5315 Reinstall of original OS

My 5315 came with Vista Basic and I upgraded first to Home Premium and then to Ultimate (don't ask why).

I used that WindowsAnytimeUpgrade route, both times.



So, I got a new Hard Drive (160GB) and installed first XP and now I would like to install Vista.

Does anyone have any idea how to do this? From the recovery partition?

I also tried Ghosting the original install but that only caused it to get corrupted and I had to do a system restore on the original disk.

Would anyone have any resolution to this?


Thanks in advance.

DR

 

I am also doing the CPU upgrade (I have a Pink socket) with a T5450. What a great thread.

BigO is The Man!

DR

 

So you want to remove xp and put on Vista or dual-boot both OS? Do you have a recovery CDs or D2D partition?

 

tell if these statements are correct...
1) you have the original HDD,,, but upgraded the original to ULTIMATE
2) you have a second HDD that has XP on it,, and you want to delete the data and put the FACTORY OS on the new HDD (not utlimate)

if so do you have an EXTERNAL USB HDD CADDY for the "spare" HDD?

i guess the first thing we need to do is see if your origianl HDD has the PQSERVICE partition on it.... (hopefully the upgrade didn't trash it)

then we need to see if the OS upgrade REPLACED the ACER custom MBR,,, or hopefully the factory MBR is still intact.. (that is what activates the ALT+ F10)* ((not positive about that MBR thing,, but thats what i think i've read))

heres what you need to do first....

PUT the original HDD back in the laptop...

boot up into VISTA..

go into DISK MANAGMENT (see windows help for info)

look for a partition labeled PQSERVICE

DO NOT MESS WITH IT JUST LOOK AT THE PARTITIONS...

if that partition is there,,, EXIT DISKMANAGMENT.... shut down the PC ..

if it is not there .... then we go to plan B

let me know if you have that partition or not,,

later,
bigO

 

Sorry but I must have confused you all. Let me try again.

The original HD that came with the unit was upgraded first to Home Premium and then AGAIN to Ultimate. (yes, I know that was stupid)

OK, so then I get a NEW Hard Drive (160GB) and load XP on it.


Now, I would like to install the Vista that is on the original drive, onto the new drive, to be able to Dual-Boot between XP and Vista.


I tried the method of install that is noted here:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic79852.html

But it failed on the second install, saying it is not that kind of disk for the product key I entered.

I got my Ultimate Product Key from the original drive using Keyfinder.


I attempted to Ghost the original install from the original 80GB drive to the new 160GB drive and it hiccuped. Almost corrupted the original install but I got it running OK again.


So now I figure the only way to install it beside the XP, on the new disk, would be to do a complete reinstall but that would consist of first installing Basic and then doing two upgrades, a job I am not too thrilled about.



As a hypothetical situation, say I were to have a hard drive failure. How would Acer expect me to reinstall everything? Do they have disks available (for purchase no doubt)? So far I have not been able to get an answer from them.


I hope this is a bit more clear.

Thanks

DR



PS: when I was doing the Ghost I did indeed see the PQService partition. I am sensing you would tell me to install that partition on the new drive and let it recover itself? But what would happen with the existing XP install.
I am reinstalling the original HD just to confirm the partition is still there.

 

Since the laptop came with Windows Vista Basic, you can buy from ACER a recovery CD(s)/DVD(s) with Basic ONLY. So if this installation method from that forum you posted doesn't work for you, I guess you have to pass through the whole upgrade process..

You got the Vista Ultimate from ACER? On DVD?

 

yes acer has RECOVERY CDs for purchase.. i think they are about $30...

the dual boot kinda screws my plan with where i was headed...
and unfortunately i am too set in my ways to worry about dual booting...
so i can't be a great deal of help beyond that....

you might try this thread by CeeNote
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=259759

 

Yes, BigO I have a 9.76GB partition on the old disk but it does not have a name. Only "Healthy (EISA Configuration)"

Are you thinking I should put that onto the new disk, along with the XP?

DR

 

I got the upgrades from WindowsAnytimeUpgrade. The first was through Microsoft itself while the upgrade to premium was through Staples.

How could I order the recovery disks? Are they on the Acer site? (Which is a bit confusing, to say the least).


If I have to do the whole reinstall route, it may not be so bad as long as I do the upgrades one immediately after the other.

Heck, I'll give it a shot. $30 is not too bad. Of course they should be free but that's another thread....

Thanks again fellas.

DR

I hope my T5450 arrives today. I hope, I hope.

 

well i was thinking you should mirror the entire original HDD to the NEW one..

i know it involves trashing your current XP install.. but sounds like it may be the more simple way to do what you are trying

by using ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE... and totally redoing the 160 HDD.. starting with mirroring the existing partitions from the old HDD to the NEW ONE..

then make sure the VISTA portion works...

after that reinstall XP

sounds easier than reinstalling VISTA and doing 2 upgrades... and keeps ya from buying the recovery disks..(which you should still be able to make if you didn't make a set when you first got the laptop)

 

I should also be able to make an Image of the XP install, using True Image, and install that onto the new drive after installing the Vista, no?


I will need to buy True Image as the one that I have is too old and does not support SATA or USB drives (I think it is Version 6 or 7).

We have the latest Ghost (version 11) but it seems to hang with that.


OK, these are all good suggestions.

Thanks.

DR

 

unless you have spent hours and hours customizing XP it may be easier to just reinstall XP..

as far as True Image goes... you can download a TRIAL version that should allow you to use SATA and USB drives...

i'd make an IMAGE with both Acronis and Ghost just to be safe if it is that important to save the XP image

hope that helps a bit

 

I think that is what I will do. Make an image of the XP install and then try a reinstall of Vista on the larger drive and then put the image back on.

Or something in that order.....

In any case, thanks for the help and I will let you know what the end result is.

DR

 

wish i could be more help....

but i think you have a good grasp of what needs to be done