Windows 8.1 Pro on the Lenovo Thinkpad W500

I recently installed Window 8.1 Pro on my Lenovo Thinkpad W500 and had run across an issue with the AMD drivers both on the Lenovo Site and from AMD.  Because the W500 uses a Switchable Graphics card, the AMD driver does not correctly install, you are stuck with a mis-identified Radeon 3650 driver and the system does not properly utilize the graphics card feature.

I read on the Thinkpad forums that many had simply given up running 8 and went back to using Windows 7.  The switchable graphics card driver for Windows 7 is, at best, buggy.  I found this especially true on my T500, which actually does have the Radeon 3650.  My W500 constantly developed errors related to the AMD software and this was a constant source of frustration to others, requiring a specific set of steps to install drivers to minimize problems.

This is totally unacceptable, but something I just had to deal with.  My options were to accept the buggy software and simply use the Intel GMA card, disable the switchable graphics in BIOS and use the buggy mis-identified 3650 driver, or keep trying to hack on the drivers until I got something to work.  But as I primarily used the AMD/ATI grpahics card for gaming, I opted to disable the Switchable graphics option and force the Discrete Graphics card to be used.  These options are all in the BIOS, so you will need to do this first.

I found a post by one member who claimed he was able to get the Lenovo drivers to work by installing the driver package, but by cancelling out the actual driver install portion.  It seems that you can use the Windows 7 drivers by setting Windows compatibility to an earlier version and running the package as an administrator.

I tried this, but kept getting an error during the CIM portion of the install.  My solution was to open the installation folder, seek out each of the individual installers, and set each to Compatibility mode for Windows 7.  After a few tries, I eventually located the CIM installer and, it too, was set to compatibility mode for Windows 7.  While the install completed, Windows 8 then popped up a compatibility module for the driver software.

As I understood Windows 8 architecture, Microsoft .Net Framework Services are now embedded in the OS itself, meaning you no longer have to download and install the packages as with previous versions of Windows.  However, some older software may require legacy versions of the .Net Framework to operate.  This was the case with the Lenovo Windows 7 AMD Driver package.

Windows 8 prompted me to download .Net Framework files for versions 2.0 through 3.0 in order to guarantee operation of the driver software.  I did so, once the download was complete and a reboot of the OS, the AMD driver package worked properly.

The post caliming Windows 8 functionality also claimed he was able to get the switchable graphics function to work, but I have never cared for this functionality, so have decided to just use the AMD card for now.

To sum up what I did, here are my instructions for getting the AMD/ATI Discrete Graphics to work properly in Windows 8.1 Pro.

Changes to BIOS
1.  During boot, hit "Thinkvantage" button to access Thinkpad BIOS.
2.  On the Graphics card function, disable OS Detection of Switchable Graphics.
3.  Set the Primary Graphics card to "Discrete"
4.  Save Changes and EXIT BIOS.

Finding the correct driver
5.  Boot into Windows 8.1 - the graphics card will likely be detected and the OS will download a Radeon 3650 WDM- driver package from Windows Updates.  This is OK.
6.  Download the Lenovo Windows 7 W500 Switchable Graphics /AMD-ATI Driver Package from the Lenovo website.
7.  Allow the Driver Package to extract the files to the c:/Drivers directory, but do not allow the installer to install software just yet - it will fail.

Edit the properties of the Installation package components
8.  Open  the c:/drivers directory and locate the following files:

• c:/drivers/win/video/setup.exe
• c:/drivers/win/video/bin64/ATIsetup.exe
• c:/drivers/win/video/bin64/InstallManagerApp.exe
• c:/drivers/win/video/bin64/setup.exe

9.  Each of these, open the properties and set program compatibility to "Windows 7" and check the "run as administrator" option at the bottom of the check list.  Click Apply and OK.

Run the installer package manually.
10.  Run the c:/drivers/win/video/setup.exe program.  If you get any errors during the installation, make note of the item and then go back into the installer directory to locate that installer, change the compatibility of that installer, and run it again.  You should have all components successfully install.

The Net Framework portion
10.  At this point, Windows 8 will prompt you with a request to download addition .Net Framework components.  Allow Windows to download these from Windows Update and complete their installation.  At the end of this process, you may be prompted to reboot the computer.  DO IT!!!

Follow-up
11.  During the reboot, the driver package will run an automated command line prompt for WinSAT.exe  Just allow this to complete as this is part of the Windows 7 installation.  Once this has completed, you will boot tot he desktop and be all set.

12.  If you check the Graphics Card Properties, it should correctly display the Radeon Mobility FireGL V5700 properties instead of the Radeon 3650 WDM driver.

Thats it!

If you have questions, please post below and I will try to help out the best I can.

Lenovo Thinkpad T500 is a mix of great value and great performance!

I posted this review to my eBay page.  Unfortunately, I was somewhat limited as to how many characters I could post, but with no such limitations here, decided to also post it here.

I purchased the T500 as a replacement to my T61, which had gone down when the cooling fan died. I'd found a replacement fan assembly and planned to replace the damaged component, but I also was interested in getting a newer system that utilized the less expensive DDR3 RAM.

What I like about the T500 is the larger display and the additional expansion. On the smaller T400, SD and Memory Card expansion occupies the Express/PCMCIA bays. This is a compromise that can limit your expansion capabilities. On the T500, SD is placed on the front of the palm rest, which greatly simplifies access, while freeing the Express Card Bay for further expansion.

The larger display of the T500 gives you more real estate on your desktop, but also give you a larger picture for watching video, playing games. The ATI discrete graphics gives excellent performance for gaming, graphics and video emitting, and makes for an excellent portable workstation.

What I don't like about the T500 - RAM
This has more to do with the internals than anything else.  The T500 is extremely touchy when it comes to RAM, so make doubly sure you verify compatibility of the RAM you choose. Choosing the wrong RAM will result in severe memory stability problems in Windows and Linux.  If you are getting memory errors in Windows, Linux, or, more specifically during installation you should pull the RAM in the system and replace it with modules rated for the system.  I suggest Newegg's Memory Finder as even Crucial was throwing out incompatible modules.

The memory problems actually lead me to purchase the Thinkpad W500.  The Lenovo Diagnostic tool gives a generic answer when diagnosing Memory and System Board errors, relying on your warranty to allow Lenovo Support to give you a specific diagnosis of your problem.  As my T500 was two years past its warranty, I decided to look up my issue via the Thinkpad Community Forums.  In the mean time, my girlfriend ordered me a W500 from a reputable retailer offering the W500 with a new copy of Windows 7 for $350 shipped.  While more expensive, but came with a no DOA warranty that my eBay retailer did not offer.

Shortly before my W500 arrived, I was able to replace both memory modules on my T500, therefore completely eliminating further problems with my T500.  Instead of returning the W500, I opted to send my T400 to my mom, who had been using an aging Gateway laptop since 2004.  This older machine was equally finicky when it came to finding RAM, so I opted to give her a machine I knew she could count on.

Switchable Graphics - ATI & Intel GMA
The Discrete Graphics can cause overheating issues in the T400 Series, the T500 seems to address this with a larger cooling system, but the ATI graphics does run hotter than the Intel GMA-only versions. For this reason, I suggest having the cooling system cleaned thoroughly.  This requires partial dis-assembly of the system to accomplish.  If you are comfortable opening your system, this isn't a problem and there are several excellent videos detailing this procedure on Youtube, but it can be inconvenient. Knowing this, you should consider a laptop cooler if you intend extended gaming or if you need to push performance.

Another drawback is the Switchable Graphics layout. The system has both ATI and Intel GMA. You can go into the BIOs and force ATI or GMA depending upon your power and performance requirements; I believe this to the best way.

The AMD/ATI Switchable Graphics driver is problematic at times.  Performance during gaming can suffer if the system jumps between graphics options, which can happen when running on battery power or when operating power saving options.

Lastly, the AMD Control Panel for ATI graphics can cause performance issues when a newer driver becomes available.  Newer drivers are not always installed properly or there are, at times, problems with installation itself.  In my opinion, this is more of an issue with AMD than the T500, itself.  Many times, I prefer to get ATI Drivers from Lenovo's support site, even though they are not as up to date.  
 
T500 vs W500 vs R500 - Which to buy?
If you do not require the ATI-enabled versions and think the Intel GMA version will suffice, I suggest instead looking to the R500.  It has the same basic layout as the T500, only with Intel GMA Graphics option. If you need more performance, I'd suggest the W500  Here are some basic specifications of the three systems:

T500 you will get Switchable Graphics w/ Intel GMA 4500/ATI Radeon 3650 with 256MB, Core 2 Duo 2.0 - 2.93 GHz processor options, 8GB Max of RAM, 15.4" screen.

W500 you will get Switchable Graphics w/ Intel GMA 4500/ATI FireGL V5700 with 512MB, Core 2 Duo 2.0 - 3.17 GHz processor, 8GGB Max of RAM, 15.4" screen

R500 you will get Intel GMA 4500, Core 2 Duo 2.0 - 3GHz processor, 8GGB Max of RAM, 15.4" screen

It comes down to the graphics options, choose the one that fits your budget and needs.