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"Derek" <Derek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:65958875-E45C-4CEC-90BA-35A406D8056B@microsoft.com...
> Ok thanks for pointing me in a good direction here.
>
> "1) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows XP and do a fresh install,
> format the HD.
>
> 2) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows Vista Bus or the upgrade,
> either
> way, you can do a clean install/format the HD. "
>
> This is what I am looking to do. Right now however im split on either XP
> or
> Vista, but thats a differant issue. Ok say I put in the XP or Vista dvd
> and
> started up my computer. Would there be a install or format hd option? I'm
> confused on how this would be done.
>
You boot the computer, and during the boot process, it should ask you to
push a certain key, like the ESC, DEL, F10 or some key, which will allow you
to go into the BIOS settings for the computer. In the BIOS settings, you set
the computer to boot off of the CD/DVD first in the boot sequence. You may
have to call your computer vendor to find out what that key is, if it's not
shown to you when you first boot the computer.
You put the CD/DVD in the drive trey, and exit out on the BIOS setup (Save
and Exit). It should show a message to *press any key to boot of the CD/DVD.
If the CD/DVD is in the trey, it will start reading/booting from the
CD/DVD. If you don't time it just right, then it will ignore the CD/DVD boot
process and fail over to the HD-hard drive and boot to Windows, which you
don't want. And you'll have to try it again. You shouldn't have to go back
into the BIOS again if you set things right and do the Save and Exit the
first time, to back to the CD/DVD and try to boot off of it.
If it is booting of the CD/DVD, you'll know it and it will eventually prompt
you to format the HD and lay down the O/S fresh.
You can go back into the BIOS after the install has completed and set the
boot sequence to boot off the HD first or you can just leave it alone and
the computer will fail over to the HD and boot by itself.
You can have Vista Bus and XP on the machine at the same time running
concurrently on the machine, and at anytime you can switch to XP.
Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
Points on the O/S, in case you need to get back to a previous version of the
O/S that was not giving you problems.
": Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
: Points on the O/S, *********in case you need to get back to a previous version****** of the O/S that was not giving you problems.
:
: > 2) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows Vista Bus or the upgrade,
: > either
: > way, you can do a *****clean install/format**** the HD. "
:
: If it is booting of the CD/DVD, you'll know it and it will eventually prompt
: you to *****format the HD******
and lay down the O/S fresh.
::
:
:
": Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
: Points on the O/S, *********in case you need to get back to a previous
version****** of the *O/S that was giving you problems*.
On the other hand, I never used a recovery on XP, ever. I don't even know
if it was turned on, if it had to be turned on. I have had to use it on
Vista, which I probably would have been in trouble because it was not
enabled on Vista, except for HP's Total Care said it was not enabled, and it
enabled it for me.
Mr. Arnold, you are being a HUGE help =). One last question, when I format
the HD, Vista will be gone, correct?
"Mr. Arnold" wrote:
>
> "Derek" <Derek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:65958875-E45C-4CEC-90BA-35A406D8056B@microsoft.com...
> > Ok thanks for pointing me in a good direction here.
> >
> > "1) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows XP and do a fresh install,
> > format the HD.
> >
> > 2) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows Vista Bus or the upgrade,
> > either
> > way, you can do a clean install/format the HD. "
> >
> > This is what I am looking to do. Right now however im split on either XP
> > or
> > Vista, but thats a differant issue. Ok say I put in the XP or Vista dvd
> > and
> > started up my computer. Would there be a install or format hd option? I'm
> > confused on how this would be done.
> >
>
> You boot the computer, and during the boot process, it should ask you to
> push a certain key, like the ESC, DEL, F10 or some key, which will allow you
> to go into the BIOS settings for the computer. In the BIOS settings, you set
> the computer to boot off of the CD/DVD first in the boot sequence. You may
> have to call your computer vendor to find out what that key is, if it's not
> shown to you when you first boot the computer.
>
> You put the CD/DVD in the drive trey, and exit out on the BIOS setup (Save
> and Exit). It should show a message to *press any key to boot of the CD/DVD.
>
> If the CD/DVD is in the trey, it will start reading/booting from the
> CD/DVD. If you don't time it just right, then it will ignore the CD/DVD boot
> process and fail over to the HD-hard drive and boot to Windows, which you
> don't want. And you'll have to try it again. You shouldn't have to go back
> into the BIOS again if you set things right and do the Save and Exit the
> first time, to back to the CD/DVD and try to boot off of it.
>
> If it is booting of the CD/DVD, you'll know it and it will eventually prompt
> you to format the HD and lay down the O/S fresh.
>
> You can go back into the BIOS after the install has completed and set the
> boot sequence to boot off the HD first or you can just leave it alone and
> the computer will fail over to the HD and boot by itself.
>
> You can have Vista Bus and XP on the machine at the same time running
> concurrently on the machine, and at anytime you can switch to XP.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...c/default.mspx
>
> Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
> Points on the O/S, in case you need to get back to a previous version of the
> O/S that was not giving you problems.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mr. Arnold, you are being a HUGE help =). One last question, when I format
> the HD, Vista will be gone, correct?
>
> "Mr. Arnold" wrote:
>
> >
> > "Derek" <Derek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:65958875-E45C-4CEC-90BA-35A406D8056B@microsoft.com...
> > > Ok thanks for pointing me in a good direction here.
> > >
> > > "1) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows XP and do a fresh install,
> > > format the HD.
> > >
> > > 2) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows Vista Bus or the upgrade,
> > > either
> > > way, you can do a clean install/format the HD. "
> > >
> > > This is what I am looking to do. Right now however im split on either XP
> > > or
> > > Vista, but thats a differant issue. Ok say I put in the XP or Vista dvd
> > > and
> > > started up my computer. Would there be a install or format hd option? I'm
> > > confused on how this would be done.
> > >
> >
> > You boot the computer, and during the boot process, it should ask you to
> > push a certain key, like the ESC, DEL, F10 or some key, which will allow you
> > to go into the BIOS settings for the computer. In the BIOS settings, you set
> > the computer to boot off of the CD/DVD first in the boot sequence. You may
> > have to call your computer vendor to find out what that key is, if it's not
> > shown to you when you first boot the computer.
> >
> > You put the CD/DVD in the drive trey, and exit out on the BIOS setup (Save
> > and Exit). It should show a message to *press any key to boot of the CD/DVD.
> >
> > If the CD/DVD is in the trey, it will start reading/booting from the
> > CD/DVD. If you don't time it just right, then it will ignore the CD/DVD boot
> > process and fail over to the HD-hard drive and boot to Windows, which you
> > don't want. And you'll have to try it again. You shouldn't have to go back
> > into the BIOS again if you set things right and do the Save and Exit the
> > first time, to back to the CD/DVD and try to boot off of it.
> >
> > If it is booting of the CD/DVD, you'll know it and it will eventually prompt
> > you to format the HD and lay down the O/S fresh.
> >
> > You can go back into the BIOS after the install has completed and set the
> > boot sequence to boot off the HD first or you can just leave it alone and
> > the computer will fail over to the HD and boot by itself.
> >
> > You can have Vista Bus and XP on the machine at the same time running
> > concurrently on the machine, and at anytime you can switch to XP.
> >
> > http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...c/default.mspx
> >
> > Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
> > Points on the O/S, in case you need to get back to a previous version of the
> > O/S that was not giving you problems.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
Derek wrote:
> Mr. Arnold, you are being a HUGE help =). One last question, when I format
> the HD, Vista will be gone, correct?
Correct.
Alias
>
> "Mr. Arnold" wrote:
>
>> "Derek" <Derek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:65958875-E45C-4CEC-90BA-35A406D8056B@microsoft.com...
>>> Ok thanks for pointing me in a good direction here.
>>>
>>> "1) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows XP and do a fresh install,
>>> format the HD.
>>>
>>> 2) You can buy a install CD/DVD for Windows Vista Bus or the upgrade,
>>> either
>>> way, you can do a clean install/format the HD. "
>>>
>>> This is what I am looking to do. Right now however im split on either XP
>>> or
>>> Vista, but thats a differant issue. Ok say I put in the XP or Vista dvd
>>> and
>>> started up my computer. Would there be a install or format hd option? I'm
>>> confused on how this would be done.
>>>
>> You boot the computer, and during the boot process, it should ask you to
>> push a certain key, like the ESC, DEL, F10 or some key, which will allow you
>> to go into the BIOS settings for the computer. In the BIOS settings, you set
>> the computer to boot off of the CD/DVD first in the boot sequence. You may
>> have to call your computer vendor to find out what that key is, if it's not
>> shown to you when you first boot the computer.
>>
>> You put the CD/DVD in the drive trey, and exit out on the BIOS setup (Save
>> and Exit). It should show a message to *press any key to boot of the CD/DVD.
>>
>> If the CD/DVD is in the trey, it will start reading/booting from the
>> CD/DVD. If you don't time it just right, then it will ignore the CD/DVD boot
>> process and fail over to the HD-hard drive and boot to Windows, which you
>> don't want. And you'll have to try it again. You shouldn't have to go back
>> into the BIOS again if you set things right and do the Save and Exit the
>> first time, to back to the CD/DVD and try to boot off of it.
>>
>> If it is booting of the CD/DVD, you'll know it and it will eventually prompt
>> you to format the HD and lay down the O/S fresh.
>>
>> You can go back into the BIOS after the install has completed and set the
>> boot sequence to boot off the HD first or you can just leave it alone and
>> the computer will fail over to the HD and boot by itself.
>>
>> You can have Vista Bus and XP on the machine at the same time running
>> concurrently on the machine, and at anytime you can switch to XP.
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...c/default.mspx
>>
>> Whatever you do with either O/S, make sure you activate Recovery Restore
>> Points on the O/S, in case you need to get back to a previous version of the
>> O/S that was not giving you problems.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
"Derek" <Derek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:945DA888-4980-4046-9175-81E350B14564@microsoft.com...
> What I meant was that the version of Windows is not activated. And what is
> really bad is that this is a custom built computer.
>
Windows is not supposed to be activated until you the customer takes
possession of the computer and activates it. Microsoft requires this as part
of the OEM install process. You should have received a sticker that is
affixed to the side of your computer with the product ID and serial number
and you should have received the installation media. If not then you need to
go back to your computer builder and make sure you get your sticker and
installation media. If they do not get this too you then you can turn them
in and get their business shutdown by contacting MS. Both are required to be
given to you by your computer reseller. The only caveat is the big PC makers
get away with not handing out OEM media for some reason....
Linear Mode
