Windows Vista forum: installing windows with a computer with no operating system

Two basic steps are involved:

Step 1: Verify that there are indeed XP drivers for all hardware in your system, and then download them all to a flash drive or burn them to a CD

Step 2: Obtain an XP CD, insert it into the computer's optical drive, boot the system, and follow on screen instructions

And while I'm at it... Firedog, Geek Squad, and all the rest are just giant scam operations. Maybe when they were independent outfits they had some credibility, but the ones associated with chain stores are absolute rubbish. They will charge you outrageous prices for simple things, and try to push useless software on you. The little known secret, is that a lot of these employees have certain quotas they have to meet in order to keep their jobs. That's why you rarely see anyone who could find their own bum without assistance working for them. A brutal sort of honesty seems to be a common personality trait among the truly technically competent among us. We do not make good sales people as a result.

My advice, would be to either hit the local bookstore and pick up a few books on how to do these sorts of things yourself... Or, maybe find some local independent tech who seems reputable. Call a few of them up, ask them the same question, and then you could come to one of these forums and we could help you sort out which ones were lying through their teeth, and which ones were actually being honest. Another option I like to suggest, is finding some neighborhood kid who's good with computers. Gives them a little practical experience, you don't have to pay them all that much, and it fosters good will among neighbors. It's a win-win situation all around.

As the gentleman before me said have some faith in the neighbourhood and find some one who is computer savey. Like the man said Geek Squad and the other outfits are definitely scams. PC and Windows are such a widely accepted operating system that I doubt very much that you'll have a hard time in finding someone to be happy to get involved. The only thing I say is be honest up front with the techie about what you want running and don't try to use copies of Windows (if you follow what I'm saying) there might be a time that you need support when your guru help guy is out of town. Nothing like being upfront with the techie and he or she will do the job and more. Happy PC'ing. I'd leave my e-mail address but just too many virus's online. Definitely get an anti-virus S/W package as soon as you have your unit up and running. I help out at a major hospital were they get over 300,000 e-mails a day. Only 2,500 are actually true e-mails the rest are scam and virus's and URL's to porno sites.

Cheers
GC

I'm a little confused. If your computer was formatted, there is no data to backup. Formatting erases all data on a hard disk. If you have an extended warranty with the company doing the work, the warranty should cover the reinstall of the operating system.

If your system was "completely formatted", where did the 40GB of data come from? If the 40GB of data was actually "Backed Up", I can see how the bill could add up fast, but 40GB of Data is HUGE!!! That would be equal to over 10,000 really high resolution photographs,
or 10,000 songs. If you have that size of backups you should have it backed up anyway. But I suspect you're being scammed. First of all, a brand spanking new copy of Windows XP runs around $95-100, not $180. And if they destroyed your operating system, charging you for a new one is ridiculous. In our shop, we charge $169 to reformat and reinstall an operating system. We add $30 for unlimited data backup for a total of $199. We do this about 15 times a week.

But the nuts and bolts of your question is more problematic. As pointed out earlier, your laptop may not run on Windows XP due to the driver issue. Numerous laptops have been configured to run on Vista only. So you could be stuck with Vista. But one way to check it out would be to simply load XP with any valid KEY just to test it out. With just a little looking around, you should be able to get your hands on a XP Disk and KEY. You won't be able to use them long term, but they would work for testing. Install XP and see if you can get the hardware to work. You may need to hunt to find the initial drivers using a different computer, but once you get online you can try a paid site like driveragent to scan your laptop and locate your drivers. If everything works, you can use XP, if not you'll be stuck with Vista. By the way, if you're stuck with Vista, you have a valid licence KEY on the bottom of your computer. You should not have to buy it again under any circumstances!!! You may, however, have to pay to get it loaded on your hard drive, and you may wish to invest in a disk set (usually about $35) from the manufacturer.

Good Luck!!!

I said he may need to pay for the reinstall. But not $400 bucks. In any case, he's already purchased the Vista "License" when he bought the computer, so he doesn't need to buy it again to reinstall.

Sorry but it is not a good idea to hijack someone else's discussion, especially where it is nearly 4 years old.

Start your own and give full details please.

I will lock this one.

Mark