Reinstalling Vista w/o using recovery disks?

[STU9000]

Going to wrap things up with this now, I've done everything I can. It's set up for remote access so anything else can be done remotely if necessary.

Anyway I ran another sfc /scannow after trying to set it up to create recovery disks and it threw up some errors. sfcdetails attached. Not sure if this will cause any problems though and don't know how to deal with it if it does...?

 

[STU9000]

Just about to try a complete reinstall on my aunts computer, a 5 year old desktop E3408 eMachine. Anyone know how I can tell which version of Vista to install? I still have SP1 disks. Also do I need a BIOD password for this? I guess I'm about to find out.

 

[richc46]

If you want to know the Vista version that you have now:
If you have a computer Icon on your desktop, right click and then properties. It will show your current version.
If you do not have a computer on the desktop, type computer in search by the start button and then right click and then properties. This is an alternate method that gets you to the same place.
If you cannot do the above, put your CD in the computer, be sure to boot from the CD.
Then when asked for the product Key number, insert it. You should be given the correct version of Vista.
Dont forget the most important step. Have a great Holiday Season.

 

[STU9000]

Don't I need to install sp1 before sp2 anyway? It's so slow this computer, complete mess. I hope I don't need a bios password. AOL and McAfee are to blame i think, whole thing is grinding. it's probaby best if I just reinstall everything from scratch.

 

[richc46]

Yes, you must install SP1 before SP2, but I dont think that this changes what I stated in my earlier post.
If you have a DVD with SP1, it should have all the versions. The correct one should be released when you give your product Key Number
You can determine the correct version, beforehand, but using the My Computer Icon as I mentioned, earlier.

 

[STU9000]

DVD drive is also jamming so need to take a screw driver to it before anything.

 

[STU9000]

Yes, you must install SP1 before SP2, but I dont think that this changes what I stated in my earlier post.
If you have a DVD with SP1, it should have all the versions. The correct one should be released when you give your product Key Number
You can determine the correct version, beforehand, but using the My Computer Icon as I mentioned, earlier.

Got it. SP1. Just fixed the door on the ODD, hoping I don't need a bios password like last time I tried this.

 

[STU9000]

Tried booting it from the DVD by pressing F10 and going into the boot menu but it just boots from the HD..???

 

[richc46]

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/205005-boot-priority-change.html

 

[STU9000]

Thanks just looking at that page right now as it happens. BIOS?CMOS menu is different though is it possible that I need a supervisor password?

 

[richc46]

It is possible that you need a BIOS password. If you do it would have been created by the owner of the computer.

 

[STU9000]

How can I tell? I'm still working on the problem with getting it boot from the dvd.

It just le me change the password, a six digit one so I can only assume there was no possword in the first place.

 

[STU9000]

Set it to boot from DVD in the menu and still it wont boot. Do I have the files burned right to the disc, maybe they need to be in a folder...?

 

[STU9000]

This is just not working, nothing I do will make it boot from the DVD drive it just keeps booting from the C!

 

[STU9000]

XXXXXXX it this is the second time I've tried to do this and it's turned out to be a pain in the XXX/undoable!

 

[richc46]

Two main reasons that it will not boot
Defective or not burned properly CD
or
Defective computer
When you try to boot, do you receive a notice, that the computer will boot from the CD in so many seconds?

 

[STU9000]

No notice like that. am I using the right files? These are the files I burned, which I think are the ones i was going to use last time.

boot.wim
install.wim
X14-63452

 

[STU9000]

Well it looks like I'm just going to have to uninstall all the crapware again and reinstall everything, which will probably take all night and all day tomorrow seeing as it's going irritatingly slow and McAfee and AOL keep opening up and grinding the whole system to a halt...

 

[STU9000]

Fantastic, prompted me to reinstall after I uninstalled some crap and now I can't get back into windows without going through start up repair which is taking forever. Tried f8>safe mode, still went into it. What a mess...

 

[richc46]

All those problems definately mean that you booted from the C drive. Check your owners manual for the way to change the BIOS password, then you could boot from the CD.