Is it the case that IBM Thinkpad notebooks will not accept anything
other than an IBM hard drive? For example, I cannot get a Thinkpad R40
notebook to accept anything other than a drive from IBM ... (even though Hitachi
now manufactures the TravelStar notebook drives which IBM used to
manufacture).

(a) Is there something designed in the BIOS of the Thinkpads which preclude
them from booting from "non-IBM-blessed" drives?
-- If yes, then does the BIOS have a list of valid drives?
-- If no, then is there something pre-written on "bare" IBM drives
which allows them to be recognized by the Thinkpads?

(b) Is there any way to use the hard drive on my choice on a Thinkpad?

(c) Another example: IBM sells its 80GB/5400RPM drive (Model
#09N4273)for $400, whereas the "same" 80GB/5400 Hitachi drive (Model
#08K0639) is under $200. Why won't the Hitachi drive work on the
Thinkpad?

My objective: I want to use the Hitachi 7K60 (60GB,7200RPM) but I have
not been able to get the Thinkpad R40 to even attempt to boot from it
... EVEN THOUGH the R40's BIOS "sees" the Hitachi drive and shows it
by name when I enter and display the BIOS setup information.

Also note:
You'll have to be running AND be installing Windows 2000 or later to
do this properly.
If this isn't possible for you, then I hope you've learned not to buy
an IBM ever again :)

Sparky2002b:
Thank you for your comment. This Thinkpad R40 is brand new, i.e., post
2001. Please clarify something in what you stated. Are you saying:

(1) I must partition the new drive as it sits connected as an external
drive while running Windows with the original internal IBM drive .. or
..
(2) Is it ok to partition the new drive using Partition Magic while
the drive is connected to some other platform .. and then place the
newly partitioned drive as the internal Thinkpad drive? I have done
this but to no avail.

Thank you.