can't reformat Acer laptop

Sorry pammy, i've just seen the post you made about saving the pic's, if you want to try to save the pic's installing windows or even more importantly, wiping the HDD is *NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!*

If you want to save the pic's let us know.

 

For clarification, because some of us who are observing this thread have become somewhat confused by the following from post #20:

What version of Windows 7? And, you are aware that, if this license has been authenticated on another machine, a new license must be purchased, correct?

Why is that?

Apologize for butting in - just gathering info. Thank you.

 

Good points well made Caliban.

 

wow...look what happens when i go out for a while..lol..what a busy little thread.
OK...update.
I just bit the bullet and bought a new 500gb HD.....for a pretty good price.

Caliban..the licence issue has been sorted....all is well.

So I am just about to start waving my trust little screwdriver around and get this new hd installed....
Hopefully you wont all hear an explosion from where you are....lol
here goes....(this is all totally new to me)
P

 

You might want to hold off on that screwdriver..are you sure that HD is IDE and not SATA?

 

I took the old HD into the computer shop when I got the new one..so presumably they have sold me the right one...hope so anyway
P

 

That's cool! I didn't realize they even made 500gb IDE drives for laptops. (edit: just for others reading this thread it appears they still don't)

OK, I just looked up the specs and your HD interface is SATA. That makes more sense. I think somewhere in the thread it was discussed that it was an IDE interface.

You're good! Get that screwdriver out. Your HD may have a caddy so you might need to remove it from the old and attach it to the new.

 

I did it..it was actually a lot easier than i had anticipated, even though i did have to change the caddy over as well...I am feeling very proud of myself right now..the pooter is busy installing windows and all is well with my world again....lol.

Saying thanks to you guys just doesnt seem enough..but please know that you are really, really appreciated, and have helped this "little old lady" tremendously....
hugzzz to all
Pammy

 

Congratulations! You should feel proud for working through the problem.

If all goes well with the install, keep in mind there may be a possibility of saving photos if they are very important.

One would be to buy a cable to attach the old HD by way of USB cable and see if it is recognized and the photos are seen.

The other is a bit more complicated. It would involve reinstalling the old HD and downloading a bootable Linux CD file, burning it to a blank CD and then seeing if the laptop would boot OK to Linux and see the files on the old HD. (It might be an option because each time the laptop hung up it was when Windows was trying to access the HD.) Linux may be able to see the HD even though Windows balks.

The last would involve reinstalling the old HD and seeing if a diagnostic program from the HD manufacturer (downloaded and burnt to CD) detected and could repair faults in the HD and thus making it accessible to Windows again.

I just want to give you some options if photos are a major concern to your friend.

 

I double checked with her, and apparently they have the photos still on their camera..phewwwww
I gave her a bit of a lecture on the advantages of backing them up..and they will do that from now on hopefully..

Just in the process now of installing all the bits and pieces on her computer.
I thought windows came with Mail etc..but apparently not...
I am having to download that.
hopefully everything else she needs will be on tap.

 

Good job!

Might want to check Device Manager to see if there are any missing drivers (yellow exclamation marks) for any devices. Start>type in Search Box devmgmt.msc If any yellow(s) then check Acer Support for the appropriate driver for your laptop model.

 

good thinking 99....
nope..no yellows showing...
so maybe all IS well...

 

just a question...her hubby set it up so that it asks for a password at login.
I have searched for answers on how to get rid of that and enable auto login (which is what they both now want)

Do you know how to do that pls???

 

No yellows is great!

With a new OS install it really shouldn't matter about how her husband set things up. Unless, it is a laptop power-on password which from previous posts I don't think you have.

Are you just seeing a Windows screen with a user avatar/picture asking for a password?

If it is a Windows login that is asking for a password, I'm not exactly sure how to get rid of it in Vista/Win7. Which OS dis you install Vista or Win7?

 

I installed windows 7.....actually, with all the other problems she has had fixed,,i dont think asking for a password is a big deal..so will just leave that as is...
ta anyway
P

 

Woohooo, well done on getting it up and running Pammy.

Not too convinced it needed a new HDD myself, but a 500GB HDD is a nice upgrade.

Glad you have the licensing isues sorted aswell




@ sach, the reference made to her system being IDE was referring to the desktop she was trying to hook the HDD upto, not the laptop.

 

Thanks Q, Sach and others.
I havent quite given up on retrieving her photos etc yet.
I still have her old HD and maybe after xmas , when I can afford it, I'll think of getting an adapter or whatever to have another go.
Merry Xmas to you and yours

Pammy

 

Congratulations to all - this was a very informative thread, and it was a pleasure watching you guys work together.

:drink

 

That;s so nice Caliban. This forum is always my first port of call when i have problems....even watching other people get their problems solved is a great part of my learning curve...
As they say.."you are never too old to learn"...lol
signed
Pammy the 74 y.o. computer nerd.....lol