[Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
Hi, I am trying to recover a friends laptop hard disk. It is a windows machine. I have booted from a Linux CD and recovered all the files the user wanted me to. Basically all their photos. The laptop is a windows Vista laptop. It does not boot and using smartctl I can see that is it about to fail. Sector relocation count has moved from 10 to 15 just while I recovered the photos! Now, I have the problem of re-installing Vista but the user does not have the install media any more. Does anyone know, from the Linux command prompt, how I can find out which version of Vista they have installed? The laptop has the Vista license key on the bottom, so I am figuring that if I can obtain some install media, I could still use the key that came with the laptop. I just need the correct version of the install media. This might save the user paying £150 for new media and license. Kind Regards James -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [hants] Linux works, Windows doesn't....
On 31 March 2010 00:15, Isaac Close isaaccl...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: Hello, Sometimes I am confronted with a computer that refuses to install or run windows without crashing badly at every attempt, yet the machine will happily run linux without problems. Which version of windows are you trying to install? If it is Windows XP, try Windows 7 instead. Windows XP does not work so well with newer motherboards. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
Hi, On the machines I've seen with Vista IIRC the version details were on the license key sticker. I'm sure ours say Business somewhere on the sticker. We bought 70 new Dell machines all of which had Vista Business install media which we don't use. As long as they didn't get thrown out in the huge clear out we had last week we should have CDs coming out of our ears. Contact me off list if this would help. Cheers, Paul. Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -Original Message- From: James Courtier-Dutton james.dut...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:17:41 To: Hampshire LUG Discussion Listhampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Subject: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins Hi, I am trying to recover a friends laptop hard disk. It is a windows machine. I have booted from a Linux CD and recovered all the files the user wanted me to. Basically all their photos. The laptop is a windows Vista laptop. It does not boot and using smartctl I can see that is it about to fail. Sector relocation count has moved from 10 to 15 just while I recovered the photos! Now, I have the problem of re-installing Vista but the user does not have the install media any more. Does anyone know, from the Linux command prompt, how I can find out which version of Vista they have installed? The laptop has the Vista license key on the bottom, so I am figuring that if I can obtain some install media, I could still use the key that came with the laptop. I just need the correct version of the install media. This might save the user paying £150 for new media and license. Kind Regards James -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
At 10:11 31/03/2010, you wrote: On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 10:17:41AM +0100, James Courtier-Dutton wrote: The laptop has the Vista license key on the bottom, so I am figuring that if I can obtain some install media, I could still use the key that came with the laptop. I just need the correct version of the install media. This might save the user paying £150 for new media and license. AFAIK, retail Vista (and Windows 7) media contains all of the versions available in retail channels (Home Basic, Home Premium, etc) - the version actually installed gets determined by the serial number. OEM versions are different, of course. This is my experience as well there is only one vista dvd to install them all. Martin N Running MorphOS v2.4 on Mac Mini, Moderator of MiniDisc,amithlonopen,bwfc Yahoogroups -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [hants] Linux works, Windows doesn't....
At 09:21 31/03/2010, you wrote: On 31 March 2010 00:15, Isaac Close isaaccl...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: Hello, Sometimes I am confronted with a computer that refuses to install or run windows without crashing badly at every attempt, yet the machine will happily run linux without problems. Which version of windows are you trying to install? If it is Windows XP, try Windows 7 instead. Windows XP does not work so well with newer motherboards. Do you know of any reason why that is? or is just a case that less of the drivers are known and it takes longer to get a working windows xp install. Martin N Running MorphOS v2.4 on Mac Mini, Moderator of MiniDisc,amithlonopen,bwfc Yahoogroups -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
On 31 March 2010 17:53, trotter m.nutt...@ukonline.co.uk wrote: At 10:11 31/03/2010, you wrote: On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 10:17:41AM +0100, James Courtier-Dutton wrote: The laptop has the Vista license key on the bottom, so I am figuring that if I can obtain some install media, I could still use the key that came with the laptop. I just need the correct version of the install media. This might save the user paying £150 for new media and license. AFAIK, retail Vista (and Windows 7) media contains all of the versions available in retail channels (Home Basic, Home Premium, etc) - the version actually installed gets determined by the serial number. OEM versions are different, of course. This is my experience as well there is only one vista dvd to install them all. So I should be able to download one from MSDN (I am a full member apparently!!!) The problem with the License label is that it has mostly been washed off. Luckily, a bit of the bar code, and the License key is still readable, but the bit saying what version it is, is totally unreadable. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
James Courtier-Dutton wrote: So I should be able to download one from MSDN (I am a full member apparently!!!) The problem with the License label is that it has mostly been washed off. Handy hint - most laptops are dry-clean only! :-) Sean -- music, film, comics, books, rants and drivel: www.funkygibbins.me.uk -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [hants] Linux works, Windows doesn't....
On 31 March 2010 17:56, trotter m.nutt...@ukonline.co.uk wrote: At 09:21 31/03/2010, you wrote: On 31 March 2010 00:15, Isaac Close isaaccl...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: Hello, Sometimes I am confronted with a computer that refuses to install or run windows without crashing badly at every attempt, yet the machine will happily run linux without problems. Which version of windows are you trying to install? If it is Windows XP, try Windows 7 instead. Windows XP does not work so well with newer motherboards. Do you know of any reason why that is? or is just a case that less of the drivers are known and it takes longer to get a working windows xp install. My guess is because hardly anybody actually installs windows because it comes already installed. I have a software program that crashes a windows PC. I complete reinstall of windows does not fix the problem. It is a great program to have if your laptop is getting near its 1 year old date, and results in the manufacturer replacing it. In fact, after I run the program, the only OS that will run on the machine is Linux, but it seems that very few laptop manufacturers use Linux for their diag tool. If you are interested, it is linked to one of the registers on AHCI chips. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] [OT] Content might offend Penguins
On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 07:12:03PM +0100, James Courtier-Dutton wrote: So I should be able to download one from MSDN (I am a full member apparently!!!) The problem with the License label is that it has mostly been washed off. Luckily, a bit of the bar code, and the License key is still readable, but the bit saying what version it is, is totally unreadable. Indeed - you can use MSDN media without problem (make sure not to select a volume license version unless your key is a VL one). As long as the license itself is readable you should be fine - you don't need to select a version to install, it's determined solely by the key. -mj -- Michael-John Turner m...@mjturner.net http://mjturner.net/ -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
