Reinstalling Windows

Hi, I've recently bought an aspire 1522 (80gb) and after a few days of using the preinstalled windows installation I've decided I'd like to start from scratch as even with 512mb RAM I was running very low while playing games. I erased all the partitions and created one large NTFS drive then began installing windows from my desktop xp home cd. When it came to entering the serial I copied the one stuck on the bottom of the laptop but the installer said it was invalid [:0]. I had to completly start again using the recovery disks provided and now I'm back where I started with drive formats I don't want etc etc. Is it possible to do what I originally intended?

Also, just to say thanks very much to the forum and members as I've so far found it very useful and informative.

 

I already have a version of the OS from my desktop CD installed on the desktop. I just wanted to use that CD with the laptop serial to avoid installing all the acer stuff.

 

When you used your desktop XP home cd to install in your laptop you need to put in the serial # from that cd and not the serial # from the bottom of the laptop, they are two different OS even though it's still XP.

Tony



T. Chan

Self built PC, P4 3.2Ghz HT

Acer 1681WLMi

 

As Cman said you are going to have to use the key from the CD. When you activate it, you are going to have to call Microsoft. They will let you use the disc as long as you have a valid liscence. Since you purchased a liscence with your laptop, you do.











I know things, things that could get me killed


Thinkpad T41:
* 1.6Ghz Pentium M * 768Mb Memory * 40Gb Hitachi 7200RPM * Panasonic UJ-845-B DVD+RW *

 

I think you might have a problem because I was told the Windows that comes with Acer is a combined version special to Acer. It's not a REAL version of windows. Thats why you can't instale it from the disks without getting all the bloatware too. They get a cheap deal on a simple version so they can offer it with the computer.Most manifacturers do this. I was real disapionted wit the way my TM 4000
was running. There was a lot of background noise from the sound card ect. The 60 Gig HD showed 2 x 26.3 gigs?? Where the hells my other 7?
Show I wiped it and instaled a copy of XP pro with no partitions. Man does it run better now. I only re instaled the drivers for the touch pad and power managment. You could even do away with them too. I highly recomend instaling a proper version of windows if you can get you hands on it.

 

I had a thought, when you use windows update it sends your serial to the server to verify that you're entitled to them. If the serial on the bottom isn't 'real' as such then maybe there is another one that's set by the acer installation CDs. I did a quick search on google and found a tool that is supposed to show you your real serial. Downloaded and ran it and it told me a serial that was different to the one stuck to the laptop and the one given in My Computer properties. I ran it on my desktop and it gave a serial that was identical to the one on my XP Home folder so it works. All you have to do is write down the one it gives you on your laptop and use that when you install. The tool is called keyfinder from magical jelly bean software at magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

there are 2 different numbers. When you look into System Properties (on any system) under 'registered to' - that's not the actual serial number you need to install Windows. I don't have a laptop right now but that should be the same number that is on the bottom. You will need a key finder as mentioned above to get the serial, unless you got the actual OEM cd with your laptop (like you should !) besides the recovery cds.

 

the key in properties is different to the one stuck on the laptop and I can't see any win xp cds with my lappy, just 3 acer recovery ones that use norton ghost or something to restore an xp installation with 'factory settings'.

 

Try RockXP for real serial no. and activation file.

Or nlite to make a bootable win xp cd from the i386 folder that is put on C: drive after cd recovery.

Cheers.

 

As long as the data on the Operating system CD as the one that came preinstalled you should not have any problem using the CD Key that came along with the laptop. I just did that last night and it worked.

The important thing here is they shuold be the same version. Like if you got your laptop preinstalled with WinXP SP2 then you would have to use a WinXP SP2 CD. In most cases older or different versions wouldn't work