How to run eisa?

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

Hey guys, couple days ago my hdd of my laptop went dead seems it got tons of bad sectors and stuff. -> can't boot annymore or recognize the disk from time to time =c. I bought a new hdd but the problem is I can't find the backupdisk i made from the factory mode.
Now I coppied my partition table from my old hdd to my new. And did a dd_rescue from the eisa partition the the new partition.
But when i boot the pc with the new hd it just doesnt start the windows install stuff and just says missing operating system...
Does anny1 has a clue how i can tell to my computer to run the eisa?

I also coppied the partition to another external in the hope I could just brun it on a disk

But i guess it doesn't work that simple.
I'm out of options so please help

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

Hi lightladder,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

Recovery partitions all are different from each other. I know of none that just start automatically (or it would wipe your main partition all the time - LOL!). Some require the primary partition to be working in order to use the recovery partition as the controls to activate it are contained there - in which case you may need to purchase recovery disks from the manufacturer. But I need to know more to maybe help you.

First, what is the manufacturer, make and precise and complete model of your computer? If you can post a link to the precise computer in the support section (preferably yours if you can access that with your serial number or service tag number or whatever), that would help me a lot. Also, what version of Vista is it (e.g., 32-bit Vista Business SP2)?

Second, I'm not certain if the issue has to do with needing drivers for the new hard drive (as the Recovery software is going to assume it's the same hard drive and install drivers for the old hard drive unless there is some way to override that). But probably not because you don't seem to be even getting to that point. Hopefully the website will contain that information.

And how did you copy the Recovery Drive to the partition on the new hard drive? Was it a clone of the partition or merely a copy/paste of the data on it?

Thanks and good luck!

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

Merry Christmas

The method that I would use is to contact the manufacturer of your computer and with the Key Number they will send you an install DVD for about $25.00. You can reinstall the entire OS, without spending a lot of time looking for a process that may not work.
There are some computer manufacturers that actually advertise the sale of these CDs for the price that I mentioned. I am not sure, however if the CD would work on another brand of computer. The manufacturer may have made it only for the particular brand that they make (dont know.)
In any event you have choices, make the one that is right for you.

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

K to start - It is an Acer Aspire 7738g with a windows 32bit profecional.
And i'm not really talking about the drivers for the harddrive but about the drivers of the other hardware in the laptop. And the standard installation stuff.
I coppied the recovery drive (on my old disk 3rd partition) to the new drive using dd_rescue in a portable ubuntu. So its literally cloning the sectors to the new disk. And since my new disk is the same size, I coppied the partition table. So that should be working fine.

And it seems the eisa partition has some kind of ... abstract installation of windows? I was thinking it had some kind of installer stuff and other stuff like that. Seems i'm wrong :S. My best option now would be like you said buy the recovery disks. Since I can't find the 1 I made.

But isn't there anny way to install it again from the eisa partition? First time you boot ur laptop when nothing is installed its that file that boots? or am I wrong?

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

richc46 said:
Merry Christmas

The method that I would use is to contact the manufacturer of your computer and with the Key Number they will send you an install DVD for about $25.00. You can reinstall the entire OS, without spending a lot of time looking for a process that may not work.
There are some computer manufacturers that actually advertise the sale of these CDs for the price that I mentioned. I am not sure, however if the CD would work on another brand of computer. The manufacturer may have made it only for the particular brand that they make (dont know.)
In any event you have choices, make the one that is right for you.

yeah i guess i'll have to do that. Problem is it might take some time

. Considering its acer =c. Especially during holidays. And my exams start 10janu xD. I was just hoping I could fix it myself

(since i'm a IT network - systemadmin studen my pc is like .... a extra leg for me especially during exams :S. I would be screwed without it

)

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

Can you use the old hard drive at all?
If so you can still access your stuff and even save to a friends extra computer for a short time, interested? We can use Ubuntu.

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

well the old drive is like ... semi toaster or something

. When I use it to boot my pc. It just hangs at scsdisk.sys
I can't mount it in ubuntu or knopix, and even when i plug it on to a icy box it can't be indentified. Only way to like semi access it was to use ubuntu and a dd_rescue -> copy clusters over to another hd.
What I think is that the controller from the hd is broken =c. I imaged some of the data to another hd which I can access with a recover data program.
I might be able to try and copy the main parttition of the old disk to the new disk. Doing the same like I did to the external (U can't access data there normally since he prompts me to format that partition <.<)
But i'm somewhat afraid that it might mess up the new disk. (bad clusters will be ignored, but I cant prove for 100% that it is the disks controller)
If you know what i'm trying to say xD sry for my bad english :S

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

I understand what you are trying to say, in fact that I think that you speak very well.
In any event, without the use of the old HD, I would be reluctant to give advice that may cause you have even bigger problems
I have to go with my idea about buying the CD. Unfortunately, you are correct with the holidays the DVD will not reach you until well into the exam period
As an alternative, you can buy an upgrade Seven for about $150.00 and then visit www.sevenforums.com, where we can help you install.
Perhaps another forum member can offer more help
Try to enjoy the holidays, things like this have a way of working out.

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

Are we sure this laptop can be upgraded (or clean installed) to W7 since we received and have no information about the computer? Mine, for example, cannot be upgraded for several hardware reasons - so this solution would leave me with a W7 upgrade package I could not use (and probably could not return or get refunded and worse off than I was before). I know we can't run Upgrade Advisor at this point. But shouldn't we at least check the computer site to see if it has anything to say about the ability to upgrade it to W7 before buying an upgrade that may not work and may not be returnable?

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

Lorien said:
Are we sure this laptop can be upgraded (or clean installed) to W7 since we received and have no information about the computer? Mine, for example, cannot be upgraded for several hardware reasons - so this solution would leave me with a W7 upgrade package I could not use (and probably could not return or get refunded and worse off than I was before). I know we can't run Upgrade Advisor at this point. But shouldn't we at least check the computer site to see if it has anything to say about the ability to upgrade it to W7 before buying an upgrade that may not work and may not be returnable?

same problem here. I have some hardware stuff that aren't supported by w7 (yet?)
thats why i'm still running under vista xD. I still got a windows basic lingering around, so If I would order a backup disk, I could at least work while waiting for it.
But like Lorien says, w7 is not an option for me =c

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

If you do decide to upgrade you should be sure that your specs meet those required for Windows 7.
These are the bare minimum reqirements
Windows 7 System Requirements

If your computer is old there may be a problem with hardware etc
I did not mention any of this in my prior post, since you seem to have much more than a baisc understanding of computers and you mention that you do have some educational background; but Lorien did make a good point be sure.

EDIT I see that you posted on this

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

It seems that Vista Basic is the solution (you'll have 30 days before you need to activate if you don't have a product key to go with the disk) until the disks arrive (and be sure you confirm you can use these disks with this new hard drive and how it is done before you buy them). If not, your only other choice (other than to stick with Vista Basic assuming you have a valid Product Key for it so it can be activated) is to find a genuine Vista Installation Disk (is the Vista Basic disk a genuine Vista Installation Disk?) of the same bit-size (as these disks contain all versions of Vista) and use that with your original product key to reinstall and activate the system (and then make a copy or two of the disk to keep for future emergencies).

Of course, you will lose all your data, but given what you've already tried and what you are unwilling to try and the options that are now being considered, that seems inevitable anyway.

I'm sorry we couldn't be of more assistance.

Good luck and best wishes.

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

can i install the basic and use the key of my premium to update it? and yes its a genuine disk with its own key. It was the update from my main pc but that 1 is using windows 7 now. And does the harddrive really affects if it works or not ? The driver and controller for a hd is imbedded on the print of the hd, so the backup might not be a problem. Or am I wrong?

Well at least the basic is ok. Same size, and indentical partition table. And the data lose isn't a nightmare xD. I'll only lose 2weeks of schoolwork (some can be recovered). And I think I can recover some from an image of my disk I made (it seems dd_rescuing ur disk doesn't require the controller to work, and it skips read errors from bad clusters so it will keep on running). It was full of bad clusters, but most off the data should still be intact.

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that all the DVDs are the same. It is the key that determines what edition that you will have installed.
It seems to be true with Seven
http://www.neowin.net/news/make-a-universal-windows-7-disc-with-ease
FYI also with Vista
http://jimcofer.com/personal/?p=6119

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

Richard was responding as I was typing. I believe he is correct, which is why I asked if the Vista Basic disk was a genuine Vista Installation Disk. I'm not 100% certain about it being an upgrade disk versus a full install disk, but I think even that doesn't matter if you have the correct product key. This will NOT work with an OEM installation disk - it has to be a genuine Vista Installlation Disk from Microsoft.

I think it is certainly worth a try - the worst that happens is that it doesn't work. If you do get it installed and have activation problems, then use the manual activation procedure. To manually activate, go to start, search box and type in slui 4 and enter. Enter your country and press next. You'll be on a screen with a phone number and a bunch of codes at the bottom. Call the number and wade through the automated prompts until you reach a human. Have your product code handy as it will be requested. Explain the situation and it's only installed on that one PC. They should give you a code to enter on that screen to activate Vista.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

richc46 said:
I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that all the DVDs are the same. It is the key that determines what edition that you will have installed.

Hmmm I see, kinda strange but might be true, most software you download is a full edition to, some parts are just locked until u provide a key.
I could give it a try,
time to find my booklet in my messy room .... xD. Cause the sticker on the laptop is like ... unreadable

.
Some of the drivers for my hardware can be downloaded from the acer site. So at least I could get it up and running.

And at Lorien.

(and be sure you confirm you can use these disks with this new hard drive and how it is done before you buy them).

Is a hard drive really a limmiting factor for those disks? For as far as I know, you can use a recovery disk even on an external disk and mount from there?.

richc46 · Dec 25, 2010

Its true
Confirmed by Lorien and links that I added to my posts

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

lightadder said:
And at Lorien.

(and be sure you confirm you can use these disks with this new hard drive and how it is done before you buy them).

Click to expand...

Is a hard drive really a limmiting factor for those disks? For as far as I know, you can use a recovery disk even on an external disk and mount from there?.

IMHO, you should be fine - I'm just being a bit over-cautious because I don't want you to run into ANY more problems.

lightadder · Dec 25, 2010

Haha I see

. Well thx a lot for the hints and tips guys :D.
First ima try to run from my external disk. I coppied the eisa partition and the main partition from my old disk. Running though some of the data from the eisa i discovered the boot.ini document. That 1 points to the location of the partition to where it starts from. Since I only coppied 2 partitions to it (left out the system recovery ? the 1 that windows makes for saving the 'in dutch' systeemherstel files. So if I edit the boot.ini and saved enough files, i might be able to run it and make a new backup disk.

Otherwise i'll do the basif - professional install thingy :D

Thx a lot guys ^ ^. I'll let you know how it works out

Lorien · Dec 25, 2010

It was our pleasure - I hope it all works out and please do let us know (I'm now certainly curious).

Best wishes and Merry Christmas.

How to run eisa?

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