The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Any way to reinstall windows 7 starter?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by bolen, Mar 13, 2010.

  1. bolen

    bolen Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just bought a gateway netbook about 6 weeks ago. I originally had windows 7 starter on it but a friend suggested i try ubuntu. I did, and the Ubuntu os is good and all, but it freezes alot and i am unable to use some programs that i had no problem with on the windows OS. I have the authentication number on the bottom of the computer, but as it is a netbook i have no re installation disc. How could i go about reinstalling windows 7 starter? I did not make a back up disc with the os.
     
  2. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

    Reputations:
    1,312
    Messages:
    3,433
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    106
    Your notebook should have a hidden restore partition. Just restore from that.
     
  3. Joel

    Joel coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee

    Reputations:
    1,059
    Messages:
    1,663
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Yeah, the Netbook should have a hidden partiton for backup, depending on what type depends on how you get to it.
     
  4. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    If you formatted the drive during the installation - and not just the partition you installed Ubuntu on, then the recovery partition is most likely gone.

    You should have had the ability to burn recovery discs... if you didn't...

    Call up Gateway and buy a recovery disc from them...

    PS: Just to make sure, read the manual which key you need to hit immediately after POST to attempt a recovery - if its still there then you're lucky and can use that.
     
  5. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

    Reputations:
    1,312
    Messages:
    3,433
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    106
    But when he formats, wouldn't it just format the volume that he has selected for the Ubuntu install, which would only be the partition of the drive, not the whole drive?
     
  6. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Depends on what he selected.

    I know windows can do both.

    Now I know Suse can install to unallocated space - but as I mentioned - depends what the OP selected and did.
    If he was lucky he kept the recovery partition, or maybe he didn't.