re-reinstal

joe134

jayme1 wrote: »

when you reinstall the OS you loose everything you haven't backed up, so if you don't copy all say your music onto an external drive and then clean install you would loose all your music,
also if you say itunes activated to play your purchases and clean installed you would loose one of your activations so that's why you you deactivate itunes before you reinstall.

that's the good thing about clean installing the OS nothing is left behind - including any malware - it resets your pc back to the day you got it along with the speed it once had.

also like Wannie said you can use ACER eRecovery Management (I didn't know it was either vista or an acer) in order to restore the computer using a hidden hard drive partition, I personally would use that method over using the restore discs (assuming your computer came with vista on it) also if the hard drive recovery didn't work you can always use the CD method at any time.

if you go the CD route you can't use the hard drive recovery in future (as it would be erased) you would only be able to use the CD recovery.

actually I would use the boot recovery using these steps from the acer site.

How to recovery your system from bootup

1. Locate the Alt key, to the left of the space bar, and F10, on the top row of keys.
2. Power the system on.
3. When the system is powered on, tap the Alt and F10 keys together at the same time when the Acer splash screen appears.
   It should state "Please wait a moment..." with the Acer logo in the upper left hand corner.
4. At the eRecovery Management menu it will ask you how to restore.
5. Click on the restore option you would like to use.

Hi Yes it,s an Acer laptop and vista premium which was pre-installed and I purchased separate os discs from them at time of purchase, they were posted to me.I am trying to digest all this info as printer decided not to work, so please bare with me. Windows updates, can they be updated ALL at once after recovery?? No music on pc, but got loads of pictures, which I have backed up???? I hope successfully; So you suggest using Acer recovery first? Never done this before.

joe134

santer wrote: »

Depends what was backed up, though the downloads are not too big, and getting fresh copies now and saving them to a CDR will give you the latest versions

Have you click start then run, typed sfc /scannow (with the space) then pressed enter to check the system files.

If that runs OK, then click start then run, type chkdsk /r (with the space) then press enter, type Y to confirm for next start up, click OK, then restart the machine. This check will take ages so only run it when you do not need the PC

Have you tried an in place upgrade?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/itprovistaapps/thread/75575c7e-afc1-4f2e-977c-9105fef67e94

Triedscannow, got nothing at all , no info to say anything ?

jayme1

joe134 wrote: »

Hi Yes it,s an Acer laptop and vista premium which was pre-installed and I purchased separate os discs from them at time of purchase, they were posted to me.I am trying to digest all this info as printer decided not to work, so please bare with me. Windows updates, can they be updated ALL at once after recovery?? No music on pc, but got loads of pictures, which I have backed up???? I hope successfully; So you suggest using Acer recovery first? Never done this before.

I added the update bit to my last post. but yes you can do them in a big batch and not one at a time.

once you have everything backed up I would try the hard drive way first, (it does the exact same thing as using the discs) and if for any reason it doesn't work then you can always just use the restore discs.

joe134

jayme1 wrote: »

when you reinstall the OS you loose everything you haven't backed up, so if you don't copy all say your music onto an external drive and then clean install you would loose all your music,
also if you say itunes activated to play your purchases and clean installed you would loose one of your activations so that's why you you deactivate itunes before you reinstall.

that's the good thing about clean installing the OS nothing is left behind - including any malware - it resets your pc back to the day you got it along with the speed it once had.

also like Wannie said you can use ACER eRecovery Management (I didn't know it was either vista or an acer) in order to restore the computer using a hidden hard drive partition, I personally would use that method over using the restore discs (assuming your computer came with vista on it) also if the hard drive recovery didn't work you can always use the CD method at any time.

if you go the CD route you can't use the hard drive recovery in future (as it would be erased) you would only be able to use the CD recovery.

actually I would use the boot recovery using these steps from the acer site.

How to recovery your system from bootup

1. Locate the Alt key, to the left of the space bar, and F10, on the top row of keys.
2. Power the system on.
3. When the system is powered on, tap the Alt and F10 keys together at the same time when the Acer splash screen appears.
   It should state "Please wait a moment..." with the Acer logo in the upper left hand corner.
4. At the eRecovery Management menu it will ask you how to restore.
5. Click on the restore option you would like to use.

about the windows updates,

when you are setting up windows after the clean install it asks you if you want to install updates automatically, at that point I say no,
then after you have got into windows install the antivirus and connect to the internet and update the antivirus,
then open windows update and set it to 'notify you about updates but not download and install' and it will then check for available updates, you are right it will be a long list and therefore take a bit of time,
it will give you a long list of updates and should auto select all the relevant updates and you just need to click 'ok/next' whatever it is to start the install,
you would also be promoted to install all the service packs there are for vista (I think there are 3 though you may only have to install the 3rd not do them in order) you also have to after it has installed them reboot your computer.
after the computer has rebooted go back into windows update and check for updates and install those updates then reboot again, and keep doing it untill all the updates have gone.
then after all the updates have been done change the windows update settings to 'update automatically' (unless you want to manually do it in future)

Sorry jayme, didn,t read the updates bit, rather confused.

joe134

jayme1 wrote: »

I added the update bit to my last post. but yes you can do them in a big batch and not one at a time.

once you have everything backed up I would try the hard drive way first, (it does the exact same thing as using the discs) and if for any reason it doesn't work then you can always just use the restore discs.

Hi, I,ve located my user handbook with your advice for e-rovery in it. I am going to do another back-up now, and try e-recovery, then take it from there.:beer:

jayme1

joe134 wrote: »

Sorry jayme, didn,t read the updates bit, rather confused.

ignore the updates bit, the point is you don't have to select every one yourself, but it will take some time to finish all the windows updates, like a few hours, but you don't have to sit in front of the computer all that time just check it every so often.

reinstalling the OS always sounds way more complicated than it is, the first time I ever reinstalled the OS I was checking that I had everything backed up for about a week before I did it, now I reinstall every year.

santer_2

joe134 wrote: »

Triedscannow, got nothing at all , no info to say anything ?

It should only say about any errors, did the scan take long or did it close almost straight away?

joe134

santer wrote: »

It should only say about any errors, did the scan take long or did it close almost straight away?

Hi, It didnt show anything at all. Nothing to say it was even scanning. It,s taken me hours to try and get back online using windows repair several times. Tried turning back 5 days, just went on forever till I stopped it. I cannot comprehend why windows restore allows me on again every now and then?It says a new driver or upgrade may be problem. I installed new drivers for printer, mut I re-installed the orignals, but printer still dickie. That,s the only driver i,ve installed. Thats why I am trying to go back to before I installed it, to see if it,s that.?

santer_2

This is for a repair install which should leave your files and programmes intact, it may be worth uninstalling the printer software first, and also removing the printer from printers and devices

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

After the repair, set a system restore point and then install the printer software


[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

joe134

santer wrote: »

This is for a repair install which should leave your files and programmes intact, it may be worth uninstalling the printer software first, and also removing the printer from printers and devices

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

After the repair, set a system restore point and then install the printer software


[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

Hi santer, I,ve uninstalled printer completely. Tried Acers instructions you gave and book says, Alt/F10. Nothing happens. Looks like an instal with cd. ?