Clean Install OS on Laptop

I'm not sure if I'm going to create a big problem, but I have a laptop I acquired from a previous job - HP Probook 4710s-Vista Business. The company I worked for went bust and I am left with the laptop, but I don't have admin rights or passwords and I want to use it for more than just web browsing and playing DVD's. I would like to use it as my main computer and replace my old desktop which is about to die.

I'm not altogether fussed about OS and there is nothing currently on the laptop I want to keep. Is it and easy process re-installing a new OS, and could you please direct me to any guides on this?

 

O.K., I'll get you started. The first thing you want to do is collect all the drivers you will need for the system after the OS is installed. Go to the HP Web site, DL all the drivers for your OS, and make yourself a cd with all the drivers for your system.

The drivers for your system can be found here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...TypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3935157&taskId=135

 

Thanks, but the link is dead.

 

http://www.tweakhound.com/vista/installguide.htm
Eric has good guides.:major

 

The link takes me straight to the download page for the HP ProBook 4710s Notebook PC. Try it again?

 

Gotcha - works now. Cheers.

 

Yikes - scary prospect. Might just take it to a repair man.

 

I needed to refresh the page a few times to get the link to work.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...TypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3935157&taskId=135

 

Hi, Instead of installing a new OS if you use this tool.....

http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/

..... you can retrieve all windows passwords and reclaim admin rights once you have the passwords.

download the "Live CD" and and burn it to disc using this tool.....

http://majorgeeks.com/ImgBurn_d4870.html

.... both of these tools are free!!! once you have your bootable disc insert into the disc drive of the laptop and restart your machine, press any key to boot from disc and follow prompts, take note of passwords shown and what they are for, please be patient with it as it can take sometime to complete, especially with harder types of passwords.

iain.t :major

 

1/ If you just want to get original factory condition,The F11 button often works.
As you startup, and HP LOGO appears keep pressing F11, AND YOU SHOULD GET A RESTORE SCREEN FOR hp -FOLLOW INSTRUCTION,CLICK THE YES BUTTON, AND IT WILL RESTORE TO FACTORY-WIPING THE PRESENT SETUP

2/ http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/cache/312352-0-0-225-121.html
Or,
3/ WITHIN wINDOWS,
Start - All Programs HP BACKUP and Recovery > HP Backup and Recovery Manager ....
If none of the above will help--
4/ Otherwise (D: PARTITION IS THE RECOVERY PARTITION ON SOME HP'S that I worked on)-You may need a password (do you have it now ?)
There should be a hidden file in the D:\ PARTITION
If you can see into the partition- you may have to show hidden folders to find it= you may get a HP warning about altering/deleting files.
Click on this file
HP_Recovery\MiniNT\System32\start.exe

reboot and then hold F11 key to boot into recovery