T61--Win7 --> Win10 failure: Trouble in paradise

markg2 · 22 Jul 2017

I started an upgrade yesterday on the Lenovo T61 from 7 to 10, Media Tool launched from desktop/Upgrade this PC. The 10 download completed/Updates completed (having to /services/restart same 3-4 times). At the first Install reboot the machine hung at the light blue box with twirling thing below and no disk activity for ~15 minutes. I had no choice but to cold boot. Upon which the installer screen appeared (paraphrasing) install failed, reverted to your Win7 and an error code that fell in to a general category of codes referenced in the attached MS error help file (attached).

I downloaded and ran the latest version of the Lenovo update tool--twice. No updates available, zero/nada. I was really hoping to find a driver problem. I then ran MS Windows update last night thinking it might find an optional driver. MS update is still running 'checking for updates' this morning after ~12 hours. The last time this machine's updates were installed was 1/15/17. I will cancel updates since it's obviously not working.

Frankly, once the Win10 process goes to boot the first time I can see little value in a having totally up to date Win7.

There is the slim possibility that the first boot just got randomly stuck and the error code/failure was a result of my cold booting out of the screen--I really doubt it.

Before I trudge through MS very long list of helpful ideas I figured I'd ask in the event someone has a more clever idea?

(EDIT): Service/restart updates--complete, no updates. When I successfully did an 8-10 on another laptop I had used the 10 .cab file and in this instance I had an .iso on the desktop (since MCT did its own dl I doubt this made an difference). And as stated earlier I doubt MS updates would have had a bearing absent drivers.

Additionally, the drive has 41GB free.

Mark

NavyLCDR · 22 Jul 2017

If you are going to do a clean install once you get the upgrade done, you can just use this method to start with a clean install of Windows 10:
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

As always, we recommend you have a backup image of your Windows 7 before you do anything attempting to move to Windows 10 so you can restore it if something goes wrong.

markg2 · 22 Jul 2017

Just to be sure.

I know I've told that for Win10 to pickup your existing Win7 key, you MUST do an upgrade from 7 to 10 keeping existing files intact and THEN you can do a clean install?

Mark

markg2 · 22 Jul 2017

As I mentioned earlier, when I booted off the MCT created USB I ended up with install screens that did not at all look like the MCT screens I had been seeing. One of the screens wanted to confirm which partition (0 or 1 and one of them, I'm sure the smaller was Reserved(?) which I'm thinking holds the OEM Windows image)). I was absolutely not wild about making that decision and then after another screen contained an ominous sounding caveat relating to validation--I aborted.

There's another potential problem with having to provide a key either during the clean install or after.

(I may be thick on this point, but...) The only key that I have is on a sticker on the back of the machine. The key is for Vista. At some point I did a free upgrade to Win 7 offered by MS on the T61 but I have no key for that upgrade to 7. Any/All Brink tutorials refer to an activated 7 or 8.1 install. Sure, my 7 is activated (I've double checked) but whatever 'proof' there is is on MS servers since I do not have the 7 key (for a clean install).

lx07 · 22 Jul 2017

markg2 said:

As I mentioned earlier, when I booted off the MCT created USB I ended up with install screens that did not at all look like the MCT screens I had been seeing.

When you boot from USB you do clean install. To upgrade you double click on setup.exe from within Windows 7.

markg2 said:

Sure, my 7 is activated (I've double checked) but whatever 'proof' there is is on MS servers since I do not have the 7 key (for a clean install).

You can retrieve the key using ShowKeyPlus. It is definitely worth running to get the key.

If you are planning a clean install then you don't need to upgrade first. Nor do you need a key - you can say "I don't have one".

If you are following the steps in the link post #2 above then a file GenuineTicket.xml is generated which you use to activate Windows 10 (Home in your case). You store this file on a USB key, clean install 10 and then copy the file into the
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\ClipSVC\GenuineTicket directory and 10 will be activated.

I was under the impression you were replacing the HDD with SSD and clean install on that. If this is the case then the HDD would act as a backup for 7 in case something goes wrong. If not you can backup 7, then clean install 10 by booting from USB, deleting all partitions from the installer and install windows to the fully unallocated space.

markg2 · 22 Jul 2017

10 is in process upgrading the T61. If the install reboot should fail again and I go to a clean install, then instead of:

If you are following the steps in the link post #2 above then a file GenuineTicket.xml is generated which you use to activate Windows 10 (Home in your case). You store this file on a USB key, clean install 10 and then copy the file into the
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\ClipSVC\GenuineTicket directory and 10 will be activated.

Why can't I just insert my current Win 7 key when prompted by the installer that I retrieved with showkeyplus and avoid going through the above?

lx07 · 22 Jul 2017

markg2 said:

10 is in process upgrading the T61. If the install reboot should fail again and I go to a clean install, then instead of:

If you are following the steps in the link post #2 above then a file GenuineTicket.xml is generated which you use to activate Windows 10 (Home in your case). You store this file on a USB key, clean install 10 and then copy the file into the
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\ClipSVC\GenuineTicket directory and 10 will be activated.

Why can't I just insert my current Win 7 key when prompted by the installer that I retrieved with showkeyplus and avoid going through the above?

Most likely you could (I've done both ways in the past and both worked).

Creating the GenuineTicket.xml involves copying one program (gatherosstate.exe) to your desktop, calling it and saving the generated file. This only takes about 30 seconds so you may as well do it while you have a running 7 system to save restoring back later if it turns out you need it.

As the free upgrade finished a year ago either method may stop working at any time so I'd grab your seven key with showkeyplus and generate the Genuineticket.xml

Then clean install 10 and try putting the 7 key in. If that works you are OK. If not, skip entering the key and use the GenuineTicket you already have after install is finished.

markg2 · 22 Jul 2017

Looks like I'll be doing the clean install on the existing drive after all.

Just like the last time, on the first installer reboot after I said to keep files etc, after the screen went past the Lenovo splash screen with the prompt to hit the Thinkvantage button for startup problem options, then 'loading files' in the lower left of the screen, the machine stalled with the MS aqua 4 quadrant square image & twirling thing. It's been 27 minutes with no disk activity.

I've read that uninstalling antivirus software is good idea. I might have Norton on the machine. If I do it's not current.

I've also read the running sfc /scannow is good idea.

But I really think the above are a stretch.

I'll also admit that when I opened the BIOS to disable fast/secure boot I absolutely could not find any reference to either. I may be nuts, blind or both but..

I will definitely run gatherosstate.exe which I had downloaded and is on the desktop.

markg2 · 23 Jul 2017

Well, I believe that I can safely say that if there's award for the most screwed up attempt to upgrade/install clean Win10 I am now an official candidate.

The T61 said the drive had problems after any or all of the recent preceding steps. I let MS repair do its thing. It found problem(s) it couldn't solve.

After which the machine would go directly to a BSOD after boot and before login. I tried everything I knew to do: open in safe mode, boot from the Reflect CD and choose fix Windows, restored an image from months ago. Still I got the BSOD.

I then booted from USB, installed Win10 as a clean install (unchecked the files/folders) to the primary partition.

Win 10 installed properly, no BSOD but all my folders were present and EMPTY. Weird.

Then I attempted to flash the Middleton BIOS and got the same Bitdefender error. I downloaded Autoruns and Search Everywhere. Neither returned anything (bit*.*).

I have verified that the machine shows my copy of 10 as verified.

I downloaded Reflect and am currently doing an image.

Next I'll install the SSD and do the same 10 install from USB. If the Middleton install should then error with Bitdefender I'm resigning from the planet <g>!

markg2 · 26 Jul 2017

I have two associated threads on the board. I will post this identical message on the other.

First and foremost, thank you to all who have had the patience and knowledge to help me through this effort!

With my success installing an SSD replacement for my wife's Dell and upgrading her OEM Win8.1 to 10 in the rear view mirror, I'm pleased to say that I've successfully accomplished the more difficult task of doing the same (though 7 - 10) + BIOS on my T61 (and had given up for the garbage heap) I had replaced with a P50.

Here's a list of my obstacles along the way and solutions in the event some one else of limited skill runs into the thread.

1. Bitlocker causing a BIOS flash to fail: Disable the security chip in the Lenovo BIOS. Remove the hard drive. Now there's zip to interfere with flashing the BIOS and same went smoothly (finally...).
2. Middleton T61 BIOS: The download has two folders a) BIOS update containing 1 iso file, and b) BIOS update blah, blah.... containing a #1.iso and #2.iso. The readme says zip about the single iso. I initially ignored that iso file. Later I found out that the Middleton BIOS 'had' to have the first folder's iso (Lenovo BIOS) flashed before his BIOS (added support for SATA II and an important something regarding the Intel dual core chip support) could be flashed. My takeaway--if someone's gone to the trouble of providing a folder/file, even though it's not explained in the readme--doin't blow it off ;-)!
3. When replacing the original 2 1/2" drive, you have to reuse the caddy that the drive is screwed to. So, DON'T remove the pull tab thinking you'd 'stick' it on the new drive. It's on the d*mn caddy not the drive and does not pull off but tears off! When doing something idiotic like this, be sure and have a pair of needle nose pliers handy and 'carefully' use same to pull out the replacement SSD when needed.
4. After sliding the drive in and booting the machine and it doesn't see a hard drive, you (Moi) have installed the drive upside down!
5. When using MCT for the upgrade and you opt to grab updates during the process vs. post install (mistake) and the updates stall, do services/restart. The one time that I did do updates during, I had to restart the thing 3 times.
6. I used your util to grab my Win7 key but did something that caused the machine to go directly from boot to BSOD, despite an image restore from months ago. I used the key installing 10 and the installer seemed to accept the key since the process moved on to completion. However, when 10 loaded it said same needed activation. Not having had the time to collect the 'Genuine...." previously, I called MS. What a pleasant surprise. The T61 had 7 home premium. Somehow I had installed 10 pro. I explained all to the rep also mentioning that my primary laptop has OEM 10 pro. She dialed in, entered a mess of numbers on two different screens and I ended up with Pro activated and using my same key

))).

I have one last T61 chore. The fan/heat sink should arrive from China today or tomorrow. I'll have to remove a zillion philips head screws to get at the thing. Since I no longer have a mechanical drive can I used a magnetized driver? Is there a common driver size for laptop screws?

Mark