# Windows 7 on Ibm Thinkpad R40?



## flavamost (Oct 25, 2008)

I just got a 160 GB HD for a older IBM Thinkpad R40. I want to put Windows 7 on the HD but have run into some problems. I have a CDRW burner/DVD reader in it but because there are no DVD drivers, I can't install from the DVD. Would I be able to install the Windows 7 DVD from my old HD (which has Windows XP) onto the new HD if I made it into a portable HD using an enclosure? And then would I be able to replace the old HD (with Windows XP) with the new HD (with Windows 7)? I hope I haven't confused anybody with my query. Thanks for any information.

Sean


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## loda117 (Aug 6, 2010)

it does not have any DVD drivers? You mean DVD Drive? 

You can actually install windows 7 using a USB Drive 

Install Windows 7 Or Windows 8 From USB Drive/Pen Drive


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## flavamost (Oct 25, 2008)

loda117,

I initially thought of that but I can't boot from USB on this computer. It has a CDRW/DVD drive but only CD shows up in the boot selection in the BIOS.The boot menu shows:

1. Removable devices
2. Hard drive
3. CD-ROM drive
4. IBA 4.1.07 slot 0240

When I boot the DVD from the CD-ROM drive, a cursor blinks for about 1 minute then I get a message that says:

"PXE-M0F:Exiting Intel Boot Agent
Operating system not found"

I get the same thing when I try the flash drive and select "Removable devices".


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

you cannot run a dvd disk from only a cd drive

sometimes using it set to hd it will find the usb stick on some computers

does it have enough ram to run win7


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## flavamost (Oct 25, 2008)

Yes it does have enough RAM (1 GB of PC2300 DDR). I ran the compatability test with the old HDD and it said that the PC is compatable. I tried installing the USB stick as an HD and I still got the "PXE-M0F" code. I have read instances where people have installed Win 7 on Thinkpad R40s but can't find how to install the OS.

It has a Pentium 4 M 2.2 GHz processor with 1 GB of PC2300 DDR RAM. I have Win 7 on a Thinkpad T40 and like it much better than XP. The T40 seems to run smoother. I don't plan on running many programs on the R40 but need more storage space. That's one reason I want to change the HDD. Besides, Win 7 runs quicker and better than Win XP.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

you want 2g on vista and 7 preferably 4g

check the last item here

How do I make my usb flash drive, read as a floppy disk?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

First off this computer is too old and will not support Windows 7. You can run the Window Update adviser to make sure. 
Secondly, even though the Boot Order in the Bios says CD drive it will boot from a bootable DVD disc as the drive is a CD-RW/DVD rom drive.


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## flavamost (Oct 25, 2008)

I did run the Windows advisor and it will run Windows 7. Although some of the drivers may have problems, I encountered similar issues with a Thinkpad T40 but I was able to fix them. The T40 was able to install from USB unlike the R40. How about if I install on the original HDD and copy onto new HDD? Would that work?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

When you install Windows on a HDD, it takes a snapshot of the hardware and loads drivers for that specific Hardware. If you load Windows on one machine and place the HDD in a different machine the OS will Blue Screen because it can't find the hardware (chipset) from the other machine (unless it is the same make and model #). You can try a Repair Install to fix this. But again, since this computer shipped with XP, you are going to have a hard time finding drivers for Windows 7.


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## wc00 (May 3, 2007)

In W98, when we encountered this problem, we created a "flat". That is, we copied the contents of the CD [ remember THAT was W98; I know you need a DVD for W7 ]. Then, we booted to a floppy disk, used the [ CD, for change disk ] command at the command prompt, THEN ran setup. I don't know if that will work for your computer. 

I have an R50 Thinkpad, to which I attach a FDD via USB. THAT works in my case. 

Your results may vary. 

Best of success.

wc00


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

If you can't boot from USB and the internal DVD is not working . . you are out of luck


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## wc00 (May 3, 2007)

"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't boot from USB and the internal DVD is not working . . you are out of luck 
"

Not necessarily. 

On my R50e, I can boot to a USB connected Floppy disk. 

If you have [ or can create a W98 boot disk ], and a floppy drive to which you can boot, you can: 
1. Remove the HDD from your R40. Copy the DVD contents to a folder on said HDD.
2. Put the HDD back into the R40.
3. Boot to the W98 boot disk. Load all CD drivers. 
4. At the command prompt, change to your HDD.
If you copied the W7 DVD contents to a folder called W7_Flat on the R40's HDD, at the command prompt:
type: C:
press "enter"
type: cd W7_Flat
press enter

NOW, run the W7 setup program. 

If, on the DVD, setup.exe is located at [ x: ] [ where x is the drive designation for the DVD ]

type: setup.exe
Press "enter". 

Best of success. 

wc00


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

The OP said that he could not boot from USB . . . If he can, he can use an external DVD drive


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## wc00 (May 3, 2007)

Flavamost: 
If you have ONLY tried to boot your R40 to a flash drive, don't assume that other USB boot devices will also fail. 


R.M.:
Yes, I read that. I will not attempt to speak for the OP, nor will I suggest that I can read the OP's mind. 

However, it has been my experience that that which is written is always the case. Perhaps the OP didn't try a USB ext drive. I know that my R50e will boot to an external FDD, and an external CD / DVD drive. BUT, it will NOT boot to a USB flash / thumb drive. 

Furthermore, I realize that USB external drives are not as widely found, currently, as USB flash / thumb drives are available. 

wc00


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## flavamost (Oct 25, 2008)

wc00, thanks for the suggestion. Booting from an external DVD is exactly what I did. That worked! 

For all those that said the R40 wouldn't be able to run Win 7, you were wrong. It actually runs better than Win XP. The only issue is the graphics driver - there is no Win 7 driver I had to manually install the XP driver. It can't handle HD video or Win 7 Aero but I don't care about that. It runs fine for what I have the computer setup for.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

try windows update for the driver


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## shawnpb (May 30, 2010)

Just because it passed the Windows advisor don't mean it will run ok.

I recommend running Windows 7 on 2Gb of Ram or better because 1gb is the minimum. Microsoft don't factor in other 3rd party apps software.


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## Aikimox (Jan 14, 2012)

Let's cut the theories down to reality:

1) Your system can easily boot from USB. In the BIOS your USB stick will be visible under Hard Drives (there's a "+" sign you need to click to expand it). Press F5/F6 to bring the USB device up and make it a priority over the HDD.

2) You system is fully compatible with Win 7 and all Linux distro's. Yes, the video card is old and aero won't work but other than that everything should be running silky smooth.


Good luck.


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## havanail (May 12, 2012)

You can run Windows 7 on Thinkpad R40, I have three of the R40's running Windows 7, Two with 512Mb ram and one with i Gb ram. The drivers are an easy fix, instead of trying Vista drive, etc, do this. Go to control panel, use "large icon" from "view" in the upper right. Then drop down to "device manager" and open that up. Find the "display adapter" and click to open it and it will say "standard vga display" . Right click on that and then choose "update driver software" and then choose "browse my computer for driver software". Then click on let me pick from a list of drivers on my computer. When that panel opens up put a checkmark in the "show compatable hardware" and you should then see ATI Mobility Radeon 7500, click on that to select it and then hit next (If it doesn't show up take out the checkmark and then choose the Manufacturer ATI and scroll down the menu on the right and find model ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 and select that) and then click next, and it will say installing soft ware, when it's done click to restart computer to finish installation and you are done. It will now have the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 driver and it will work just like it does on all other machines. Use this method to install all of the other drivers you need, much easier than trying to find drivers to download. You can even install those pesky unknown devices in device manager this way.


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## havanail (May 12, 2012)

Please disregard my post above this, it contains incorrect instructions. Windows 7 drivers can be installed, I will correct the instructions and repost


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## havanail (May 12, 2012)

I accidentally deleted part of the instructions to run windows 7 on Thinkpad R40, so the post to install drivers was incomplete. It is really simple to do for the Thinkpad R40 and I have used the same method to install on a Thinkpad R51. It's about to long to post here but email me at and I will email instructions to you and you can then print them to use as a reference. Sorry about the confusion, but this is really fairly simple and works 100% of the time.


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## havanail (May 12, 2012)

havanail said:


> Please disregard my post above this, it contains incorrect instructions. Windows 7 drivers can be installed, I will correct the instructions and repost


They don't post email address here so do this.

Once you have Windows 7 installed go in to Control Panel and then click on windows update and then click on check for updates and then select all important updates and select all optional updates except the language updates unless you need them (there is a bunch and will take some to download and install all of them and you have to keep doing this until you have them all installed) and it will automatically install all the drivers except the video driver. Then go to Lenovo.com and then click on Support and then click on find product and then open the menu on step 1 and select laptops and netbooks, and then on step 2 scroll down to Thinkpad R series laptops and then click on that which will then send you to Step 3 and then select R40 or R51 which will then send you to Step 4 which will show you all machine types and leave that and click on continue which will then take you to step 5 with all models and leave that and click on continue which will take you to step 6 and scroll down to Windows XP and that will open another page and then click on drivers and software and then click on Video and then find video driver for 2000/XP for R40 and R50 and R51 and click on click for files and that will open another menu and then go to the display driver and on the right you will see a circle with a + sign and click on that which will put a green check mark there and then click on the downwards arrow for download now and then look down to just above the task bar and you will see a panel that says do you want to run or save and click on save which will put it in downloads. Use internet explorer to find downloads, click on that and then find 1rd637ww and double click on that which will install the driver on the C drive in a folder labeled Drivers, after a few seconds a message will open and it will say the program may not be installed correctly but click on installed correctly. Then open C drive again and then open drivers, then open win and then click on display and then you will find setup and double click on that to finish the installation. Then you will get a message saying it cannot install, close that and then go to the control panel, open device manager and then open display adapter and then right click on vga display and then select update driver and then lead it to the folder driver on the C drive and then tell it to install the driver from there and then it will say it found the driver and tell it to install that driver and it will finish installing the correct driver. You can now go to Control Panel and then open display to set your resolution to your choice.

I know this sounds complicated but print these instructions and follow them to do the installation and you will quickly see that this is really not complicated and it works 100% of the time. You are now finished, enjoy the windows 7 and see how good this operating system really is (In my opinion by far the best operating system Microsoft ever made).


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