Change your harddisk... and the recovery cd's wont work (TimelineX 5820TG)

I dont know if this is an issue with the whole TG line from Acer, but I experienced just this problem with my 5820TG.

Yesterday my harddrive broke down (WD 640GB Scorpio blue) after one and a half year in use. A bit to early if you ask me... but anyway... I was forced to get a new one. Which I did luckly get at the local comp store. Well only a 500GB this time. Same brand and type (WD 500GB, Scorpio Blue).

I started up and booted from the recovery set I had made earlier when I got the comp. Everything seemed fine until I got to the stage were Windows started to recognise my hardware.

Then a message popped up telling me: " The installationprogram can not configure windows to run with the hardware on this computer. I went like Are you kdding me?

Immidiatly called Acer, but they had no answear to my question. And told med to send the comp to service. I refused since I had a disk that worked, and said all I want was to have my OS installed, as paid for when I bought this machine.

But they had no solutions for me . I then had to use a another OS to get my comp running again.

The big question is..., is it really not possible to even change a harddrive before it prevents you from using your Acer recovery disks?? Thats just totally ridicullous.

So like when 3 years have passed...you have no guaranty left...and your harddrive dies... you're simply left to by a new OS?? Cause the recovery set will reject any new component?

Any others that have experienced this problem?

Well at least I could pick up some drivers from one of the cd's. So I didnt have to search for them at the acer page. Like for lan, atheros card etc...

Hopefully someone knows a way around this. I would like to use my acer recovery disks. Never know when me nxt disk will die again. These disks for portables doesnt seem to be the best quality... well compared to desktops. And I'm not throwing it around to much either...

 

Apparently others have also experienced the same problem.

One wrote :

"Thanks qhn. You are correct. The hard drive is failing. However, I got brand new hard drive and tried using eRecovery CD to get the system back but still got hung-up. Here are the details, and hopefully experts here can help.



Acer Aspire 5738Z

original (failed HD) WD Scorpio Blue 320 GB

new HD WD Scorpio Black 500 GB



I installed the new HD, run the recovery disks. But I got the following error message "Install Windows: Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation." during Windows setup. I am not able to pass this.



Interestingly, I was able to finish restoring the system on a smaller hard drive (OCZSSD2-1VTX30G, 30GB, SSD). So it seems that the size difference of the hard drive does not matter here, and certainly the eRecovery disks work.



I am puzzled and really frustrated. And FYI, contacting Acer tech support did not help at all. And from the above observation, I am hesitate to get a brand new WD Scorpio Blue 320 GB

to try, since the the size does not seems to be the issue.



Any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated--I want to both get my system back, and understand the underlining reason for this.



uslee"


Another:

"Don bother getting a smaller drive... I got the same sized and brand drive replaced for Aspire 4820TG and went through the erecovery disc (reset to factory defaults) and I have the same message of not being able to complete installation when the system is booting into windows. Have not been able to solve the problem. Also, I am now thinking to just installing winXP on it, but anyone knows if the touchpad would still work if I do that? Or do I need an acer software for the touchpad to work?
"


Seems like an issue from Acer this one. A rather stupid one. It all boils down to that they want you to send the pc to service if the HD dies. Nice isnt it?

I actually was about to consider bying a 640gb. Thank god I read the above words. Wouldnt have helped. Your stuck with installing Windows from another set of dvd's and license. Or have to send your comp to Acer