Clean Vista install WITH NO ACTIVATION

Okay. So I just received the Recovery DVD in the mail for Vista Home Premium and tried to run the disk. It loads up fine and once it starts to re-install, a command prompt pops up and i get an error stating:
"This PC is not supported by the System Recovery Discs. You will not be able to continue to recover the system with these discs."

What to do.. i tried doing the following with no success:
1. Ran the disc without formatting.
2. Ran the disc with a formatted C drive.
3. Ran the disc with Vista Home Premium installed.
4. Ran the disc with both drives formatted with no partition made.

All 3 to no avail. Anyone have any ideas? I'm thinking it might be my C drive partition size. Does anyone know the default size for the HP C drive? My laptop came with the 160gb HD.

Thanks,
Jon

 

Update: So I looked into the bios and noticed that my service tag is 0000 and not the ID displayed underneath my notebook. Is there anyway i can edit in my service tag somehow? I have a feeling it has something to do with me forgetting to back up my XRM-MS certificate or something. Does anyone have a clue at all?

 

It sounds to me like you have bad recovery discs. Did you burn the ones that were on the computer? There's no need to buy them if you have the computer with the factory install. In any case, you need to call HP and tell them they didn't work.

 

i was the one that posted the link but i didnt see any software for the fingerprint reader, just saw the drivers:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3369421&lang=en

 

Here is the link on HP's site for the software:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...softwareitem=ob-49006-1&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

 

if i burn the recovery disks after i already installed stuff, will they be on the recovery disks or will those disks still put my notebook back to factory settings?

also, is it true we only get one chance to burn them?

 

No, the discs will just put you back to factory state. Theya re just an imag of the restore partition, not your current OS installation.

Yes, they only allow you to burn them once. But once you have burned you should be able to make as many copies of that disc as you want.

 

that's not what i was worried about, i was more worried about errors during the original burning process... my notebook has been acting up lately, even though its only about 1 week and a half old... i was gonna back up everything and upgrade to ultimate from premium (got discount on ultimate for only 20 ish bucks)

after upgrading i should be fine to install drivers and software from HP website to put it back like new minus some bloatware right?

if anything goes wrong i can still use the recovery disks even though i upgraded? that's the part i wasn't very clear about

i ran a clean install of XP a week ago and it didnt go smoothly so i'm kinda worried about trying out vista clean install...

 

So I just bought an HP laptop the other day and I'm really p'ed after finding out that they dont include the discs for reinstalling - I thought the recovery disk I had the option of buying was something special aside from the discs they'd include ------ so I just read a post or so above me that I'll have one chance to burn my owns discs.....so I want to be prepared.... can I write these discs on cd's or are the files so large or is there some other reason that I should write to dvds - in which case I'll have to go out and buy some.

I love how I just saw an HP commercial that explained how much they care about their customers and such.

I'm wondering if I made an error in buying an HP - even though it was cheap as H - like I'm already annoyed and I haven't even gotten the thing.

 

it'll take a few cd's if you want to approach it that way. not sure how many though.

 

After burning the recovery discs, it will do a full verify. If the verification fails, then you can try again to burn them. There are also techniques that allow you to burn more than one set. You need to find a file called "hpcd.sys" and delete it.

I'm not sure how the upgrade process works, but there is a way to get around the "upgrade" install. You install the system once using the recovery discs, but don't input any registration code. That gives you a 30 day trial. Then you can install with the upgrade again, and that time you put in the Ultimate key. Then you'll have a full system, and then you delete the C:\windows.old folder. Whatever way you do it, you would still need the drivers from HP's site.

However, any sort of upgrade that you do is not what this guide is about, and ABR cannot help you. ABR is only for reinstalling the same version that you bought the system with. You will have to activate your upgraded version over the Internet or on the phone.

The recovery discs will bring your laptop back to exactly the same state as when you took it out of the box. It does not matter if you upgraded or did anything else to it. If it came with Home Premium, that's what you'll have if you do a recovery. Since you are upgrading to Ultimate, once that is done you can use the Vista "Complete PC Backup" to make an image of the system. You can recover from that, and won't need the recovery discs in that situation.

 

can't i just simply do a clean install of ultimate or i can only upgrade? i'm not buying the upgrade DVD but buying the full retail version of Ultimate

also, i can use that dvd to do install of home premium as long as i followed your steps right, since it has all versions of windows?

and how'd you learn all this stuff? haha very cool

 

However, any sort of upgrade that you do is not what this guide is about, and ABR cannot help you. ABR is only for reinstalling the same version that you bought the system with. You will have to activate your upgraded version over the Internet or on the phone.

orev,
(go ahead and delete this if it is a problem)
At the risk of being a troublemaker, I'm sure you know that anyone could use your guide and ABR to upgrade their Vista version for free. All they have to do is edit the serial number file created by ABR, substituting the OEM serial for the version they want to install. ABR does make it easier to do this, and the upgraded version will be pre-activated as if it were the original installed version. This could be done with a purchased upgrade or even the Anytime DVD.

 

This is typical behavior of most vendors -- they don't include media to reinstall. I have heard that some others do, but in general you don't get them. It's been that way for a while. Often, those who want to reinstall clean are also "computer guys", and have other sources for the clean install media (using the license they bought).

As far as burning your own discs, it's really the better way to do it (out of the options that HP gives you). The ones you buy from the site are not necessarily specific to your system, while the ones you burn are. To burn them, you go through a special program to do it, so you don't need to worry about burning specific files. You can use CDs or DVDs. It will take 10-11 CDs, or 2 DVDs. If you get DVDs you should get "DVD+R", as DVD-R may not work, and it also won't work with "RW" discs.

Don't get too upset until you actually get the laptop and go through the process. It's not as bad as it might sound on paper.

 

In your post you mentioned "upgrade to Vista", so I assumed you had an upgrade version/license. If you have a full version, then you can just do a regular install.

Yes, they all have the same versions of Vista, so you can install whichever you like, as long as you have the key and license for it.

 

Thanks for the info on the media I'll need!

 

just a random question, but i did everything in this guide, and i feel like i've installed all of the right drivers, but i still cant get my fingerprint reader active again.

Also, my window experience index says my windows aero is 3.5, but everything is 4.9 or above. How do i get it higher? I switched my display to vista basic rather than the normal one, but it didn't change.

I have the dv6500t, 8400gs, 160 gig, santa rosa 7500, etc.

 

did you install the software for the finger print reader?

think the 3.5 rating is due to graphics card. mine is only 3.6 but everything works fine

 

I did install the drivers for it, but what other software is there? I didn't get any discs with my laptop, so i don't know what software you are talking about.

yeah it has to be the card, oh well, everything else runs fine. I have the old setup still saved with that folder

 

look for verisoft

it'll be in one of the last few folders from the SWSETUP folder. hopefully you burned that file. if not i think someone posted a link to the software on the HP site somewhere on these forums

 

got an acer 5920G. everything worked great! got rid of all the *insert bad word* bloatware that came pre-installed. ABR worked like a charm! thank you!

 

hey, I just finished my clean install an installed all the drivers. But my quickplay buttons do not make sounds, everything works except for the master quickplay launch button and the dvd button. Also, on the expresscard remote, hitting the windows button does not start windows media center like it used to. Is there a fix for any of these problems? Oh yeah, and I'm still getting an unknown device in my device manager, i can't seem to figure out what it is, and letting it find drivers in the swsetup folder is not working.

 

Those are both connected. You need to install the quickplay button drivers in the QLB folder of SWsetup.

 

thanks orev, installed from the qlb folder and all is well. install was flawless. thanks for the guide.

 

it says the ABR file is corrupted ????

 

Download it again. No problems here.

In fact, that should always be your first step if something that you downloaded complains that it's corrupted.

 

Okay, I did it, it worked when I went back. I have a graphics score of one and sleep isnt working. Im downloading the drivers but I dont know about the sleep thing

EDIT: Im an idiot, I made the partition only 8 gigs the original drive, I have to do it again

 

you probably have a graphics score of 1 because you have no drivers loaded

 

exactly, but i still have to redo it. stupid partition

 

I bought the recovery dvd from Hp. My laptop didn't come in with a anytime upgrade dvd. Can i use the $19 dvd that I bought from hp?

 

Nope, that won't work for this method. Please see the recently added "Disc Definitions" section in the guide.

 

SO your pretty much telling me i need the Anytime Upgrade Disc from compusa or microsoft?

is there anywhere would I could download this or buy the Anytime Upgrade Disc at a local store instead of getting it mailed to me?

See I'm getting some design software installed on Friday and i'm in Orlando. I dont know how long it would take for the software to make it here. I need to finish the clean install before I can install the design software

 

see, i tried it with the recovery disk, it actually does work, just burn the SWsetup and stuff. but dont follow his instructions. I tried it and failed miserably, it says i dont have GFX card, i need the drivers.

 

so who's instructions do I follow?

 

i just popped in the disk and followed the instructions. BUT!! make the SWsetup thing, no drivers will be on there, and it is needed. thats wy i have a graphics score of 1 and sleep doesn't work

 

I mean what if i get all of the drivers, will it work flawlessly? Also what Hp laptop did you do this on?

 

Take a look at this post, where the guy figured out how to do a sort of clean install using recovery discs. From looking at the process, it looks error-prone and relies on "wedging" yourself into the automated install process at some point, but it might work.

Your best bet is to get access to an install disc. It does not matter where you get it, because you already have a license. As long as you use ABR to backup your key, you will have a full working Vista installed.

 

As long as its a Anytime Upgrade Disk will it work with any brand and model out there? LIke lets say if i found a Anytime Upgrade Disk that came with a Acer laptop would that one work with my hp?

 

as long as you have vista it will

 

Again, as I said:

Yes, they are all the same.

 

a little off topic, but would the ABR work for an OEM install of Vista i put on a desktop? I dont feel like callin microsoft everytime im installin a new HD or more ram lol

 

It depends.

1. you need to have a license for vista on that system
2. the install on the system must be a factory install. it will not work if you installed vista yourself
3. it will not work if the activation was triggered because of a hardware change. (replacing a hard drive is different, because obviously there is not OS on the new drive). However, AFAIK, adding a second hard drive or more RAM should not cause this to trigger.

 

Thanks OREV, I got a hold of the disk and now i have 20gb more than what I had when i bought it..thanks
M.R.

 

ah ok thanks orev,
yeah it was just an OEM system builder disk i put onto my new deksotp.
guess it wont work

 

Well, just posting to say I fixed my computer, I am so glad I burned that SWsetup CD, then I just installed my ATI drivers and was all set

Thank you orev!

 

Quick question.

If I have 64-bit Vista Ultimate installed, can I re-install it into 32-bit?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, it will work, but please check the license terms.

 

Update: updated ABR to beta3. No huge changes, just a few extra checks to help make sure the backup was successful.

 

Hello, I have a 32bit Home Premium, if I get the 64bit Anytime Upgrade DVD, can I do a install of a 64bit Home Premium?

EDIT 1: I think you can right? Can you plase put it in the first page, because people might ask this question again. Thanks! I read the one from 64bit to 32bit.

EDIT 2: Will this work on HP desktops too?

 

Yes, it should work to go from 32bit to 64 bit. It's also a matter of the Vista license you have, but I am not a lawyer, so i cannot tell you if you are licensed to do it.

I don't see a reason it won't work on an HP desktop with a factory install. If you do it and it works (or not), please let me know!