Lenovo T61 Mini Card Driver

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  1. Lenovo T61 Windows 7 Drivers
  2. Lenovo Thinkpad T61 Drivers Download
  3. Mini Card Services
  4. Lenovo T61 Drivers Windows 10
  • 2Solutions
  • 4Problem with WiFi LED

IBM Lenovo T60 T61 Mini PCIE Wireless Wifi Card Intel WM3945ABG 42T0853 Brand: Lenovo. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating. Available from these sellers. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. Note: This Wireless Card could only work on IBM/Lenovo/Thinkpad Version Laptop.

  1. Lenovo ThinkPad T61 7664 (Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, XP Pro) 766404u Lenovo ThinkPad T61 - 15.4' - Core 2 Duo T7250 - 1 GB RAM - 160 GB HDD 64655yu Lenovo ThinkPad T61 (Core 2 Duo 2GHz.
  2. Unknown Device (Mini Card) Win 7 on T61p 2009-06-27, 0:44 AM Just installed Win7 (64 bit) on my T61p & all seems to be well - except that I get reported a missing driver for a 'mini card' - code 28.

Problem description

The ThinkPad BIOS only allows to boot with an 'authorized' adapter installed. If an unsupported card is detected, the BIOS prints a message on the screen and stops the system:

The card's sub-vendor PCI-ID (which can be seen using lspci -v) is checked against a whitelist in the BIOS. IBM/Lenovo's reasoning for this is that the combination of MiniPCI card and the integrated antenna in the ThinkPad needs to be certified by the US FCC (Federal Communications Commission).1 or similar agencies in other countries.

Solutions

Any of the following solutions should suffice to make the wireless card useable. You only need to perform one of them.

It may be possible to use the computer with the unauthorized card deactivated (but not removed). Press F1 to enter the BIOS and deactivate the WLAN card, then attempt to boot with the card disabled. This does not make the wireless card work, but it may allow you to boot the computer normally.

Modifying the card's ID

A safer and better method than modifying the BIOS is modifying the PCI-ID of the wlan card to match the authorized one:

  1. You'll risk the wireless card instead of the motherboard.
  2. Future BIOS updates will not create any problems.
  3. No problem with newer laptops with different BIOS; the only reqirement is to find an ID that is already listed in the BIOS, which can be easily achieved if the community maintaina a compatibility table.

The instructions are here (link down, 2011/05/14 - archive.org mirror here, second mirror here). This page is for Atheros-based cards and HP notebooks, but it applies to Thinkpads as well. It also has links on how to edit the PCI-ID on Intel Pro Wireless cards.

Instruction for intel 2200/2915 cards are here or here or here (in German). The second one is much simpler because it provides an already patched and compiled ipw2200 driver required to do the job.

Instructions on how to unbrand an HP lt4132 (HP-rebranded Huawei ME906s WWAN module, compatible with some X1 Yoga and X1 Carbon models) can be found here

On Linux-based distributions, the driver is loaded based on the PCI-ID. Keep this in mind when 'faking' other models.
Modifying your PCI-ID will require either a laptop without a BIOS lock or a PCI adapter for your desktop. Also, this procedure can render your card useless, but that's better than bricking your laptop.
According to the information found from the links above the authors suggest a change in the network card memory (ethtool -E ethX magic 0x2200 offset 0x8 value 0x12). However, this doesn't work on my Thinkpad X40. Further modifications were needed to eliminate the 1802 error. The value of the first register inside the memory of the PCI card should be modified to read:

Offset: 0x0000Values: 02 a5 00 80 20 42 86 80 12 27 86 80 18 00 01 03

one source suggest that one more value should be modified:

offset 0xa8 value 0xf9

although it might not be necessary.

Use another MiniPCI (express) slot

On models with multiple MiniPCI (express) slots, the BIOS checks only the “WiFi-slot” for unauthorized WiFi cards. A neighboring WWAN slot is allowed to hold such a card. But there might be a catch: the WWAN slot’s “disable radio” signal could be active, so that the card will refuse from using the radio. The operating system can see this condition: on Linux it is reported as “hard blocked” by rfkill. (This actually depends on the driver: “b43” does notice that the card refuses to switch it’s radio on and reports it via the rfkill interface.)

Combinations that work in the WWAN slot without further tweaking:

  • Lenovo Y530 / Intel 4965AGN
  • X61t (7762-94G) / Atheros 5008X scavenged from a MacBook Pro

On MiniPCI express(!) slots, pin 20 is used as the first “disable radio” signal, as implemented by common WiFi cards. Isolating pin 20 in the slot from the card will leave the signal dangling, which means “disable radio” is inactive: i.e. “radio on”. If necessary, the pin on the card can be taped over with film or painted over with nail polish to block electrical connection. Pin #20 is located on the underside of the miniPCI Express board, second pin from the notch, on the side with more pins. Here is detailed MiniPCIe pinout. Combinations reported to work this way:

  • Thinkpad X61s / Intel Wifi link 4965agn
  • Thinkpad X61 / Intel 3945abg (bulk)
  • Thinkpad X200 / Intel 5300 and Broadcom 4312
  • Thinkpad T60p (widescreen) / Sierra MC8781

Questions still open:

  • can the signal be deactivated otherwise? (WLAN-on-for-WWAN-slot)
  • do WWAN cards have such a signal? Is it on another pin (a “second disable radio” pin is defined for mPCIe since at least 2010)?
    • in case it’s the same signal, how to deactivate the WWAN kill signal? On the X200 the hardware switch doesn’t do that.
  • as the card (usually) drives an LED to reflect it’s state, can that signal be routed to the WWAN or WiFi LED?

Taping over any Mini PCI-e pin is a delicate exercise in patience, the connectors are less than the width of most ball point pens. Transparent scotch type tape is easier to work with since it is possible to see where you're cutting.

See the discussion page for more.

Modifying the BIOS

It is dangerous to mess with your BIOS, you can easily make your machine unbootable. Proceed with caution!
On the R32, T43, X41, X60, W500, X230 and probably others, the BIOS hacks and the 'no-1802' utility don't work.

See the table below for links to modified BIOS images with the whitelist disabled. Information on making this BIOS modification for newer ThinkPads can be found here.

Alternatively, you may can modify the whitelist to include the PCI-ID of the card you wish to use. The complete instructions for this procedure are here.

  • You can try googling for your model number + 'whitelist removal', there are lots of pre-hacked BIOSes out there.
  • You can use the no-1802 and no-01C9 Linux Live CD without applying the no-01C9 patch. It is very convenient to use and based on the C code below.
  • You can use the DOS no-1802 utility, written by Tisheng Chen.2 It will set a certain bit in the CMOS memory which disables the whitelist check, but it has been reported not to work on the latest machines, such as the T43 and X41
  • You can compile and run (as root) the following C-code, which was written by Matthew Garrett. It was based on the code written by Vojtech Pavlik, which in turn was based on the assembly used in the no-1802 program. 3

BIOS modifications status

Lenovo T61 Mini Card Driver
This table is meant to give users an idea of what/how attempts have been made at BIOS modifications and what their success rate is. As stated before, it is dangerous to mess with your BIOS, you can easily make your machine unbootable. Please proceed with caution!

The following table contains information about ThinkPad models BIOS modification status to run an unauthorized Mini PCI card. 4

Model Type BIOS Version Operating System Method Success
ThinkPad 240 2609-21G 1.18 Damn Small Linux Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad A31 2652-P3M 1.10 (1NET16WW) Debian GNU/Linux Lenny (2.6.25-2-686) Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad A31 2653-CU3 1.13 (1GET41WW) Windows XP Professional SP2 no-1802 DOS 6.22 floppy Yes
ThinkPad A31p 2653-R8U 1.10 (1NET16WW) Windows XP Professional SP2 no-1802 DOS 6.22 floppy Yes
ThinkPad G40 2388-2UU 1.21 (2006/2/24; 1TETA6WW) Windows XP Home no-1802 DOS 6.22 floppy Yes
ThinkPad R31 2656-6FG 3.11 (12-01-2004) Windows XP Boot Disk no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R31 2656-E4U 3.11 (12-01-2004) Windows XP Professional SP2 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R32 2656-EG1 2.16 (16-06-2006) DOS Boot Disk no-1802 utility No
ThinkPad R40 2656-69U ? Windows 2000 Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R40 2681-F7G n/a Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Intel 2200BG No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R40 2682 ? Debian Etch Matthew Garrett code Yes
ThinkPad R40 2896-J3U 1.24 (10-18-2005) Fedora Core 4 Vojtech Pavlik code Yes
ThinkPad R40 2681-L7U 1.24 (10-18-2005) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R40 2722-BDG 1.33 Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad R40 2722-DG1 1.26 Ubuntu Linux 8.10 2.6.27-9 Matthew Garrett code Yes
ThinkPad R40e 2684-LKG ? Windows XP Pro no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad R40 2681-CDG 1.27 (10-06-2006) Windows XP Pro no-1802 LiveCD Yes
ThinkPad R40 2722-DM2 1.09 (2003) Windows XP Pro no-1802 LiveCD Yes
ThinkPad R40 2723 ? Slackware Linux 12 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad R40 2681-CFM 1.24 (10-17-2005) Gentoo & XP Pro no-1802 utility (boot from USB key to apply) Yes
ThinkPad R40 2724 1.30 (10-19-2005) FreeBSD 6.1-p1 code by Matthew Garrett, compiled and run on bactrack Yes
ThinkPad R40 2724-3XU 1.33 (06-29-2006) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad R40 2682 1.01 (2003-01-24) Debian GNU/Linux etch (March 2007) Matthew Garret's code Yes
ThinkPad R40 2722-BDG 1.33 (2006/6/29) Lunar Linux (2007/03/04) Matthew Garret's code Yes
ThinkPad R50 1829-7RG 3.21 (02-06-2006) Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad R50 2.13 (2004-01-08) Ubuntu 10.10 no-1802 W98 Boot Floppy Yes
ThinkPad R50 1830-6FG 3.05a (14-05-2004) Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad R50e 2.10 (2006-12-22) no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad R50p 1832-2AG 3.19 (13-10-2005) Ubuntu 5.10 (kernel 2.6.12-10-686) Vojtech Pavlik code Yes
ThinkPad R51 2887-W2C 1.27 (03-03-2006) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 utility (boot from USB key to apply) Yes
ThinkPad R52 1849-BMU1.27 (09-20-2006) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 utility (boot from external USB floppy) No
ThinkPad R61 ? ?Middleton BIOS5 yes
ThinkPad T23 2647-4MU 1.18 (08-06-2004) Windows XP Pro/SP2 no-1802 utility (W98se-bootfloppy) Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-68G 2.09 (08-08-2005) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-ES1 2.10 Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-97G 2.09 (08-08-2005) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-N6G 2.09 (08-08-2005) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-N6G 2.10 (26-06-2006) Windows XP Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-81U 2.10 (27-06-2006) Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-86U 2.10 (27-06-2006) Windows XP Pro SP 2 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-86G 2.10 (27-06-2006) Windows XP Pro SP 2 and Ubuntu 7.10 'Gutsy Gibbon' Intel BG2200 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-86M 2.05 (12-06-2003) Mepis 7 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-DU9 2.10 (27-06-2006) Suse Linux 10.1 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T30 2367-RU1 2.01 (06-08-2002) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T30 2366-81M 2.10 (1IET71WW) Debian GNU/Linux Lenny (2.6.24-1-686) Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-7CU 3.21 Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-PM1 3.21 Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-4BG 3.21 Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-7CU 3.21 (06-02-2006) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-75U 3.21 (09-12-2006) Fedora 6 w Intel 2915ABG no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-82U 3.18 (09-15-2005) Windows XP/ SUSE 10.1 No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-8CG 3.05a (2004-05-14) Arch Linux No-1802 LiveCD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-8CG 3.15 (2005-03-29) Windows XP Pro SP2 w/Gigabyte GN-WI01GS No-1802 LiveCD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-PU7 3.21 (09-12-2006) Windows XP Professional No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T40 2373-42G 3.20 (11-05-2006) Windows 2000 Pro no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T40 2374-8CG 3.20 (11-05-2006) Ubuntu 6.06 LTS w/Intel Pro Lan2200 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2374-8CU 3.03 (07 Apr 2004) Windows XP no-1802 utility (applied via FreeDos bootable USB stick) Yes
ThinkPad T40 2374-DG1 3.21 (06-02-2006) Ubuntu 6.10 w/Broadcom 4306 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T40 2374-8CU 3.16 (2006-02-21) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad T40 2.13 (2004-01-08) Ubuntu 10.04 LTS no-1802 W98 boot floppy Yes
ThinkPad T40 2376-CG1 3.23 1RETDRWW (2007-07-03) Windows XP Pro SP3 w/ Broadcom BCM94318MPG no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40p 2373-G1G 3.19 (10-13-2005) Debian GNU/Linux (sid) no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T40p 2373-G5G 3.21 (2006-06-02) Windows XP Pro SP2 / Gentoo 2007.0 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T41 2373-1FG 3.21 (2007-06-18) Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T41 2373-5G1 2004 Fedora Core 6 w/Intel 5ABG a/b/g no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T41 2373-9HU n/a Ubuntu 6.10 w/Atheros 5212 a/b/g no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T41 2373-2FG n/a Windows XP Pro SR2 w/ Intel 2200BG no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T41p 2373-GEG BIOS Build ID: 1RETDOWW(3.20) Gentoo / XP pro SP2 Matthew Garrett's code 3 Yes
ThinkPad T41p 2374-GGU 3.21 (1RETDPWW) 6/2/2006 Slackware / XP pro SP2 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T41 2373-K32 BIOS Build ID: 1RETDOWW(3.20) CentOS 5.0 w/Atheros 5212 (CM9) Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-6UU Not noted Fedora 7 w/Atheros 5212 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-4TG 3.13 (1RETDHWW) (29-10-2004) Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Intel PRO 2200BG no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-Y8N 1RETDRWW (3.23) openSUSE 11.1 / Intel 2915abg Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T42p 2373-HTU 3.23 (1RETDRWW) (06-18-2007) Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Intel 2915ABG No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-K2G 3.17 (07-27-2005) Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Intel 2915ABG No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-M1U 3.13 1RETDHWW (10/29/2004) Fedora 7 w/ Intel PRO 2200BG Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-LM1 3.23 (1RETDRWW) (06-18-2007) Debian Lenny (2.6.21-2-686) w/ Intel PRO 2915ABG Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad T42 2378-EXU 3.18 (09-15-2005) Windows XP Pro SP2 No-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad T42 2373-F3G 3.18 (09-15-2005) Windows XP Pro SP2 No-1802 W98 Boot Floppy Yes
ThinkPad T43 1871-F1G 1.19 (70ET59WW) (2005-09-20) n/a no-1802 Linux Live CD No
ThinkPad T60 6371-CTO 1.04 (7IET23WW) Ubuntu 10.10 Matthew Garrett's code No
ThinkPad T61 ? 2.27-1.08 (20 Apr 2010) Linux Mint 9Middleton BIOS5 or manual patching (requires installing Windows XP temporarily) yes
ThinkPad T61p ? 2.27-1.08 (20 Apr 2010) Linux Mint 9Middleton BIOS5 or manual patching (requires installing Windows XP temporarily) yes
ThinkPad X22 2662-95G 1.32 (2003-06-10) Debian GNU/Linux testing, kernel 2.6.18-3-686 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad X24 2662-MPG 1.26 (2002-05-22) Debian GNU/Linux 2.6.18-5 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad X30 AR5212 ? Debian Linux 2.6.18-5 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad X30 2672-41j 1.08 (08-09-2005) Gentoo Kernel 2.6.15 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad X30 2672-4XU 1.09 Win XP Pro SP2 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X30 2673-EU2 1.09 Windows XP Pro SP2 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-C2G 3.02 (22-09-2005) Debian Etch (Testing), Kernel 2.6.22-rc7 no-1802 utility Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-PG9 2.04 (2003-11-10) Debian Etch (Testing), Kernel 2.6.21-2 Matthew Garrett's code Yes
ThinkPad X31 2673-C27 3.02 (22-09-2005) Ubuntu 5.10 (kernel 2.6.12-9-386) Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-1UG 3.02 (22-09-2005) FreeBSD 6-STABLE no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-CEG 3.02 (22-09-2005) Debian Etch (Testing), Kernel 2.6.17-2-686 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-CXU 2.04 Windows XP Pro no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-PBU 3.02 Windows XP Pro no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-I5A 3.02 Windows XP Pro no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-C8G 3.02 Debian (kernel 2.6.16.20-386) Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-CEG 2.11 (02/13/2004) Debian (kernel 2.6.18-4-686, gcc 4.1.2) Matthew Garrett code 3 Yes
ThinkPad X31 2884-BRU 1.03 (1QET34WW) 2003-04-08 Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ Intel 2915ABG no-1802 DOS boot CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-C2G ? Win XP Pro, w/ Gigabyte GN-WI03N-RN no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X31 2672-BAU 3.02 (1QET97WW) Windows Vista w/ Broadcom 43XG, Ubuntu 7.10 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X32 2672-58G 3.02 Ubuntu 8.04 no-1802 CD Yes
ThinkPad X40 2371-CTO 2.08 (2006/12/25; 1UETD3WW) Windows XP Pro, Ubuntu 9 modify PCI-CARD EEPROM Yes
ThinkPad X40 2371-8EU 1.42 (2004/09/16; 1UET92WW) Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X40 2371-8EU 2.08 (2006/12/25; 1UETD3WW) Windows XP Professional SP3, Ubuntu 8.04 no-1802 Linux Live CD Yes
ThinkPad X41 1866-6SU ? Windows XP Pro no-1802 DOS boot CD No
ThinkPad X41 2525-A2U 2.06 (2006/03/14; 74ET61WW) Windows XP Pro no-1802 Linux Live CD No
ThinkPad X41 2528-ELU 2.06 (2006/03/14; 74ET61WW) Windows XP Pro / OSX 10.4.8 / Ubuntu Edgy no-1802 Linux Live CD No
ThinkPad X60s 1702-3JU ? Debian Testing Matthew Garrett's code NO (bricked)
ThinkPad X60s 1702-3JG 2.18 (2008/11/20; 7BETD7WW) Slackware Modded BIOS (7buj27us_TC-5M_SLIC21.zip) YES
ThinkPad X61t 7762-94G ? Windows 7 EntMiddleton BIOS5 or in WWAN slot (no taping) YES (no LED/HW-switch)
ThinkPad X200 ? 1.43 Ubuntu Karmic7 Matthew Garrett's code NO (tape pin 20 instead)
Thinkpad X200 7454-2QU 3.05 Windows 7 32-bit Tape over pin 20 Yes
ThinkPad X200s ? 3.14 (2010-07-07) Ubuntu tape over 20-pin, place card into 2nd(!) slot (WWAN). Without taping there will be no error but it won't work. (Led doesn't work after all) Yes
ThinkPad X201i (X201) 3249-CTO 1.16 (2010-06-07; 6QET46WW) Debian Squeeze tape-over 20-pin No; BIOS hacks not attempted
ThinkPad R40 2681-LUU 1.27 (2006-06-29; 1OET61WW) Windows XP Pro jmp1802.cmd Yes
ThinkPad W500 4061-A97 1.16 (2008-09-24; 6FET46WW) Ubuntu 8.10 Matthew Garrett's code No
ThinkPad X201 3249-CTO 1.22 (2010-09-09; 6QET52WW) Ubuntu 10.10 tape over 20-pin; place card into WWAN slot No
ThinkPad X201 3249-CTO 1.22 (2010-09-09; 6QET52WW) Ubuntu 10.10 Matthew Garrett's code No
ThinkPad X201 3249-CTO 1.22 (2010-09-09; 6QET52WW) Ubuntu 10.10 Zender's BIOS tools yes
ThinkPad X201 3249-CTO 1.32 (6QET62WW) Ubuntu 10.10This modified BIOS yes
ThinkPad X201 3680-VV8 1.34 (6QET64WW) Arch (updated 05.05.2011)This modified BIOS (updated using preinstalled Windows 7) yes, 2*5 Beep on Startup (see [[1]])
ThinkPad X201 3680-WR5 1.16 (2010-06-07; 6QET46WW) Windows 7 64bit tape-over 20-pin no
ThinkPad X201 3680-WR5 1.40 (2012-10-11; 6QET70WW) Windows 7 64bit tape-over 20-pin no
ThinkPad X220 ? 1.21 (8duj10us) Arch LinuxBIOS by cmuelasl (updated using preinstalled Windows 7) Yes
ThinkPad X220 4291-29G 1.39 (2013-18-07; 8DET69WW) Windows 7 64bit tape-over 20-pin Yes
ThinkPad X230 2306-CTO 2.50, 2.51 Debian, TrisquelBIOS-MODS forum request for the X230, tape-over pin 20 failed, no-1802 utility failed No
ThinkPad X300 ? ?Middleton BIOS5 yes
ThinkPad X301 2777-CTO 3.10 (2010-03-16; 6EET50WW) Ubuntu 10.04 tape over 20-pin; place card into WWAN slot no

Problem with WiFi LED

After getting an unauthorized card to work, you may notice that the WiFi LED found on the ThinkPad is not working. This doesn't happen with all unauthorized cards. The general cause for this is the fact that the MiniPCI standard leaves the implementation of the LED signals available on the MiniPCI connector to the card vendors. Therefore some newer WiFi cards use one of the signals originally meant for LEDs to implement the 'radio kill' switch input. As a result, the LED doesn't get proper signals and fails.

Details

The WiFi LED found in ThinkPads is connected to following pins on the MiniPCI connector.

PinSignalDescription
11LED1_GRNPWiFi active LED +
13LED1_GRNNWiFi active LED - (older cards) / RF Silent input (newer cards)

Note: The descriptions are specific to this article.

If your LED is not working, the problem could be the pin 13. Newer cards may no longer provide the necessary negative signal there to drive the LED. Before you apply any fixes, be sure to check the voltage between pin 11 and ground (can be found for example on the MiniPCI latch arms) - it should give you about 3.3V while the WiFi is active and 0V otherwise. The voltage between pin 13 and ground should measure about 2.5V. The notebook has to be running while you perform the tests so be extremely careful. All the mentioned pins are on the upper side so it's quite easy to get to them with a multimeter. If all the voltages match, your LED is fixable.

Reference:
MiniPCI Specification (PDF, 724KB)
MiniPCI Pinout

Solution

The solution is to connect the ground (GND) to the pin 13. However, since the new RF Silent input signal is active low, grounding the card side will tell it to turn itself off. Therefore, we have to separate pin 13 of the card from the system board and connect ground to the system board side only.

There are many ways to accomplish this. One which doesn't require any soldering is to mask pin 13 on the card with a cellophane tape and use about 3cm of thin wire to connect pin 13 of the connector to the ground. Place one end of the wire on the masked pad and insert the card into the slot. Check if the wire is centered on the pad and try pulling it (but not too hard) to see if it holds. If it comes out easily, pull the card out and repeat. If you successfully attach it, you have to connect the other end to the ground. The best place is the left MiniPCI latch arm. Bend it outside and insert the wire into the small gap between the two pieces of metal the arm is made from. Finally, make sure that the wire doesn't touch anything else and doesn't stand out too much, it must not touch the touchpad electronics when you put the palmrest back on. If in doubt, cover the wire with some insulator.

Do this fix ONLY if you know exactly what you are doing and at your own risk! If you're not sure about any part, don't even try it or you may damage your WiFi card and/or brick your laptop. You have been warned.
If your card is not listed in the table below, your WiFi LED may not work for some other reason. Therefore, make sure you understood the problem described here and made all the measurements carefully. This way you will know if this apply to your card and if it can be fixed this way. Otherwise, if you're skilled enough, please try to find out why your LED doesn't work and contribute to this article.

Successful WiFi LED fixes

Model Type WiFi card Operating System Success Comments
T412374-312Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG,

Spares No: 373830-001

Windows XP SP2,

Ubuntu 7.10

YesThe WiFi card seems to be a HP one (tip: google for spares no.). Not sure thou - received it with an already changed PCI-ID.
X312672-PG9Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG, Broadcom BCM4306Debian SidYesBoth cards are non-IBM ones, BIOS was patched. ipw2200 needed the led=1 option to be enabled while loading the module.

External Sources

  • Additional Information about 'Unauthorised' MiniPCI adapters can be found on Matthew Garrett's website.
  • Thinkpad Mini PCI Wireless compatibility matrix.
  • Bootable 'no-1802' CD and floppy image
FOOTNOTES [Δ]
  1. This is explained in a message to the LKML and subsequently clarified.
  2. The no-1802 tool was announced and explained in a message to the Linux-Thinkpad ML.
  3. Vojtech Pavlik's C-code was originally posted in a message to the LKML. It was based on the assembly used in the no-1802 program. Matthew Garrett rewrote the code to provide more error checking.
  4. This information has been added by users. Please feel free to add systems if you have had personal success or failure.
  5. The user Middleton has released patched BIOS for R61/T61/X61/X300 on the NotebookReview forums. The BIOS disables the MiniPCI whitelist, as well as unlocking full SATA-II speed.
Retrieved from 'https://www.thinkwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Problem_with_unauthorized_MiniPCI_network_card&oldid=58664'

The ThinkPad T61 notebook computer was released in May 2007 as part of Lenovo's premier line. The business-oriented T61 includes high-end features such as a magnesium alloy rollcage, 7-row keyboard, screen latch, Lenovo UltraBay, and ThinkLight. Models included the 16:10 aspect ratio 14.1' and 15.4' widescreen, along with traditional 4:3 aspect ratio 14' screens.

Lenovo T61 Windows 7 Drivers

Install the Middleton BIOS (additional download links below) on the ThinkPad T61 to enable the following:
  • SATA-II (3 Gbit/s) drive speeds - the stock ThinkPad T61 BIOS limits the SATA interface to 1.5 Gbit/s
  • SLIC 2.1 tables - simplify licensing of Microsoft Windows
  • Whitelist removal - allow installation of a wider variety of internal components such as wireless cards
  • Thermal sensing error fix - allow installation of Penryn-class CPUs on motherboards designed for Merom CPUs
  • CTRL-FN key swap (optional)
  • Dual-IDA (Intel Dynamic Acceleration) support - allow both cores of CPU to simultaneously run at higher speeds

Download the Middleton BIOS for the ThinkPad T61 here
alternate source here
  • Any standard 9.5mm 2.5-inch form factor SATA hard drive can be installed in the ThinkPad T61
  • Install a Solid State Drive (SSD) with a SATA-II or faster interface to take advantage of the significant speed increase unlocked by the Middleton BIOS

  • The Intel 965 chipset in the ThinkPad T61 supports up to 2 x 4 GB = 8 GB of non-ECC 200-pin RAM (DDR2-667 / PC2-5300 or DDR2-800 / PC2-6400)
  • Install two modules of any capacity to enable Dual Channel memory support
  • To utilize more than 3.25 GB of RAM a 64-bit operating system must be installed*

*Some 32-bit versions of Windows such as Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Datacenter editions as well as some 32-bit Linux operating systems do support RAM over 4 GB.
The ThinkPad T61 supports the following 800MHz Front Side Bus CPUs:
Name
Model
sSpec
Frequency
L2 Cache
Class
Power
Lithography
Core Voltage
T5270
Core 2 Duo

1.4 GHz
2MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T5670
Core2 Duo

1.8 GHz
2MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.0375V-1.30V
T7100
Core 2 Duo
SLA4A
1.8 GHz
2MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T7250
Core 2 Duo

2.0 GHz
2MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T7300
Core 2 Duo
SLA45
2.0 GHz
4MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T7500
Core 2 Duo
SLAF8
2.2 GHz
4MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T7700
Core 2 Duo
SLAF7
2.4 GHz
4MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
T7800
Core 2 Duo
SLAF6
2.6 GHz
4MB
Merom
35 W
65 nm
1.075V-1.250V
X7800*
Core 2 Extreme
SLA6Z
2.6 GHz
4MB
Merom
44 W
65 nm
1.100V-1.375V
X7900*
Core 2 Extreme
SLA33
2.8 GHz
4MB
Merom
44 W
65 nm
1.100V-1.375V
T8100
Core 2 Duo
SLAYP
2.1 GHz
3MB
Penryn
35 W
45 nm
1.000V-1.250V
T8300
Core 2 Duo
SLAYQ
2.4 GHz
3MB
Penryn
35 W
45 nm
1.000V-1.250V
T9300
Core 2 Duo
SLAYY
2.5 GHz
6MB
Penryn
35 W
45 nm
1.000V-1.250V
T9500
Core 2 Duo
SLAYX
2.6 GHz
6MB
Penryn
35 W
45 nm
1.000V-1.250V
X9000*
Core 2 Extreme
SLAQJ
2.8 GHz
6MB
Penryn
44 W
45 nm
1.000V-1.275V
*Not officially supported by T61 so careful monitoring of temperatures is recommended

FRU

CPU

Aspect Ratio

Graphic System

Manufactured

Model

Compatible




14.1 WideScreen




41w1487
Merom
16:10
Intel X3100
2007
T61
T61 R61
41w1489
Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2007
T61
T61 R61
43y9044
Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61 R61
42w7866
Penryn/Merom
16:10
Intel X3100
2008
T61
T61 R61
42w7867
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008
T61
T61 R61
44c3933
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61 R61



14.1 Standard




42w7648
Merom
4:3
Intel X3100
2007
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
42w7649
Merom
4:3
nVidia nvs140m
2007
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
43y9045
Merom
4:3
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
42w7650
Merom
4:3
nVidia fx570m 128mb
2007
T61p
T61/p T60/p* R61*
43y9046
Merom
4:3
nVidia fx570m 128mb
2008-2010
T61p
T61/p T60/p* T61*
42w7872
Penryn/Merom
4:3
Intel X3100
2008
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
42w7873
Penryn/Merom
4:3
nVidia nvs140m
2008
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
44c3924
Penryn/Merom
4:3
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61/p T60/p* R61*
42w7874
Penryn/Merom
4:3
nVidia fx570m 128mb
2008
T61p
T61/p T60/p* R61*
44c3926
Penryn/Merom
4:3
nVidia fx570m 128mb
2008-2010
T61p
T61/p T60/p* R61*



15.4 Widescreen




42w7651
Merom
16:10
Intel X3100
2007
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
42w7652
Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2007
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
43y9047
Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
42w7653
Merom
16:10
nVidia fx570m 256mb
2007
T61p
T61 T61p T60 T60p
43y9048
Merom
16:10
nVidia fx570m 256mb
2008-2010
T61p
T61 T61p T60 T60p
42w7875
Penryn/Merom
16:10
Intel X3100
2008
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
42w7876
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
44c3928
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia nvs140m
2008-2010
T61
T61 T61p T60 T60p
42w7877
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia fx570m 256mb
2008
T61p
T61 T61p T60 T60p
44c3931
Penryn/Merom
16:10
nVidia fx570m 256mb
2008-2010
T61p
T61 T61p T60 T60p

*modification required to install 4:3 T61 board in 4:3 T60 or R61 models. These hybrids are commonly referred to as 'FrankenPads'
Motherboards designed to use Merom CPU can run a Penryn CPU if Middleton BIOS is installed. This modified BIOS will suppress a false thermal sensing error generated by the boards inability to read the Penryn CPU's more advanced digital temp sensor. This BIOS will NOT provide full Penryn support.
Identifying information for a T61 motherboard can be found on a label under the battery or under the RAM modules.
There is a well known issue with the nVidia discrete graphic system used on T61 series ThinkPads. It was first discovered in 2007 that these GPU chips were experiencing a greater then anticipated rate of failure. Although the rate of failure is believed to be low, perhaps less then 1%, with millions of units produced this adds up to a significant number. nVidia began addressing the problem as early as February 2008, but neither nVidia nor Lenovo ever admitted publicly that the chips were defective. The issue was handled as one of quality control with no 'official' revisions issued, and no recalls. Failure rates sharply declined after February 2008, but it wasn't until July 2008 that Lenovo removed the subject Planar Cards (motherboards) from production, replacing them with cards based on a new shipment of GPU chips.
Laptops with production date code of 08/08 (2008/August) and later are NOT affected, assuming the original motherboard is still present.
Production of the T61 series was cancelled after August 2008, but a few special order system were made in September and October 2008, and boards with the new GPU design continued to be produced until about 2010. The supply of new boards was quickly exhausted, however, and currently only refurbished boards are provided by Lenovo/IBM service. Some boards refurbished by Lenovo contain new Genuine GPU chips, while others appear to have the older original chips. To determine which chips a board contains it is necessary to examine the chip itself which bears a four digit date code represented by yy/ww (year/week). The (new) example linked above was manufactured in 2010, 21st week and the older one 2007, 25th week. Original boards from ThinkPads manufactured in August 2008 vary from 0820 to 0829. Since there were many production lines and many factories producing these chips, the actual date on the chip isn't a conclusive way to demonstrate the chip is the improved version. The date on the laptop itself is the key factor.
There have also been reports of counterfeit chips, most likely re-badged chips that were pulled from old boards, being used in boards refurbished by third parties.
Lenovo attempted to address this problem by offering free out-of-warranty repairs to anyone experiencing this problem. This free repair program ran from March 1st 2010 until March 31st 2011. Since this date there has been no further help offered by Lenovo, but the community forum has been helpful in assisting members.
  • Recovery DVD images for Windows XP Professional- two disk images to restore a T61 to it's original factory condition (this is a torrent file)
  • Lenovo official drivers and software - stored in the (End-Of-Line) Device Drivers File Matrix
    On that page select: Type: Laptop & Tablets, Series: Thinkpad T Series, SubSeries: Thinkpad T61 (or T61p)
  • Linux installation guides for ThinkPad T61
  • Apple OS X Lion 10.7 installation guide for ThinkPad T61 with Intel X3100 video chipset
  • Apple OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.4 installation guide for ThinkPad T61 with Intel X3100 video chipset

The Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN PCIe Mini Card network adapter is the most capable internal WiFi adapter that shipped with the ThinkPad T61.
Lenovo t61 windows 7 drivers
  • Operates in both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz spectrum providing data rates up to 300Mbps
  • Provides up to 5x greater speeds and up to 2x greater range than standard a/b/g adapters
  • Capable of connecting to wireless N access points and routers
  • Capable of connecting to any of the legacy Wi-Fi standards: 802.11a, b or g
  • Supports Multiple-Input/Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology to increase connection speed and range
  • Lenovo part numbers: 42T0865, 42T0867, 42T0869, 42T0871, 42T0905
See the discussion section below regarding newer WiFi adapters that can be installed in the ThinkPad T61.
The ThinkPad Super Multi-Burner Ultrabay Slim Drive is the most capable optical-media drive available for the ThinkPad T61.
  • Records DVD video to DVD+R/-R for playback in most consumer DVD players
  • Records to DVD+R/-R Double Layer (DL), DVD-RW and DVD+RW media
  • Lenovo part numbers: 39T2677, 39T2679, 39T2829, 39T2851, 39T2855, 42T2501, 42T2506

  • 3-cell 2900mAh 10.8V - Ultrabay battery - up to 1.2 hours of charge time | Part number: 57Y4536
  • 4-cell 2600mAh 14.4V - up to 3.6 hours of charge time | Part number: 41U3196
  • 6-cell 5200mAh 10.8V - up to 5.5 hours of charge time | Part number: 41U3198
  • 9-cell 7800mAh 10.8V - up to 8.6 hours of charge time | Part number: 43R2499

Mini
  • TPFanControl (Windows) alternate link
  • Thinkfan (Ubuntu)
  • Additional suggestions pdf of article here

The maximum CPU clock speed may be limited when the system is operated on the 65W AC adapter and no battery is installed. source
By reducing voltage the CPU will run cooler and draw less power, usually providing an extra 10 to 30 minutes of battery life.
CPU speeds can also be throttled to reduce temperatures and extend battery life.
  • RightMark CPU Clock Utility (Windows) 64-bit drivers (required for installation on Windows 64-bit; alternate source here)
  • Undervolting Guide for configuring RightMark CPU Clock Utility
  • Video Tutorial for configuring RightMark CPU Clock Utility (Windows)
  • Windows 7 Power Options can also be configured to throttle CPU speed and extend battery life
  • Undervolting Guide for configuring phctool in Ubuntu 11.04, Ubuntu 11.10, and Ubuntu 12.04
  • For other power saving options in Ubuntu, see this page

Windows: The touchpads on most models of the ThinkPad T61 are capable of multi-touch features, including two-finger scrolling, with the proper touchpad driver.
  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features
  2. Uninstall Lenovo UltraNav driver
  3. Uninstall Lenovo UltraNav utility
  4. Download and install the Synaptics Gesture Suite™ Device Driver
  5. Restart the computer

Linux: Two-finger scrolling should work without any special configuration in Ubuntu. If not, follow the touchpad-procedure here.
  • Add WWAN antenna and SIM card slot printable version of English translation here

Lenovo Thinkpad T61 Drivers Download

Increase the speed and responsiveness of Windows 7 by doing the following

  • Prevent Charms Menu appearance from accidental touchpad swipes by adding the registry edit here (right-click to save file): Touch.reg
  • Re-enable touchpad gestures with the registry edit here (right-click to save file): TouchEnable.reg
  • Use Windows 8's 'hidden' backup to clone and recover your whole PC pdf of this article here


  • Service and Troubleshooting Guide - ThinkPad T61, T61p

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/partslookup
http://support.lenovo.com/en/warrantylookup

Mini Card Services


  • Trusted Reviews - August 9, 2007
  • Laptop Magazine - June 28, 2007
  • CNET.com - May 27, 2007
  • Notebook Review - May 17, 2007
  • PCMag.com - May 9, 2007

Lenovo T61 Drivers Windows 10



Wireless upgrade option
From uruiamme:
With 3 antenna ports and no bluetooth, it seemed to me that the best upgrade for my Intel 4965AGN PCIe Mini Card was to find a newer Intel card that will fit in the slot with similar specs. I looked around for a card with 3 antenna ports and no bluetooth. I couldn't find one with a full length card, so I bought an adapter off eBay. I got the Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN card. It works fine in my T61 widescreen laptop and gets pretty good signal for me. I found out that there may have been a swapped cable on my old card, but in any case I followed the color scheme of the new card for the white/gray/black cables. My cables reached across after pulling some slack out of the area under the CPU fan. IT HAS TO HAVE a mini PCIe adapter (About $2 on eBay for two adapters with screws) My wireless speed is much improved. Note also that I am using the Middleton BIOS, which is needed to prevent the laptop from rejecting this upgrade. Hope that helps the Wiki!!