I will need to do a complete system recovery. My computer originally came with windows 7 and then downloaded and installed windows 8. I have my product key. When I downloaded windows 8 it gave me the option of burning a copy of windows 8 to a dvd, however I did not do that. Whenever I do a system recovery will I be able to get windows 8 back without having to pay for another download?
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I purchased a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 Pro preinstalled. It came with 500 GB HDD. I changed the DVD Rom with SSD/HDD tray to use for additional drive. I put an SSD in there and installed Windows 8 on it using a USB Recovery Drive, which I don't have anymore. So my current setup looks like this:
After upgrading to Windows 8.1, the license of some software I'm using got messed up and I couldn't manage fixing it, so the only option I've got left is to reinstall/reset Windows. But since the Recovery partition is on another drive, when I go about creating a Recovery Drive, the option "Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive" is greyed out. I've got stuff on my HDD, which I can't currently backup so I don't wan't to format that drive. I'm perfectly fine with formatting the SSD, that's what I want.
How can I reinstall/reset my Windows? The only option I see is to install Windows on the Hard Drive (by doing a backup and formatting it first), and then create a usb recovery drive and reinstall again on the SSD, but that's a lot of hassle and I'd need to find an external hard drive for the backup.
I intentionally left the Hard Drive in the original bay (as Disk 0) because of the better protection against falling compared to the added bay in place of the DVD drive.
My daughter brought her Gateway NE71B laptop to me because it was running like a snail. She had NO anti-virus software so I plugged in an external HDD and created what I thought was a Recovery Partition. When I had the computer boot to the external drive I tried the auto repair twice and failed both times.
When I tried to recover from the external drive I got an error message that said I/O error that could be caused by the fact that a portable device needed to be plugged in to continue.
Didn't know what to do so I unplugged the drive and tried again. No bootable devices found. Plugged the external drive back in and got the same I/O error. So I thought I'd just order the recovery media from Gateway. The day it arrived, I put the System Recovery disk in, It booted to the recovery screen with 3 options; Full recovery (original factory setup), Full recovery after removing data and Exit. I've tried both the first 2 options and up pops a window that says; Recovery must be done in Legacy Mode.
So I changed the bios from UEFI to legacy, restarted the computer with the Sys. Disk still in DVD tray, It start to load the recovery screen and up pops a window that says; Recovery Can Only Be Done In UEFI Mode.
If I were to guess, I would say I have an MBR virus and it's playing tricks with me. I've ordered a new identical hard drive to install when it arrives and hope to be able to get the recovery media to get back to normal.
I recently did an update of my machine from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. The update process did not show any errors or warnings and by the time it finished I was under the impression that everything went smooth.
After the update I was testing the environment and discovered that one of my desktop applications stopped working, I went to the developer's website and indeed I found there is a known issue with their software on 8.1 and to solve it, I had to completely uninstall the software and then install it once more. So I went to Programs and Features in order to do so and to my surprise the Uninstall button was missing from the interface. Right-clicking an item and selecting uninstall from the menu gives a warning message suggesting that the application might have already been uninstalled and asks if I wanted to remove the application from the Programs list. However, clicking OK or Cancel just closes the message box and nothing happens.
So I went and tried to Refresh My PC; Once I clicked Refresh My PC the verification process started and indeed it told my that some system files are missing and that it should take care of it provided I insert my Windows disc. Now since its an OTA update from Win 8 to 8.1 I thought that MS knows that some people will not have a physical copy of 8.1 and so I inserted my Windows 8 Pro System Builder disc hoping it would work, but sadly as you might have guessed, it did not. It told me that I needed the 8.1 recovery disc.
Now I have been looking everywhere for a recovery image to download and use to fix my problem, everywhere I go it suggests that I make my own copy. But how am I supposed to do that if my Windows is faulty and has missing files. I really don't wanna go back to Windows 8 and re-upgrade to 8.1. I have a monitored internet bandwidth and I cannot go and download the 3 GB 8.1 update once more.
How can I repair my 8.1 machine?
I came across this article describing how to get an ISO image for 8.1 with a Windows 8 product Key. However, entering my Windows 8 Pro System Builder (OEM) key in the box fails and tells me that the key I entered is not for this product.
Not sure if it's Lenovos only, but trying to migrate Windows 8 OEM to an SSD has been a huge pain in the ass. This process should not be as difficult as Lenovo/Microsoft has made it.
I purchased a Y400 along with a 256G SSD. I'd like to clean install Windows onto the SSD, I did not want to copy image. I went through forums for hours trying to put a recovery system on a usb with no luck (even with the instructions given by a Lenovo moderator on their website), I kept getting "missing partition drive". I broke down and paid Lenovo the ridiculous "shipping charge" of $59 for the recovery disks.
These are my steps so far:
-My SSD is installed and I removed the HDD (until Windows 8 was installed, I'd then format it)
-Put Disk 1 into the optical drive (Disk 1 states it's the format sequence and starting point for restore, Windows 8 actually on disk 2, I believe)
-Pressed the "Novo" button on the left side of the machine (gives options of Normal Startup, BIOS Setup, Boot Manager and System Recovery)
*FYI - Boot Manager lists: Windows Boot Manager and 2 EFI volumes (when HDD is plugged in, just the EFI's when uninstalled)
System Recovery only works with the HDD installed and it's Lenovo's One Key Recovery which just restores to a restoration point.*
Went into BIOS setup
Tabbed over to "Security"
Disabled the "Secure Boot"
Tabbed over to "Boot"
Changed the Boot Mode to "Legacy Support"
Changed Boot Priority to "Legacy First"
Saved then exited.
Pressed the "Novo" button once more, went into BIOS setup
Tabbed back to "Boot"
Boot device priority was now displayed with SATA ODD, SSD and Network Boot.
I reordered to boot from SATA ODD
Saved and exited
Upon restart, I pressed F12 (select boot device), and chose the SATA ODD
It went into a DOS looking screen and gives "No Bootable Device - Insert boot disk and press a key"
I've also tried variations of the above procedures for a few hours with no luck.
I have not tried to boot from "Lenovo Recovery System" (which is only available with the HDD installed), I figured it would default to the HDD and not let me chose to install onto SSD.
Got a mates computer that would not boot normally, so button mashed f8 to bring up safe mode, uninstalled the crap, ran an antivirus and checked for registry errors with an outdated reg cleaner, there were heaps of errors which I could do nothing about as I had no internet at the time, so I decided to do a complete reset of the PC through the f8 boot menu.
It went fine until I woke up the next morning to find that when it boots all I get is the error message at the toshiba boot screen saying "Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation" there is no mouse pointer so I smash enter, it restarts and does exactly the same thing on next startup. I can't seem to get f8 to work after the reset and I'm stuck!
This is the error I am getting when I start my laptop. "Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer , restart the application"...
Windows 8 64 bit , Dell Inspiron 3521 , 1GB graphic card 7670m , intel 4000 series, 4GB ddr3ram, i5-3337u 3rd generation
Just bought it 1 week back , and I didn't back up the recovery partition and i did not got any recovery disc or installation cd with the laptop.
I tried to restore the system and was confused and selected recovery option, in dat I selected reset your pc, it didn't asked for any windows installation disc or back up disc and it took 30mins to complete and asked to restart ...after that I am getting this option .
Minidump: [URL] ....
Memtest came back good. No errors. Also thought I should mention temps are just fine, nothing going above 50C.
(I was running 8.1 before the reinstall) So randomly about a week ago my computer started to bsod out of nowhere saying Critical Prcoess died. Then I started getting Kernal data inpage error. I, of course, googled the issue and there seems to be no solid fix for them. After some fiddlig I seemed to make the bsods stop (could have been luck) and then I was only getting hard locks. No bsod, but everything, including the cursor, was frozen. No ctrl alt del could fix it, it was stuck and required a hard reset. Some thought it was registry errors, others thought it was hardware.
I think I have ruled out software after a reinstall, and still having the issue.
System info: Windows 8 (previously 8.1 before reinstall) both 64bit
Intel i5 4670k
16GB Kingston HyperX
128gb Samsung 840 SSD
1TB Seagate baracuda
500GB WD green
EVGA GTX 670
Corsair AX850 PSU
Gigabyte Z87M-D3H mobo
Bios: American Megatrends Inc. F4 4/16/2013
If you have a recovery drive - that includes the recovery partition - made on one computer, but have a toshiba laptop with a bad drive (but the recovery partition is ok), can you replace/copy the partition on the recovery drive with the recovery partition from the bad laptop HD?
My friend's laptop would not boot, and would not factory recover, reset, or refresh. I tried to clone the hard drive before I started messing with the disc. It would not clone, but I was able to copy the recovery partition to a USB drive.
He never make recovery discs, so could not re-install, but I can borrow the recovery drive that my aunt made for her laptop.
Let's say your computer comes with Windows 8 (not 8 Pro) preinstalled, using a SLIC and not a product key. Yu decide you hate the OEM crapware and want to do a clean reinstall. Bt you don't have reinstallation media, or the media includes the crapware.
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View 9 Replies View RelatedI build my own desktop. I first had Windows Vista on it, which I bought on a DVD. I then skipped Windows 7 completely, but later upgraded to Windows 8 when Microsoft had a promotional period for it early in 2012 when it just came out.
Now I'm replacing the motherboard and also swapping the HDD to SSD, and I'm curious. Can I still install Windows 8 as an upgrade like I did before? And if yes, then how?
I have never dabbled in the installation or reinstallation of Windows 8 so far, but I am looking for information on how to re-install windows 8 onto a desktop computer that does not come with restore discs.
Now is it true that the CD-Key is stored on the BIOS? Or was that just a rumor that was floating around, I have never had true clarification on that.
If the answer is no, where would I find the CD-Key at that point?
Basically it is for a desktop computer that is no longer functioning and there were no restore discs created during original operation of the computer.
I accidentally reinstalled Windows 8.1 on a MBR partitioning style. I'm debating whether to start over and make sure I do it properly as GPT. I haven't installed any programs yet...is it worth it? (my MB is recent, supports UEFI, and im installing to an SSD).
View 3 Replies View RelatedI tried to reinstall windows 8.1 and it deleted my files I used it as a back up drive on my windows 7 pc I had 2 drives one with 7 the other 8 it ran fine when i set it up and used it a few times but the last time i was trying to boot it. It crashed so I tried to reinstall windows files but when it booted back up my files was not there i did not format to HD just reinstall windows i have the windows old files but my files are not in them i can run recovery software and see my files but before i do any thing that i can not undo I want to know is there a way to get my files back i have used recovery software in the past and only got back a few files so I am trying bypass that if I can.
View 1 Replies View RelatedI tried to run "Reset and reinstall windows" when I found out that "keep nothing" is not a clean install.
However, the reinstallation part (Windows setup, with the serial number part) starts over and over again.
I did a factory reset on my windows 8, and it messed up, not completing. so it is now stuck on a cycle of 'preparing automatic repair' and 'diagnosing your pc'.
And I today recieved the windows 8 cd to reinstall the os.
But after I've chosen language, I get error message saying I'm missing 1 of the media drivers.
Computer: alienware m14x r2 laptop
I do this day in and day out with Volume Licensing but never with OEM installs...
A user that works at our company brought their personal laptop in, the hard drive failed hard drive tests so we have put one of our spare hard drives in and now we need to re-install Windows 8 x64.
Where do i get the installation media from if the users doesn't have a disc? Is it possible or do we need to order a disc?
My Boot loader on my Desktop crashed so i formatted the drive as it was my only option. I'm attempting to reinstall windows...
-so i downloaded windows from: Upgrade Windows with only a product key as i was instructed to by the 1800 Microsoft support staff.
-made a usb installation media and used my Original Product Key. i did this on my laptop. and then once the installation media was finished i plugged it in to my desktop. it didn't work it said the product key was invalid and to please try again.
-so i called them back and the ended up giving me a new product key. i tried that with them still on the line and it didn't work their suggestion was to recreate the installation media.
- i did that this morning because i was irritated enough for one night. any way it didn't work, i noticed one thing. at the end of the creation of the installation media it keeps giving me my old product key to use.
Just to be clear because I tend to ramble a lot. this old product key is the one that i got from Microsoft when i purchased windows 8 pro. i purchased it online at microsoft.com when windows 8 first came out. i have no original installation disk because i originally downloaded some software from their site.
I dont want to buy a new copy of windows because in my opinion i shouldn't have to. What i would like to figure out is how do i create instalation media with the new product key that they gave me? every time i reinstall the install windows 8 file from Microsoft.com it for some strange reason keeps giving me my old product key and i cant seem to be able to change that.
what is the best way to install a clean version windows 8 pro without losing my files, data and programs. I want to do that because my windows 8 became so slow and takes very long time to respond. whatsoever program or browser I open, takes some time ranging 30 sec to 5 minutes!! This thing never happened before as now I get not responding message on the window of each program...
Is there a way on how to do that?
Me and my girlfriend both have recently bought new laptops that came with Windows 8 installed (HP Pavilion) but wiped the drive and installed Ubuntu straight away without booting Windows 8.
Now that 8.1 is out we want to give it a chance. I see I can download 8.1 preview from Microsoft but it comes with a product key, so I'm guessing that it will expire once 8.1 is officially released, but both laptops had Windows 8 preinstalled so they should have an embedded product key, correct?
Is is possible to install 8.1 preview and get it to use the embedded product keys, or do I have to buy a HP recovery disc and use that to install Windows 8 on both laptops, then update both to 8.1 through the store?
Also, if I was to buy a Windows 8 DVD in store (only about 20 more than a HP recovery disc), could I use that to install Windows 8 on both laptops (using the embedded product keys), and then use the product key that came with it to upgrade a family member to Windows 8?
I pay a used laptop Sony Vaio SVF 143100c from china , they install windows 8 Enterbrise and no other software or drivers
when I check I found a recovery volume on the hard disk I assign this volume and copy all the recovery content to external Hard disk, size is 18 GB
and the product key is valid for Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEMM,
I don't have a Recovery Media disk or usb to return to Factory condition, how to create a recovery disk to access tis image and re install tis laptop to Factory condition
I have never managed to get System Restore to work on Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 and always have to fall back to a backup.
I get a message indicating error code 0x80070005 and suggesting I turn off my anti-virus.
I have tried turning off my AV before running the restore but to no avail, and since the AV starts automatically I'm not quite sure how turning it off before the restore would work.
I recently tried a restore from the latest recovery point and got error code 0x80070006.
Currently i am using windows 8 pro retail version.But i want to change the retail edition of my windows 8 to volume license version of windows 8 pro so that i can activate my product with the key provided by my corporate network.How to change windows 8 pro retail to windows 8 pro vl without reinstalling windows??
View 2 Replies View RelatedI ahad updatedmy wife's laptop acer spire 5740 G from windows 7 to 8 and then updated to 8.1. She did not like os and asked me to revert back to 7. After running setup I formated the drivve C containing windows 8. But now computer doesnt boot and I tried to reinstall teh system but I cant see my hard disk- Setup runs till where do you want to install your OS and then I cant find my hard disk
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