Need Help With A Lenovo Thinkpad

Just got a second hand Lenovo thinkpad and know nothing about them.

Upgraded the SSD to a 500gb lexar. (watched a video on youtube about how to do that)

It see's both the SSD and USB fine it seems.

Now I'm not sure what to do as it just black screens, trys to do some network thingy Intel boot agent, then fails.

I have a USB with windows to install into the new SSD but the thinkpad ignores it and if I get it into boot setup (the boot menu with app menu thing) and click on the USB (it see's its there) the screen just flashes, nothing happens and it puts me back into the boot menu.

Any and all help would be much appreciated.

 

I may have a update. All I have to use atm is a Chromebook, supposedally chromebooks recovery tool doesn't work with windows isos if I saw it right. My chromebooks in dev mode but i don't know how to do the linex stuff needed to make a proper bootable windows installer USB. So help there is also needed.

 

The reason it's going to the Intel screen is that it's set up to use a disc image from a remote server. That is, a corporate laptop which does not hold an image on the HDD/SSD. You need to get into the BIOS menu, disable the Option ROM / PXE / Intel Boot Agent (or set it to dead last in the boot order) and change the boot order for devices, setting the (Windows) USB stick as the first accessible device. Specific model of ThinkPad please.

 

T450
I'm unsure how to do "disable the Option ROM / PXE / Intel Boot Agent" But I'll try to put all things that are not the USB and the SSD into the start up excluded list in BIOS

Should I enable Boot order lock as well?

Also how should I set UEFI/Legacy boot?

 

Update I found the ROM thingy under network and disabled i, that seems to have made the intel thingy go away bu now it just goes right to the boot select.
Idk what i should do with the Wake On LAN thing that was right above he rom thing.

 

Which version of Windows are you installing?

 

windows 7

 

Negative. Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft. It hasn't received a security patch in nearly four years per "end of life" and no security updates in nearly a year if you were an ESU customer. Additionally, you can no longer upgrade W7 to W10 for free, if that was your aim. You could try using your W7 key to do a clean W10 install. Not sure if that would still work...

Do not use "Wake on LAN".

 

heard rumors that the T450 laptop might not be able to handle windows 10 without a firmware and such update. which i'm not sure how to do that.

Also I accidentally turned a needed SSD of mine into a recovery disk using chromes recovery tool and I'm now panicking from that do to it having needed files on it. I hope I can recover the drive and its files.

 

Also does that mean i should disable wake on lan?

 

Looks like it would be OK. What is your BIOS version?

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/...ns/ht505476-windows-support-center-windows-10

 

Yes.

 

I think my BIOS is 1.19

 

This page
https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/...ries-laptops/thinkpad-t450/downloads/ds102109
I think says my bios should be 1.37

I tried to make a bootable usb with chromes recovery thing but its still just flashing the screen and bringing me back to the boot menu.

I may need to make proper bootable usbs of things using the Linux shell that my chromebooks dev mode has but idk how to do that.

 

Does the Lenovo have a CD/DVD-ROM burner drive? Also, drive labels go a long way to protecting your data.

 

You probably can NOT use a simple "ISO" whether from a CD, DVD, or USB. It MUST be made "BOOTABLE" using l something like the Microsoft "Creation Media" Tool and the ISO, or something like "RUFUS." The MS Tool currently only works with Win 10/11; RUFUS isn't as sensitive as to OS, and I had to (recently) use it to create a "Bootable" Win 8.1 USB drive. A regular USB drive is NOT "bootable," even if it does contain an ISO version of the software you are trying to install.
(I can't vouch for drives created with LINUX or other systems; just Windows.)

 

Lenovo usually use Enter to get in to the boot menu... so as the computer boots hit ENTER, maybe a few times to get to the menu, if one time is not working.
Then select the USB to boot from.
You can also use Ventoy, it will make a USB bootable and you just need to copy the ISO files onto the USB, no more extracting.

 

Each model LENOVO is (apparently) different. The desktop I have uses "F2" to enter the BIOS on start-up, but "F12" brings up a "Boot one time" menu with more options than the regular BIOS selections, including "Boot from USB device." But the USB device STILL has to be made "bootable" regardless of which method you use to do that; the ISO alone won't work, even if "Boot from USB" is selected.

 

No I only have the thinkpad itself no extra thingys.

And I only have access to a chromebook. No windows capable things. So I'd need to know how to use something like Ventoy via Chromebook devs linux shell thing.

Also protecting my data wise the drive I accidentally turned into a recovery media was called something non standerd for the base label thingy. So i just home that the chrome recovery media thingy put it on a different partion of the drive even through i can no longer see anything other then the media recovery on it. I'm hoping i can recover what was lost later.

 

I'm afraid I have no experience with Chromebooks, other than knowing they are not Windows, so I doubt I can be of assistance. A "Chromebookie" an probably tell you the best way to create a "bootable" drive, and how to proceed. Good luck.

 

Personally, I like ImgBurn and MagicISO.

Back to the case at hand. From the looks of the laptop internals, they put battery capability where the ROM drive used to be. So much for slapping a used one in on the cheap. How much drive space does your Chromebook have? Have you tried going to the MS website, inserted a minimum of an 8GB flash drive, and used the "Media Creation Tool" for Windows 10? It just may work. I'll guess this laptop came with W7. That key may, or may not work. Depends on what type it is.

As an old schooler, I didn't like to update BIOS unless absolutely necessary, because you don't want to "brick" the machine, i.e. unusable. Your update is listed as "Critical" for security patches. Most likely it was already done, if the version is 1.37. For reference, it's far, FAR less likely these days to brick a modern laptop, but it is a critical procedure which must be done exactingly with a KNOWN GOOD flash drive. The process is brief, but MUST fully complete, and you cannot lose power while doing so. As far as the BIOS media it is in .iso format. You can create a bootable .iso file using the Chromebook Recovery Utility. It's actually not too difficult.

https://chromeready.com/3742/burn-iso-usb-drive-chromebook/

The other option with the BIOS is to upgrade it after OS install with the Lenovo utility, which they list as compatible with W10. Also, the update is from 2019. Well after W10 was born...

 

P.S. The Chromebook Recovery Utility may even be able to create a bootable W7 flash drive, if you rename the file with the .bin extension. I will guess you have a W7 image on your Chromebook already?

 

The bootables I make with the chormebook recovery Utility don't seem to work.
I also saw things like this. https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/dr6bxf/is_there_an_alternative_program_to_rufus_for/ A blue titled person was saying that Chrome utility can't make bootableables. its a short thread but the chromebox guy explains that the utility only.. dd's things or something idk the tech wording and that can't be used to make bootables?

And I've tried making bootables from the recovery tool and all I get from the thinkpad boot meniu when i click the USB is a screen flash then back to the boot menu... it clearly see's the USB is there, it has the name of what I put on the USB and everything but just has a screen flash when I do it.

I've even tried making a bootable bios update thingy from the lenovo website with just the flash happening too.

As for the windows media website I just got this.

"
You’ve been routed to this page because the operating system you’re using won’t support the Windows 10 media creation tool and we want to make sure you can download Windows 10. To use the media creation tool, visit the Microsoft Software Download Windows 10 page from a Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 device.

You can use this page to download a disc image (ISO file) that can be used to install or reinstall Windows 10. The image can also be used to create installation media using a USB flash drive or DVD."
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

 

Put the old drive back in and boot it? Was there an issues with that OS? Then create what you need for the new drive.

 

It could well be a real pain to put back the original HD, in the Lenovo, but if it was working and had Win 10 (maybe as far back as Win 7???) get the OFFICIAL Microsoft "Media Creation tool " and create the bootable USB drive that way. Be aware, you will need a USB drive between 8 and 32 GB, and back-up ANY files on it you want to save, because the creation of a "bootable" USN wipes out ANY previous information on the drive. THEN, you can re-install the SSD, and proceed to boot from the USB drive. It would be far easier, though, if you knew someone who is using Win 10 and can make the "bootable" install drive for you. Go directly to the MS site to download though; don't trust "second sources" for anything as important as an original, untainted OS.

 

I poked around a little, and found this little gem. It's called "YUMI" and appears to be Linux based. It may work, it may not.

https://pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/

Found this other guy who says .BIM, not .bin which bin/cue is a normal thing.

https://eightify.app/summary/techno... extension from,select it, and click continue.

 

The key to their reply is that the ISO file can be used to CREATE install media, (not to be used directly.) That "creation" would normally mean adding the ISO file on a BOOTABLE medium, either CD or thumb drive; current Win 10/11 means a USB thumb drive, since the files are larger than a single DVD can hold, the MS "Creation Tool" won't work on "double-sided"
DVD disks or Blu-Ray. You need a blank (or sacrifice) USB thumb drive between 8 GB and 32 GB, formatted in FAT. (All files on the drive WILL be deleted in the creation of a "bootable" drive, so it's best to use a new, blank USB drive so you don't lose anything.

 

I believe the use of a Win 7 license key still works for a "clean install," but an "upgrade" route is not allowed, especially if the Win 7 is a 32 bit version, and you are trying to "upgrade" to 64 bit Windows 10.
(I had 2 computers running 32 Bit Win 8.1, and both said "This machine can not be upgraded to WIN 10," but a "clean install" worked flawlessly on both, using the Win 8.1 license keys.)

 

It could be a pain? more so than trying to use a Chromebook for recovery? LOL. There is another "painful" way, supposedly you can get a Chromebook to boot Linux, but still it would require some Kung-Fu to get where they need to get to get the new drive/OS installed. Boot Linux and make a Ventoy USB, and copy the Windows ISO.

Windows has stopped allowing free Win 7 to 10 upgrades, BTW.

 

ALL use of Win 7 license keys, or just for "upgrades," to Win 10, not clean installs?

 

No matter HOW you create a "bootable" USB, you DO need to be able to boot from that medium, before you can run the "setup.exe" file contained in the ISO that starts the Windows install process. The Microsoft "Media Creation Tool" only works with a Windows 10 OS; some of the other means (RUFUS, AOMEI, VenToy, etc.) may be a bit more tolerant.
When creating the bootable drive, be sure to choose "FAT32," and you may have to specify if it's for a UEFI or "legacy" BIOS; that info should be available in the target computer's BIOS on startup. It only takes a few minutes to copy the Media Creation Tool and Win 10 ISO from the MS site; you should probably be able to convince a friend or co-worker to do it for you. Having to boot and use LINUX just to create a "bootable" USB drive seems overly complicated and inefficient.

 

I poked around and i think I got yumi working the problem is now that for some reason even thro I keep trying to make the chromebook recovery tool erase the media and allow the usb to be reformatted for the yumi and be "Writeable" again nothing changes. the recovery tool says it did the thing but the usb is still read only and the format button is greyed out.

 

Or, I've got a stupid idea that just may work. Try creating a bootable USB version of the UBCD. You could try to load UBCD to a flash drive, and access the setup.exe file using a DOS utility. You'd need two flash drives, and both inserted into the PC for this to work.

https://ubcd.sourceforge.net/download.html

Or, use a disk utility to partition your SSD. Create a 5GB partition and load the .iso file to the partition. Using a DOS utility, accesss the drive to run setup. Sort of a "Recovery Partition".

 

I'm still trying to be able to create bootable usbs. Also here is as far as I got with yumi, finally forced it so see the usb but can't seem to figure out what to do beyond that as I just get command not founds.

 

I hope someone familiar with "YUMI" (and/or Chromebook) will be able to guide you; I've never used YUMI (or even heard of it) before.

IS your ultimate goal to install Windows 10 on the Thinkpad? Win 7 is no longer supported, not JUST by Microsoft. but many other software vendors, as well.

 

Make a Windows boot USB on a Chromebook.

 

For the MS Creation tool (only for Windows) or RUFUS, there's no reason to "erase" anything, even with the Chromebook software; the creation of a "bootable" drive will erase that (and EVERYTHING) on the drive previously held, automatically. (That's the reason to use a new or "sacrifice" drive, that holds NO important files that have not already been backed up, or no information to begin with.)

I'm not familiar (at all) with "YUMI," but it shouldn't require you to delete or erase anything on the target USB drive; that all gets deleted in the creation of a "bootable" drive.