How to remove Windows.old?

[Carol Haynes]

Depending on the age of the computer you might be able to find a tool for inserting a new image in the the BIOS then you could create "Curt's Computer" logo.

[Curt]

-just now, this minute, I was installing 64-bits Nitro Pdf, and was informed by Windows that "This program is not a genuine 32-bits program".

Do you see the problem? The new Dell disc is W7 64-bits, so Fujitsu VISTA 32-bits is still governing this computer! Oh, damned! I have been downloading 24/7 for three days; Will I really need to wipe it all out and begin all over? Seems like it, to me.
 

[Carol Haynes]

Sounds like a good plan - upgrades are never a good idea and even MS say side by side installs on the same disk are not advised.

Backup you data, bite the bullet and format your hard disk completely (in Windows 7 install use the tool to delete all the partitions and let it rebuild the new partitions you need so you start clean).

If it isn't a silly question how exactly did you manage to install a Dell copy of Windows 7 onto a Fujitsu computer - I though Dell windows disks looked at the BIOS for activation and would only install on Dell hardware?

[tomos]

If it isn't a silly question how exactly did you manage to install a Dell copy of Windows 7 onto a Fujitsu computer - I though Dell windows disks looked at the BIOS for activation and would only install on Dell hardware?

-Carol Haynes (March 05, 2012, 09:19 AM)

I bought a Dell copy of Win7 end of last summer and installed it on a custom built machine no problem. I've seen one Dell logo somewhere (cant remember where).

At some stage there was a court case here (.de) that said that you could install oems on any machine. I dont know did that have any influence on the actual install discs...

[Curt]

-the salesman said it would install without any questions,  and he was right.

I will need to purchase a cable to move the downloaded backup files from the desktop to the laptop - moving is faster, than downloading from Livedrive. So I must be on my way at once; it is almost closing time around here.

[Carol Haynes]

I thought OEM disks from manufacturers like Dell could only be sold to their own customers for restoring their own factory built systems and had to be customised according to the terms of the OEM license precisely to stop them being installed on other hardware.

Buying OEM disks through Amazon etc. is a different issue and they are identical to the standard retail DVDs - except the license number is encoded so that MS don't provide support.

[Carol Haynes]

-the salesman said it would install without any questions,  and he was right.

I will need to purchase a cable to move the downloaded backup files from the desktop to the laptop - moving is faster, than downloading from Livedrive. So I must be on my way at once; it is almost closing time around here.

-Curt (March 05, 2012, 09:30 AM)

If you have an external drive use Windows Easy Transfer Wizard to backup your data and then double click the package on the new computer to restore it - pretty quick way of doing it.

[40hz]

I thought OEM disks from manufacturers like Dell could only be sold to their own customers for restoring their own factory built systems and had to be customised according to the terms of the OEM license precisely to stop them being installed on other hardware.

-Carol Haynes (March 05, 2012, 09:33 AM)

That's correct. There used to be ways of getting around the vendor's hardware lock. But it was always a hassle and generally not worth it. It's also become more difficult with each post XP SP2 version of Windows to do so. So I wouldn't be surprised if it's no longer possible.

Manufacturers are also getting a lot stricter about selling restoration OS DVDs. Almost all manufacturers now require serial numbers off the computer and user registration before they'll ship you one of their disks. No name/serial match? Sorry. No disks for you!

[Stoic Joker]

I thought OEM disks from manufacturers like Dell could only be sold to their own customers for restoring their own factory built systems and had to bcustomizeded according to the terms of the OEM license precisely to stop them being installed on other hardware.

-Carol Haynes (March 05, 2012, 09:33 AM)

That's correct. There used to be ways of getting around the vendor's hardware lock. But it was always a hassle and generally not worth it. It's also become more difficult with each post XP SP2 version of Windows to do so. So I wouldn't be surprised if it's no longer possible.

Manufacturers are also getting a lot stricter about selling restoration OS DVDs. Almost all manufacturers now require serial numbers off the computer and user registration before they'll ship you one of their disks. No name/serial match? Sorry. No disks for you!

-40hz (March 05, 2012, 10:43 AM)

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7, and have used them to install on machines from all sorts of different manufacturers (Acer, HP, eMachine, etc...) and never had a problem as long as the COA was for the edition being installed...and was still legible.

Dell disks will only self activate on Dell hardware ... But they will install and activate on anything if you have a valid COA product key. Which is probably why they are so tight about giving them out (as it makes 'upgrading' rather flexible...)

[Curt]

I was installing 64-bits Nitro Pdf, and was informed by Windows that "This program is not a genuine 32-bits program".

-Curt (March 05, 2012, 08:22 AM)

hmm... always check and double-check; the Nitro installer was corrupted; not full size.
My system is 64-bits all right.

But I think I will go on and re-format and re-install.

[techidave]

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7,

-Stoic Joker (March 05, 2012, 11:34 AM)

SJ, what do you mean by cleanest?

[Stoic Joker]

SJ, what do you mean by cleanest?

-techidave (March 05, 2012, 01:17 PM)

Dell has the least amount of branding garbage added to the install disk. Basically just a single folder on the C: drive and a shortcut in the start menu.

[40hz]

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7, and have used them to install on machines from all sorts of different manufacturers (Acer, HP, eMachine, etc...) and never had a problem as long as the COA was for the edition being installed...and was still legible.

-Stoic Joker (March 05, 2012, 11:34 AM)

@SJ - Good to know. I've had Sony and Gateway disks refuse to install for me if booted on non-manufacturer machines. Same goes for a few HP and eMachine CDs I have. Wonder if that's just an anomaly I've experienced, or if they're doing something new? Also needed to order Viao disks for a client and had to get into a long phone conversation with Sony to get them because I didn't have the correct serial number they wanted about a year ago.

Maybe they're lightening up now that XP's on it's way out? (Although you did say Win 7 too didn't you?)

---

Out of curiosity...how did you get around the product activation issue?

[Stoic Joker]

Out of curiosity...how did you get around the product activation issue?

-40hz (March 05, 2012, 01:51 PM)

I didn't per se ... It just reverts to (psudo) retail behavior with a Activate Windows prompt, followed by a Rejected Product Key message that lets you enter a new key ... which I just grabbed off the COA label on the machine in question. It then activates, done.

[40hz]

Out of curiosity...how did you get around the product activation issue?

-40hz (March 05, 2012, 01:51 PM)

I didn't per se ... It just reverts to (psudo) retail behavior with a Activate Windows prompt, followed by a Rejected Product Key message that lets you enter a new key ... which I just grabbed off the COA label on the machine in question. It then activates, done.

-Stoic Joker (March 05, 2012, 02:19 PM)

Aha...

Thx. Adding it to my KB.

No hassles with GA when accessing WSUS afterwards I take it?

[Innuendo]

Yep, the branded OEM discs look for the proper SLIC in the OEM BIOS and will automatically activate if found. If not, they just gracefully revert back to the standard retail activation method & will act like a retail version of Windows thereafter.

[Stoic Joker]

No hassles with GA when accessing WSUS afterwards I take it?

-40hz (March 05, 2012, 02:23 PM)

Nope...clean as a whistle they are.