Vista. Not the cruiser from the 70's show

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ Vista. Not the cruiser from the 70's show
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 4, 2013 6:25 AM
I'm installing a new hard drive and need a cd copy of Windows Vista 32 bit home version for an older compaq computer.
I already have the product code ID for Windows Vista but the CD has been lost.

I don't want to pay for an entire new version of Vista with a new product key since I still have the OEM version product code available.

Any OC'ers have a copy laying around that I could borrow? I'll mail it back, promise.
0

Plus I'll rep you indefinitely....I'm sure this will influence somebody to help.


PM me or post here if you can help me find a cd copy of Windows Vista 32bit home version.
May 4, 2013 6:25am
M

MontyBrunswick

May 4, 2013 11:23 AM
I can hook you up
May 4, 2013 11:23am
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 4, 2013 5:13 PM
Alternatively you can search for an ISO online (I think you then would get a software package to create a bootable USB or DVD from the ISO). Not the easiest thing in the world to find now with the crackdown on torrents, and even then you might be SOL trying to find the drivers if you can't get them thru Compaq's website.

I hope you get lucky, but I had similar issues when my hard drive crashed with no back-up or restore disks. I got it installed, but then as windows would start downloading updates lack of the right drivers would cause system failures.

See if this works for you. Then I think MS provides an ISO burner program
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24212

I think think this should help you create a bootable USB for install (remember to launch settings when powering on your computer to boot from USB first)
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/winusb-maker-lets-you-create-bootable-usb-from-folders-iso-images/

If all else fails, you can always go with a Linux install.
May 4, 2013 5:13pm
M

MontyBrunswick

May 4, 2013 5:34 PM
He didn't know how to use Imgburn to burn the ISO I sent him, so the USB/Linux stuff is going to be vastly over his head
May 4, 2013 5:34pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 4, 2013 5:58 PM
dlazz;1438315 wrote:He didn't know how to use Imgburn to burn the ISO I sent him, so the USB/Linux stuff is going to be vastly over his head
got the download open. imgburn program installed.

on to the next step but 1st wanna find a blank cd to burn.



so far so good
May 4, 2013 5:58pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 4, 2013 7:26 PM
said_aouita;1438322 wrote:got the download open. imgburn program installed.

on to the next step but 1st wanna find a blank cd to burn.
I hope you mean DVD, because a CD is almost certainly not big enough.

Burning ISO's was pretty well beyond me, too, and I actually used the Win7 USB/DVD tool. Easy and self-explanatory if the imgburn doesn't work for you.
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/how-to-install-windows-8-from-usb-drive/
May 4, 2013 7:26pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 4, 2013 7:37 PM
BTW- I already have Nero on this pc. Is that a similar type of program I just downloaded?

When I clicked the Windows Vista iso it gave me Nero as default for the download.
May 4, 2013 7:37pm
M

MontyBrunswick

May 4, 2013 7:55 PM
Nero will likely do the same thing. An ISO is an exact duplicate of a CD/DVD. So you need a program that will burn that ISO to a DVD.

Imgburn is more reliable in my experience, but you can use Nero if you're comfortable with it.
May 4, 2013 7:55pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 4, 2013 8:39 PM
doesn't he actually need to make a bootable USB/DVD? He doesn't have an OS installed, and just burning the ISO to a disk isn't going to work.
May 4, 2013 8:39pm
M

MontyBrunswick

May 4, 2013 8:46 PM
gut;1438364 wrote:doesn't he actually need to make a bootable USB/DVD? He doesn't have an OS installed, and just burning the ISO to a disk isn't going to work.
The ISO is bootable. He just needs to burn the ISO to the CD, put the CD in the affected computer, and turn it on.
May 4, 2013 8:46pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 4, 2013 9:48 PM
gut;1438364 wrote:doesn't he actually need to make a bootable USB/DVD? He doesn't have an OS installed, and just burning the ISO to a disk isn't going to work.
My old HD is still working, it's just the r/w head is making noises. The HD is dying slowly. I've just been putting off changing it and obtaining vista to load on the new drive.
May 4, 2013 9:48pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 4, 2013 9:49 PM
dlazz;1438366 wrote:The ISO is bootable. He just needs to burn the ISO to the CD, put the CD in the affected computer, and turn it on.
ok another dumb question- a regular r/w cd disc or like mentioned above a dvd disc?
May 4, 2013 9:49pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 4, 2013 10:36 PM
Try a CD, if it's not enough space then just do over with a DVD or USB. You'll save yourself hours of headaches if you backup your drivers, as well. Not sure how to do that, but I'd also make a Windows repair cd and maybe that will do the trick.

DO NOT destroy your old HD until you have everything up and running. If you had a external bay the easiest solution would be just to clone the drive (and then expand the partition later). Best Buy might do that for you for $50. At this point would have already been money well spent.
May 4, 2013 10:36pm
M

MontyBrunswick

May 4, 2013 10:59 PM
said_aouita;1438392 wrote:My old HD is still working, it's just the r/w head is making noises. The HD is dying slowly. I've just been putting off changing it and obtaining vista to load on the new drive.
If the old drive works, you can attempt to clone it. It'll do a 1:1 copy of the drive, then you wouldnt have to mess with the CD stuff.

And the image I linked you is 3.0 gigs, or well over a CD. You'll have to use a blank DVD.
May 4, 2013 10:59pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

Banned

8,532 posts
May 5, 2013 7:09 AM
gut;1438412 wrote: You'll save yourself hours of headaches if you backup your drivers, as well. Not sure how to do that, but I'd also make a Windows repair cd and maybe that will do the trick.
dlazz;1438418 wrote:If the old drive works, you can attempt to clone it.

hmmm.....yea for a nooblet like me it would have been easier to just take it to the geek squad.

I was thinking this was simple as pull out the old HD and plug in the new one. Next load Vista CD, power on and follow on screen instructions.





not. :(
May 5, 2013 7:09am
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
May 5, 2013 7:53 AM
Don't even bother with Vista. Pony up the cash for an upgrade to Windows 7.
May 5, 2013 7:53am
Classyposter58's avatar

Classyposter58

Senior Member

6,321 posts
May 5, 2013 10:23 AM
Buy a mac:thumbup:
May 5, 2013 10:23am
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
May 5, 2013 10:26 AM
Or do Linux Mint. It's free.

http://www.linuxmint.com/
May 5, 2013 10:26am
M

MontyBrunswick

May 5, 2013 1:02 PM
said_aouita;1438478 wrote:hmmm.....yea for a nooblet like me it would have been easier to just take it to the geek squad.

I was thinking this was simple as pull out the old HD and plug in the new one. Next load Vista CD, power on and follow on screen instructions.





not. :(
It should be that easy. If it isn't, then you're doing something wrong.
May 5, 2013 1:02pm
M

MontyBrunswick

May 5, 2013 1:02 PM
WebFire;1438491 wrote:Or do Linux Mint. It's free.

http://www.linuxmint.com/
Someone didn't read the thread :(
May 5, 2013 1:02pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 5, 2013 1:12 PM
dlazz;1438539 wrote:It should be that easy. If it isn't, then you're doing something wrong.
I've never had such luck with generic installs. Even Windows 7 is complete garbage at finding the right drivers. Without the specific drivers from the OEM it's crash, crash, crash.

I don't know what I was doing wrong. I've done installs before with the disks, but got caught the last time with a failed drive and no recovery disks. I even ordered disks from the OEM, and maybe they sent me the wrong ones (or the wrong drivers) because it would not even finish install. I finally got an ISO and managed to get it working by trial-and-error by d/l drivers from the OEM website, but what caused me pain was they had one or two files that should not have been there (and I had to figure on my own out NOT to install those two).

Don't get me wrong, the ISO installed and ran windows, but once I started d/ling Windows updates my system would crash.
May 5, 2013 1:12pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
May 5, 2013 1:23 PM
dlazz;1438540 wrote:Someone didn't read the thread :(
Guilty. I only ran the first few.
May 5, 2013 1:23pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
May 5, 2013 1:24 PM
gut;1438546 wrote:I've never had such luck with generic installs. Even Windows 7 is complete garbage at finding the right drivers. Without the specific drivers from the OEM it's crash, crash, crash.

I don't know what I was doing wrong. I've done installs before with the disks, but got caught the last time with a failed drive and no recovery disks. I even ordered disks from the OEM, and maybe they sent me the wrong ones (or the wrong drivers) because it would not even finish install. I finally got an ISO and managed to get it working by trial-and-error by d/l drivers from the OEM website, but what caused me pain was they had one or two files that should not have been there (and I had to figure on my own out NOT to install those two).

Don't get me wrong, the ISO installed and ran windows, but once I started d/ling Windows updates my system would crash.
It's not that difficult to get drivers.
May 5, 2013 1:24pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
May 5, 2013 1:26 PM
WebFire;1438548 wrote:Guilty. I only ran the first few.
Ok, I read it now. What did I miss? I would recommend Linux over trying to reinstall POS Vista any day.
May 5, 2013 1:26pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
May 5, 2013 1:26 PM
WebFire;1438549 wrote:It's not that difficult to get drivers.
Tell that to Windows and my computer. It's not difficult to get drivers, but the right ones that don't cause conflicts and crashes is a different story.
May 5, 2013 1:26pm