Need help with installing a new OS on IBM Thinkpad

[MiraTeck]

i just got a notebook, a Thinkpad 600E, from a friend. it has microsoft windows professional 2000 installed but i don't know the current username or password to get past the Novell login screen (its off corporate lease). i want to install windows xp fresh, but i can't get the damn thing to boot from the CD-rom drive (even after setting the CD rom drive as the boot device). i can't log in so its impossible to try and update the bios to install new drivers, firmware, etc to try and get the drive to work.

any suggestions on how to install a new OS? thanks.

 

[spherrod]

You should be able to update the BIOS from IBM's website without logging in.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=DSHY-46HLKQ

Think this is the latest BIOS (I couldn't find any newer ones) and it does fix an issue with booting from CD) - follow the instructions and you'll be be able to boot from a floppy, flash the BIOS and then hopefully install XP

 

[MiraTeck]

interesting. sounds like it would work but i don't have a floppy drive! any suggestoins?