Orpington Astronomical Society

Random Rambling Ruminations => PC Helpline => Topic started by: mickw on Oct 03, 2011, 16:27:20

Title: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 03, 2011, 16:27:20
Managed to bugger up something else  :!

After updating the video driver on the new laotop, all sorts of stuff has been going weird and/or crashing including internet access via Chrome, uninstalled Chrome, now IE won't work, reinstalled IE, still no joy and no way to access internet to install anything else  :(

Managed to restore the original driver and all seemed well, except internet, then tried the Samsung Recovery thing, but it can't find the original settings or any backups.  It seems that you have to actually do a backup before you can restore it and playing around with the partitions (particularly the Restore Partition) is also a bad thing.  Turning off System Restore also seems a bad idea.  :oops:

So, I either need to buy a full version of W7 or...................................
Has anyone got a W7 Home Premium disk I could borrow ?  I have got the original Key.
Assuming all disks are the same and the Key is what counts

Thanks


Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Mac on Oct 03, 2011, 16:46:13
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/oas/smiley/signs/sign0177.gif)

If I had a choice, I would stick XP on it.
I wouldn't worry about windows 7.

If you did manage to get hold of a disk you could always upgrade it later.

Mac
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 03, 2011, 19:34:41
Stoppit  :P

XP is not a happy bunny with the 21st century hardware that's installed, so I have to stick with W7 or "W8"  :o
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Mac on Oct 03, 2011, 21:52:43
so what have you got that is not compatable with xp then?

Mac
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Rocket Pooch on Oct 04, 2011, 04:51:16
Mick,

Install DOS and forget about progress.

Chris
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Fay on Oct 04, 2011, 08:58:15
Just to say. Google had a problem yesterday, did not work for a couple of hours
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 04, 2011, 10:01:04
Mac - Wireless, Bluetooth and USB were dodgy under XP

Chris - But DOS is not very pretty

Fay - I did think that initially but then IE refused to work.

But, I actually found a backup set (I must be smarter than I think) and have reinstalled W7
Unfortunately I didn't save my emails so have got to go hunting for all my passwords and "keys" for software.

All I've got to do now, is install all the software again, then test it with the astro kit, the do a bloody backup when everything is working
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Fay on Oct 04, 2011, 10:03:51
and good luck to you     :squirrel:
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 10, 2011, 00:31:26
Yay  :D

All installed, tested and backed up  :)

Starry Night was being a git though, took about 5 installs and an email to support.
Under W7, SN needs to be installed "as administrator"

Then I fell into the Quicktime update trap, v.7_ makes Messier objects disappear (as Fay found out last year) so had to remove 7 then find and install 6.3

Not bad, only took a week  :! :! :! :!
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: JohnP on Oct 10, 2011, 08:50:55
mick - I'm curious In the last year how many win 7/ xp installs do you thionk you have done??????
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 10, 2011, 09:05:11
Quotehow many win 7/ xp installs do you thionk you have done??????

:oops:
Several - it's usually to repair something I've improved  :(  :oops:
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Mike on Oct 10, 2011, 09:49:35
Be warned. There is a limit to the amount of times you can install Windows. Once you've reached it, despite it being a legal copy, you cannot install it again.

That was the very reason I switched to OSX in the first place after having a legit XP disc and being told by Microsoft I could no longer install it and had to buy a new one. I told them to go **** themselves.
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Mac on Oct 10, 2011, 12:01:19
QuoteBe warned. There is a limit to the amount of times you can install Windows. Once you've reached it, despite it being a legal copy, you cannot install it again.

never heard of that one before, an i've installed my xp system at least 30 times on my main desktop pc, and never had any problems.

Mac.
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: mickw on Oct 10, 2011, 12:49:30
I've had it happen some time ago after upgrading ram and HD then CPU - I was told by the MS help desk that certain changes to the PC suggest it's being installed on more than one PC hence the lockdown - they unlocked it  8)
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: PhilB on Oct 10, 2011, 16:36:35
I'm told that this lockdown doesn't happen if you have an OEM disc, this being designed for installation across a number of machines. Mind you, I had a server come back with "this is an illegal copy of server 2008" a while back and when I tried to resister it the online system rejected the key even though I'd never used it before :o
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Ian on Oct 10, 2011, 19:11:00
Although it's not happened to me, I understood that while the online activation will fail, a quick call to their helpdesk and the activation can be unlocked.

You've got to be careful of the OEM licences. I don't know how rigorously Microsoft enforces it, but usually the licence is restricted to the purchased machine only. Maybe that might stop you reinstalling it, but Mike's is the only incidence of this I've ever come across.
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Rocket Pooch on Oct 10, 2011, 19:12:07
Phil, thats because some licences are yearly not for ever.

Chris
Title: Re: Broken W7
Post by: Mike on Oct 10, 2011, 22:03:10
Admittedly it was an early copy and I had installed it quite a few times over the years (mainly out of frustration with things going pear shaped).