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PC Nerds come on in-- windows questions


mrs.cos

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So my sisters hard drive on her laptop died. I told her to buy a new hard drive and we would replace her old one.. No big deal right?

 

Wrong.. no one will help us figure out how to reinstall windows on it. She has no boot disk because the person who gave her hte laptop has "lost" the boot disks.

 

Microsoft told her for 99$ they would help her.. (wtf you can buy windows on amazon for 89??)

 

She doesnt have a lot of money to throw at this problem and im across the country for her or i woud just take it and figure it out on my own.

 

Suggestions on what to do? I feel like without the boot disks she's screwed.

The PC has/d Windows Vista on it.

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A few options:

 

A) Restore disc from contacting the laptop's manufacturer, or borrow one from someone that has the same model.

 

B) Buy a Windows disc

 

C) If the license key is on a sticker on the laptop, then it technically isn't illegal to download and install that version of Windows using that key. Could make a boot disc or a bootable USB drive if the computer supports it.

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A few options:

 

A) Restore disc from contacting the laptop's manufacturer, or borrow one from someone that has the same model.

 

 

Option A is a great option. I know that Dell will fight to not send it, but you just have to keep on them. Tell them something like the disks were lost in a move or something.

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A few options:

 

A) Restore disc from contacting the laptop's manufacturer, or borrow one from someone that has the same model.

 

B) Buy a Windows disc

 

C) If the license key is on a sticker on the laptop, then it technically isn't illegal to download and install that version of Windows using that key. Could make a boot disc or a bootable USB drive if the computer supports it.

 

A) Restore disc from contacting the laptop's manufacturer, or borrow one from someone that has the same model.

 

She was told by HP that she should have created discs when the Computer was purchased and that they couldnt "approve" any hard drive not bought through them. (fuck you HP)

 

B) Buy a Windows disc

She and her husband make less than 50K a year and have 4 kids. 90$ isnt something they easily throw around, especially since she had to spend 70$ on a new hard drive. (He's a school teacher and she's a SAHM) So this is a last ditch option

 

C) If the license key is on a sticker on the laptop, then it technically isn't illegal to download and install that version of Windows using that key. Could make a boot disc or a bootable USB drive if the computer supports it.

 

They have no other computer other than an ipad1 that was given to them by her father in law. No way to download it. I had thought of this and at this moment am wondering if i can download it and put it on a disc and mail to her.

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I should note that she is in Portland, and i dont have easy access to helping fix this issue.

They dont have an extra computer, and live in a very hipster area where most people have macs or the newest and shiniest and dont have 5 year old computers like she does, which was a hand me down.

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Honestly, Pirate Windows or Linux are the best options. I consider it a moral grey area, the machine is licensed for Windows but you are not using the correct key. Linux, however is completely free and legal, and if all they do is browse the internet and the kids do homework, it will do just fine.

 

mail her an install disc and she can use the number located on the systems COA to reinstall

you need to find out what version she had installed, ie home/business/32 bit/64 bit, etc.

 

 

For the record, in all of my years of messing with this kind of stuff, this has never worked, especially with a key from a manufacturer.

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Honestly, Pirate Windows or Linux are the best options. I consider it a moral grey area, the machine is licensed for Windows but you are not using the correct key. Linux, however is completely free and legal, and if all they do is browse the internet and the kids do homework, it will do just fine.

 

Im not even remoetly willing to tyr and teach her how to use linux. Windows and Mac are hard enough.

 

These are people who dont even own a Television... by choice.

 

I was pretty excited i got her to learn how to take a photo with her iphone to send to me in a text

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yea she's going to have to download a pirated copy, the exact install that was once on it, then use her key. Other than that she's going to need to purchase a new disc from MS, or upgrade that dinosaur, even though she doesn't have a lot of money to work with :)
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Linux has come a long way and some of the new distros are very Windows friendly and simple to use. From the way you describe her, she sounds like she would be a Linux user anyway...at least she would like the idea of Linux being a free, open-source program.

 

I would send her a Linux Mint or Ubuntu disc. At least get her up and running to hold her over until she can scrounge up some cash for Windows.

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I know how linxu is now, she will not be able to handle it.

What's that supposed to mean? You can stick KUbuntu on nearly anything, and half an hour later have something that looks and acts so much like Windows that most people either wouldn't know the difference, or think you'd given them a nifty "personalization" skin.

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A) Restore disc from contacting the laptop's manufacturer, or borrow one from someone that has the same model.

 

She was told by HP that she should have created discs when the Computer was purchased and that they couldnt "approve" any hard drive not bought through them. (fuck you HP)

 

B) Buy a Windows disc

She and her husband make less than 50K a year and have 4 kids. 90$ isnt something they easily throw around, especially since she had to spend 70$ on a new hard drive. (He's a school teacher and she's a SAHM) So this is a last ditch option

 

C) If the license key is on a sticker on the laptop, then it technically isn't illegal to download and install that version of Windows using that key. Could make a boot disc or a bootable USB drive if the computer supports it.

 

They have no other computer other than an ipad1 that was given to them by her father in law. No way to download it. I had thought of this and at this moment am wondering if i can download it and put it on a disc and mail to her.

 

If this is something that could make or break them it Sounds like a perfect xmas present for there family if you can swing it... for what they need they have 299$ laptops all day long that will work for them. Just my two cents.

 

Start hustling those photos sessions!

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If this is something that could make or break them it Sounds like a perfect xmas present for there family if you can swing it... for what they need they have 299$ laptops all day long that will work for them. Just my two cents.

 

Start hustling those photos sessions!

 

You can get them even cheaper.

 

I bought my kids new ones at the Lenovo Outlet for $200 delivered.

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You can get them even cheaper.

 

 

 

I bought my kids new ones at the Lenovo Outlet for $200 delivered.

 

I've seriously considered it, but I help pay for stuff though out the year for the kids (museum memberships and art programs) it's what we consider gifts for the kids at Christmas and helps her out as well.

 

As far as Ubuntu- I understand what you are getting at. I'm not doing it.

I

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I had a similar issue when my computer hard drive crapped out under warranty. HP covered the cost of the hard drive, but gave me shit about the disc. I told them I would never buy another HP again if they didn't send me a copy of the install disc. I had it within 2 days. If you bitch and keep on them and ask for supervisors you should be able to get a new disc.
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Money is an issue. Throwing 200$ at the problem is not going to happen. I'll be spending some quality time on the phone with HP tomorrow seeing what I can get done.

 

I'll save you the trouble of making that phone call.

 

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&docname=bph07143

 

Not sure what they will charge for new disks. And still, don't be surprised if the replacement drive fails as well. Those things run H O T

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