. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Copperhead 1]

Ok, I found the Thinkvantage point, but after that it gives me only some fingerprint option. This computer has a fingerprint ID assosiated with the Thinkantage point. Now I have the updater downloaded, but don't know where to go from here?

 

[hang-the-9]

Ok, I found the Thinkvantage point, but after that it gives me only some fingerprint option. This computer has a fingerprint ID assosiated with the Thinkantage point. Now I have the updater downloaded, but don't know where to go from here?

If that is the only thing it comes up with, means what it found already installed on your laptop is up to date. You can just ignore the fingerprint reader. In my experience it fails as many times as it works.

 

[Copperhead 1]

Hey, thanks again. I thought youdeserted me there for a moment! So, You think that the updater may have already done it's job? How would I know for sure? Is there a place where I can see if new drivers have been installed? Yeah, athanks for your advice on the fingerprint option. I had an IBM laptop years ago and kept it password protected. As I recall it was a double password and can you image that it locked me out of my own computer (even with the correct passwords) and there wasn't a computer store that could get me back in. I had to throw away the computer. I was living in Poland at the time, so it may have just bee a case that there just wasn't the expertise to get me back in, but I for sure just threw it away.

 

[hang-the-9]

Hey, thanks again. I thought youdeserted me there for a moment! So, You think that the updater may have already done it's job? How would I know for sure? Is there a place where I can see if new drivers have been installed? Yeah, athanks for your advice on the fingerprint option. I had an IBM laptop years ago and kept it password protected. As I recall it was a double password and can you image that it locked me out of my own computer (even with the correct passwords) and there wasn't a computer store that could get me back in. I had to throw away the computer. I was living in Poland at the time, so it may have just bee a case that there just wasn't the expertise to get me back in, but I for sure just threw it away.

If that's the only thing it found, then you are all updated, and just keep the Windows updates current. If everything is running and the System Update did not find anything new, you are all set.

The dual password was probably a BIOS and then a Windows password. Those things ALWAYS work with the correct password, computers don't just decide not to take a password one day. The only time I have seen an issue when using the correct password did not let you in was an encrypted Blackberry.

The older IBMs are easy to fix, take out the BIOS batter right under the palm rest, and you just need to find one of several Windows password crack applications to get you into Windows again. Too late now I guess for that laptop