Factory Resetting an IBM ThinkPad T42 Laptop

This IBM ThinkPad T42 is looking a little worse for wear but it does still power on and load Windows XP Pro!

It's shocking how many untested laptops end up on eBay full of business related files containing personal information from peoples name and addresses to even scanned copies of their passports and driving licenses and last will and testaments!

Needless to say this laptop will be restored to factory settings using the 7 (yes, 7) restore discs..

I don't have the original IBM Rescue and Recovery Rapid Restore discs but they are available on (the amazing) Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/ibm-t42-recovery-cds

All you then need to do is power on the laptop and immediately start pressing F12 until the Boot Menu comes up:

Then all you need to do is insert the Boot CD in to your CD drive and then select the CD drive on the drop-down list (the built-in optical disc drive on this T41 isn't working (I'll deal with that another day) so I had to use a USB one).

Restore factory contents is the option you want.  Several screens later (warnings that you are about to lose all your work/data/files and acceptable use agreement etc) and it will start to prepare the hard disk drive and begin copying files across.

You will then be prompted to enter the 6 remaining discs (one at a time) as it copies files across to the hard disk ready for the actual installation and configuration..

 

When the file copying is complete you will told you need to restart to complete the process..

At this point you should remove the CD from the drive and then click on Yes.

The Recovery Centre will then load back up and you will need to follow the on-screen prompts to continue (I've no idea why they made this so complicated, other brands just have discs you boot from and it does everything automatically for you).

Finally you will see the Windows XP loading screen:

This means you are about half-way through!!

Several re-boots later and it will actually be complete, it is only when you get to the Out Of Box Experience where it asks you for what language you want Windows XP Pro to be configured that you are nearly done..

When you are finally at the Desktop, you are done and the factory reset/restore is complete!!