Friday 24 January 2014

Windows 7 Reinstall

I have had to do a re-install of windows on my laptop. Most new computers come with a version of windows pre-installed on the recovery partition on the hard drive. On switch on the computer will also prompt you to create a recovery disc, the first time it boots up.  So if you've done so then you can boot from the disc and restore the system. 

But like me, a lot of people skip this step either because they don't have a blank disc to hand, their PC doesn't have an optical drive or they're just feeling lazy. If you skipped this, you won't therefore have a recovery disc handy when things go wrong.

The problem with recovery partitions, is that one of the most common causes of PC problems is a failed hard drive. This means that in most cases if the worst happens the recovery partition will have gone AWOL, along with the rest of your data.

You can find the following Windows 7 versions to download on Digital River:
Once you've downloaded the appropriate ISO file from Digital River you can burn it to a DVD to create an install disc. Downloading like this has the added advantage that you get a version with the latest service pack rolled in, so you save time on doing updates once the install is done. Check the licence key label on your computer to ensure you get the right version of the OS for your system before you start to download. You will also need the windows licence key off the windows sticker. Make sure you have a note of your licence key handy - on laptops it's often written on a label underneath, making it hard to read and type in at the same time.

Because you've installed from full version media using an OEM key, you probably won't be able to activate Windows automatically afterwards. That's not a problem, you'll just have to use the telephone method. This will mean a few minutes dealing with an automated system, but it's a free call to get a code, then you'll be good to go.

Later....
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please put your name to your comment. Comments without a name may automatically be treated as spam and might not be included.

If you do not wish your comment to be published say so in your comment. If you have a tip or sensitive information you’d prefer to share anonymously, you may do so. I will delete the comment after reading.