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    How different is Laptop reformating ?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by alber, May 19, 2008.

  1. alber

    alber Notebook Consultant

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    Hi,

    I want to reformat my girlfriend's laptop. It's a Toshiba Satellite A100. Is it different of reformating a desktop ??

    THX
     
    alber, May 19, 2008
    #1
  2. booboo12

    booboo12 Notebook Prophet

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    Not really. Just make sure that you have all your software and needed drivers ready, just like you would on a desktop.

    I'm assuming that you have a standard Windows CD/DVD and not a "recovery disk" or your not trying to use the "recovery partition" on the system's hard drive.
     
    booboo12, May 19, 2008
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  3. Bchen06

    Bchen06 Notebook Consultant

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    Yep, it's the exact same, 'cause a laptop is basically a shrunken desktop.
     
    Bchen06, May 19, 2008
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  4. shoelace_510

    shoelace_510 8700M GT inside... ^-^;

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    If you've done it on a desktop you should be good to go on a laptop. Like booboo12 said just make sure that you have everything you actually need first. >.< lol
     
    shoelace_510, May 19, 2008
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  5. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    If you`re installing from a retail copy of XP, make sure you either have SATA drivers for it or disable AHCI from BIOS.
     
    eleron911, May 20, 2008
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  6. alber

    alber Notebook Consultant

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    Thank you I'm gonna check for this ;)
     
    alber, May 20, 2008
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  7. facadegeniality

    facadegeniality Notebook Consultant

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    wats the difference between the recovery disk and normal install disk?
     
    facadegeniality, May 20, 2008
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  8. atbnet

    atbnet Notebook Prophet

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    A normal install disk would be an OEM or retail copy purchased from a store and not from the manufacturer of the laptop. The recovery disk would be a OEM copy from the manufacturer that most likely won't require you to input your serial number.
     
    atbnet, May 20, 2008
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  9. facadegeniality

    facadegeniality Notebook Consultant

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    but contents wise its essentially the same?

    i was thinking abt using my recovery disk. then make an image of the system (.iso) for other computers. that workable?
     
    facadegeniality, May 20, 2008
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  10. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    A recovery disk only works for the hardware it was sold with.
    A retail copy will work ON ANY system.
     
    eleron911, May 20, 2008
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  11. Wirelessman

    Wirelessman Monkeymod

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    Nope , very much the samething.
     
    Wirelessman, May 20, 2008
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  12. alber

    alber Notebook Consultant

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    I'm probably gonna try it soon. THX
     
    alber, May 20, 2008
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  13. Wirelessman

    Wirelessman Monkeymod

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    What OS will be you putting in it?
     
    Wirelessman, May 20, 2008
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  14. atbnet

    atbnet Notebook Prophet

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    If you made an image of the system you would run into problems on other machines since they will likely have different hardware and thus different drivers. However, if you are like a large corporation with tons of identical machines then that would work.
     
    atbnet, May 20, 2008
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  15. booboo12

    booboo12 Notebook Prophet

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    Not necessarily, the recovery disk's/partition's image will most likely come with (and install when you use it) all the added software (bloatware) that was present when you first used the computer.

    I'm not saying that Toshiba does this (Dell doesn't-they just give you standard disks) but I know that HP and a few others do too.
     
    booboo12, May 20, 2008
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  16. bubbatex

    bubbatex Notebook Deity

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    Toshiba DOES have all of the bloatware on the Recovery disks.
     
    bubbatex, May 20, 2008
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  17. lokster

    lokster Notebook Deity

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    not really different from reformating a desktop. the most important is that you have ALL the drivers and stuff. make sure u dont miss a thing. but installing XP or vista is no different than installing it from a desktop if u got the generic OS disk. some XP/Vista disks are designed only for a certain laptop and cannot be installed on another laptop
     
    lokster, May 21, 2008
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  18. facadegeniality

    facadegeniality Notebook Consultant

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    atbnet: ouh now i get it. thank u
     
    facadegeniality, May 21, 2008
    #18