Solved What if I don't have my recovery discs to restore my notebook?

G

gregcontinental

New Member
Hi all,

I was hoping to get some assistance with a problem I have. My ASUS u81's hard drive was recently corrupted, and as such I need to replace the drive. I am running Windows Vista Home Premium. The only problem is I don't know if I'll be able to find my recovery discs when the time comes to boot the machine (it's been years since I created them, having first booted the laptop almost four years ago). Is there a way to restore the machine and get it up and running without these discs, without having to buy new Vista install discs? Thanks in advance for the help.

Greg
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Asus u81
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHz
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel GMA 4500MHD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14.0" Widescreen
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Thanks for the ridiculously quick response, Rich. One follow-up and probably-annoying question: do you mean the key indicated on the sticker on the machine itself? Because, well, to be perfectly honest that number faded off the sticker to a pretty illegible point. Is there somewhere else I can find this product key?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Asus u81
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHz
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel GMA 4500MHD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14.0" Widescreen
There are no annoying questions. We are all volunteers happy to help everyone regardless of their level of expertise.
As I mentioned in my first post, the original hard drive, may have had a restoration partition, but that would be gone if you replaced the hard drive.
There is software, "Magic Jelly Bean" that can get the old key number from the hard drive, but that too would be gone.
If you cant find the key number the only other suggestion is that you buy an upgrade version of Windows Seven. The upgrade version is much cheaper than the full retail and, we, at the Forum can show you how to install it just like the full cost, retail copy. Im sorry buddy, but my answers are limited by the facts.
If you want we can test your computer to be sure that it can Handle Seven.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Alright thanks, I'll get back to you and the forum when my laptop is ready to go with the new hard drive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Asus u81
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHz
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel GMA 4500MHD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14.0" Widescreen
Can I ask what the corruption was?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
To be perfectly honest, I don't know what did the hard drive in, but I had been experiencing trouble accessing the HD pretty frequently--often when I would try to save or open a file in MS Office, the program would often freeze, as it would when I would try to attach something to an email or download from my browser. Always extremely frustrating.

So I took the machine into Geek Squad, and they ran a hardware diagnostic test and the hard drive failed fairly quickly, so it was sent in to have the drive replaced. Waiting on getting it back now. And therein lies the potential complication that I'm not sure I'll be able to locate my recovery discs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Asus u81
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHz
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel GMA 4500MHD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14.0" Widescreen
I thought if the old hdd would still spin, you could connect it along with the new hdd and be able to read it. However, you would need to install Vista on the new hdd. That would be difficult with a notebook, if not impossible. Since the old hdd won't spin up, it's a mute point.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
Yes if the hard drive won't spin up any programs i have to find your activation number and save it to a file won't be any use to you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Thinkpad T400
    CPU
    Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz
    Motherboard
    LENOVO 64734VM
    Memory
    2.00GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 531MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Sound Card
    Conexant 20561 SmartAudio HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1280 x 800
    Hard Drives
    1x 180GB Intel 530 series SSD 1 x 120GB Hitachi 5400rmp 1 x 650GB Western Digital Elements 5400rpm 1x 1Tb Western Digital Elements 5400rpm
    Internet Speed
    Medium for New Zealand
    Other Info
    Weakest part of my computer is the graphics chipset. Only ever used a laptop. Also use USB Freeview TV Card Lenovo Docking Station External Speakers Other bits a pieces as needed
umm lol i kinda noobed out and deleted my Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 / 2.1 GHz software... all of it. and now i cant do much... so i need help getting it all back i cant find it anw were
 

My Computer

System One

What actual software are you talking about?

How did you delete it?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
well in this case i went through the control panels option to ubdate driver software when i uninstalled it completeley but the base files for it were uninstaled by the controle panels option to add/remove programs. if you need more info or have the awnser my email is below.



[email protected]
 

My Computer

System One

I still don't know what you uninstalled, even in control panel, programs and features.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
never mind its fine. thank you. i eventualy found the driver at intel.com, but to let you know i uninstalled the intel chipset family for my cpu. lol i couldn't tell what you were asking.
 

My Computer

System One

It's one of those cases where I couldn't figure out what software you uninstalled in post #10 and, I guess, you didn't understand what I asked.

No big deal.

I'm glad everything is working now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
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