Error Reinstalling Win7 on Asus ROG G53SW

Hey All,

My particular ROG laptop came with a single 500GB harddrive, so I always had plans to purchase an SSD seperately put a fresh install on it to get away from the bloatware and then reinstall and reformat the original 500GB drive. So I watched a VERY helpfull video on youtube on how to properly get to your harddrives. I removed the original drive and set it to the side. Intact and backed up previously using the Asus archive software to 6 DVD's.....just in case. I installed the SSD only, got into BIOS (which was a journey in itself. No where I could see in Asus documentation did they tell you which key to press to enter the BIOS. It's F2 by the way...) made sure AHCI was on instead of IDE and then went onward. Asus does not provide a recovery disk anymore, just a driver disk. So I carefully wrote down the Microsoft Product ID for Win 7 Home Premium. On another computer build, I had purchased previously a Win 7 64-bit Ultimate license/install disk full version. In the past, I've installed "lesser" versions of Windows using a disk like this, but of course entering in the proper product ID number. And Windows has always installed the correct version. This time was different....During the install when I was entering in the product ID I got an error saying that the Windows SKU was wrong. It let me go ahead and install the OS. After getting in the installed system, I tried to enter in the correct Product ID key again. It then gave me an error that the ID I had entered was for a different version of Windows. It was at that point I noticed that the install disk had gone ahead and installed full blown Ultimate on my drive. Which of course is wrong. So now my question, and I think I know part of the answer. Since the install disk defaulted to Ultimate, and I have a Home Premium ID, I'm going to have to re-format and re-install the drive. However, before I go down that road I'm worried I'm just going to get that error again and be right back in the same shape. I called Microsoft activation to get some clarification. They verified that the Product ID on my laptop is valid and is OEM with Asus. But then the operator told me that to install Home Premium I HAD to have a Home Premium install disk......Now I've been building computers since 1988. I've had every flavor of Windows except ME and NT that I've used to build new systems. My experience tells me that what she told me is not correct as I've done the exact same thing with a Vista 64-bit install. But is Win 7 different?

I appreciate any helpful comments, and thanks for reading this long post!

Cykoth

 

What she told you is incorrect. The install discs have all versions of Windows 7 on them. It's the product key that unlocks whatever version you purchased.

I've read, a year ago, around here that the product key on the bottom of the machine isn't necessarily the key used to activate. There's a tool for doing clean installs that captures your true product key and you can use that to activate. Sorry, I don't remember the name of it though. I'm sure another person happening upon this thread will. Or, perhaps a search of NBR will yield the results.

Good luck.

 

Well. After speaking with both MS and ASUS customer support, and after reading some more forums, I've learned that with Win 7 anyways there IS a difference in your install CD. Apparently, there is a Universal install disk that is different from the Specific install disks (ergo Ultimate versus Home Premium). Now what you say may be totally true, but in my specific case I'm going to be forced to purchase the Asus Recovery CD (with Home Premium on it) for $50. That's the only way I'm going to get a clean install on my new drive. My AI recovery disks did not work, I got an error code 1029 when attempting to use them. Research showed some forum posts stating that a hidden partition was either not restored correctly, was not there and needed to be, or some combination. So....Asus has screwed me into having to buy this Recovery CD for the privledge of me having my OS and applications the way I want them. Such is the minefield of owning a laptop where so many things are locked down in comparison to building a desktop. Oh well, at least I got a really good deal on my initial purchase. And when I'm done I'll have a VERY nice laptop for the price......it's just that price included my frustration and time. But isn't that part and parcel of computers?



Cykoth

 

There is another way, will save you $50 and it is legal, the thread below has download links for all versions of windows in a variety of languages. As I said all links are legal. The only thing you won't have is the drivers for the hardware on your machine, but this can be easily located on the Asus website, or the hardware manufacturer itself, also, the software that originally came with the machine won't be there, but that can be a good thing

http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages.html

You can burn the ISO to a DVD, or copy it to a USB stick and your good to go.

 

So, what you're telling me is that ASUS does not provide a method for you to create your own recovery discs? Are you also saying that they didn't provide a recovery partition? Or was it that the partition isn't functioning? Are you still working from your factory install from ASUS, or is the setup currently fubar?

If you still have the functioning factory install of Windows, use ABR Activation and Restore to capture the activation:
ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us
If you don't have that factory install (ie: gone cuz you tried to clean install) AND the ASUS partition isn't working as intended, THEN I'd give ASUS a call and demand the discs for free. Of course, I wouldn't mention the whole clean install failure part. I'd just mention that you tried to recover from the partition and it is failing. Demand them to make good on their product.

I don't think this is an issue of getting a copy of Windows to install, but getting said copy to be activated.

 

Reading the posts, OP was only able to get ultimate installed, and obviously, having a Home Premium key, this wouldn't work. Recovery disks did not work (possibly because of a new SSD without the recovery partition on it), and has been duped into spending $50 buying the Asus recovery disks.

Downloading the Home Premium ISO will save the OP $50, and will be able to install windows without a glitch and bloatware free, hence the reason I posted the links.

 

Sorry if there was misunderstanding. Asus provides an archival system called AI System Restore. Asus no longer provides any OS Recovery disks, but they do provide a Driver/Application restore disk. I did create an set of Recovery DVD's using the Asus software on the drive that came with the computer. When I attempted to use these disks on the new SSD I installed the end result was a failure with an error code 1029. From other posts this error code appears to be a partition mismatch of some sort, that's all I know as there is no documentation from Asus for the exact description of the code. Since I don't have a Universal Win 7 install disk I've been forced to purchase the Asus Recovery Disk from their e store for $50, as this contains the Home Premium flavor of Win 7 I have a product key for.

Hope that clarifies

Cykoth

 

Of course my timing is perfect....in frustration I bought that recovery CD and THEN came back to see your post with links. Oh well, I've been duped. Thank you for that link by the way! I'm downloading it now.

Cykoth

 

Ah, nightmare, anyway of getting a refund from Asus, tell them you've sorted the problem or something?

 

Asus Error With Install Using Original Disks? Try Low Level Format Then Install.

 

I am having almost the identical problem.. I installed a new SSD in bay 1 (replacing the existing HD, which I moved to bay 2). I tried using Acronis True Image, after backing up the hidden partition and the C drive from the old HD, but the install would not work.. ie, it completed, but the hidden partition did not restore, and I did not have a bootable SSD.

So, I elected to just restore just the C drive to the new SSD. That worked, provided only the SSD drive was installed. After testing the boot up, I then powered off, reinstalled the old HD into bay 2, and deleted the C drive contents on it. But, after a week or so, I began having unexplained problems, and elected to do a factory restore. Since the new SSD did not have the hidden recovery partition, I had to use the AI Recovery DVDs I had created before starting all this mess.

On my first attempt, the recovery worked fine, but for some reason gave me an error, "Runtime error: d:\windows\system32\nvvsvc.exe". Strange, because there should have been no system files left on the D drive (the old C drive in bay 2, which I had deleted the OS partition).

Next, I removed the old C HD (D drive now in bay 2) and tried the recovery again. It failed on the last disk with the 1029 error. Initially I thought there was a problem reading disk 5, so I made a copy of it on another system, and tried the recovery again - only to have the same 1029 error.

There was a comment here that I need to go to ASUS and buy the recovery DVDs. However, in my mind, those should be exactly the same as the DVDs I had created with the ASUS AI recovery tool. And if so, I figure it will give me the same 1029 error, but cost my another $50.

So what is the solution? How do I get the factory preload onto my new SSD? I don't really care if the hidden recovery partition is there, as long as I have a set of working recovery DVDs.

And yes, I know I can do a clean windows install and load up the ASUS drivers afterwards, but I tried using that disc a while back to restore functionality to my Function Keys, and it did not work. So I would rather use the official ASUS factory preload.

(btw.. if anyone is interested, DO NOT remove the preloaded Oberon games software - it will remove the Function Keys functions.)

Help! Please!