Deep breath.... VISTA help? UPDATE

[Bob_VT]

I have to install a new HD in a computer and restore Vista ..... (aside from vista being so outdated) what am I up against?

Is it about the same as doing an older xp install??

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

I have to install a new HD in a computer and restore Vista ..... (aside from vista being so outdated) what am I up against?

Is it about the same as doing an older xp install??

As long as you have the install disk, and your primary boot drive is set to your optical drive from your BIOS configuration screen, it should set up like XP.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Normally what I do, is use an external case and perform a mirror operation when I have to replace a HD, can you still get into your old drive? Or is the computer dead? If it is dead, you should still be able to go into your BIOS and set it to boot from the CD drive, and then do a mirror operation to an external HD, if you only have a drive for the laptop, you can get an external case for it for less than $10 and it will hook up to a USB port, I had to do this a couple of weeks ago, with my wife's Gateway laptop and went like a dream, boot to CD with USB support, then use mirror software to transfer the operating system, took out of the external case and installed in the laptop and was back up and running in about 3 hours.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Yes, the hard drive is dead. A geek company wants $225 to replace the drive and that is out of the (78 yo woman who owns the computer is on a fixed income) budget. I ordered the restore disc since one had not been made when she purchased the computer.

I will oder the SATA drive from newegg and with the assistance of my laptop and external drive that I have...... I should be able to get through it.

I am just in the process of "collecting" the parts and software. Sheeese !! The geek guy made it sound so dramatic and how she lost everything!! I demonstrated that here aol contacts,
mail and facebook still were alive in cyberspace. It calmed her and relieved some of the angst.

Yes, I figure a 3 hour job

 

[dolluper]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Mount {sneak into} the old drive with Knoppix live CD and copy to cd or dvd I will edit with the destructions link in a couple of minutes

 

[dolluper]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Ok here is the right link had to dig it up other was something else to geeky
http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/

 

[jollymon]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Are you sure the old drive is dead, or is it so screwed up it will not boot? If the drive is not physically damaged, you might be able to put it in a slave unit, and get any needed data and drivers off of it.

If it is beyond hope, go to the PC manufactuer web site and down load all the needed drivers.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Yes, the hard drive is dead. A geek company wants $225 to replace the drive and that is out of the (78 yo woman who owns the computer is on a fixed income) budget. I ordered the restore disc since one had not been made when she purchased the computer.

I will oder the SATA drive from newegg and with the assistance of my laptop and external drive that I have...... I should be able to get through it.

I am just in the process of "collecting" the parts and software. Sheeese !! The geek guy made it sound so dramatic and how she lost everything!! I demonstrated that here aol contacts,
mail and facebook still were alive in cyberspace. It calmed her and relieved some of the angst.

Yes, I figure a 3 hour job

UPDATE Well..... the Geek repair people were wrong. I have the work order in my hand from them and it states the the Hard Drive needs replacement.

I did a safe boot - system restore and the computer is running fine.

I am glad I was able to help this lady and prevent the geek company from exploiting her and ripping her off for over $200

The final cost $0

 

[i386]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help? UPDATE

Good job!

 

[dolluper]

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

Re: Deep breath.... VISTA help?

me thinks you should get a free copy of Knoppix live cd and print those detructions just in case...don't worry what they say knoppix can mostly recover from any dead HD as long as it hasn't overwritten to many times when bad....it's a large download for Knoppix almost 700 mb's and get the hash and check it