Netbook restore ?

Idleman said:
You are right, i stand corrected. However, the OP still has`nt confirmed wether it has an optical drive. Also, if it is only a year old(presuming it was new), why not get in touch with the vendor and get a copy of the windows key?
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Netbooks do not have optical drives, plus you will not jet the key from the Vendor. It is the responsibility of the netbook owner to ensure the COA does not get removed or damaged. This is one of the reasons dell now put the COA under the battery.

I see this problem everyday adn have even spoke to MS/Manufacturers/Retailers on behalf of people to be told "sorry, nothing we can do"
 
Swordfish said:
Retrieving the key wont work for two reasons:


  • The OP has already stated that the OS is flagged as non-genuine so hence the key may be as well.
  • IF the OS is genuine then the key installed will not be the key that is listed on the base of the netbook as all PC manufacturers use a generic pre-activated key that can be used to install Windows but can never be activated.
The best option is to try and boot from the recovery partition. If the machine has, as I suspect, had a different version installed over the original version of Windows running F8 to access the repair feature will not work as the repair option will have been replaced by the new one from the current OS install.
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You do realise you can access the recovery partition from "reapair your computer?" The OP has told us he is struggling to access this partition using "F" keys... hence my way of accessing it.

With regards to the COA... I'm a bit confused? Just to clarify, are you saying that if I obtained a laptop and attempted to install an OEM copy of Windows (the exact edition) onto the laptop using the 25 character product key on the COA sticker... it wouldn't work as it's not a real key, it's a decoy and the vendors/manufacturers use a generic key?

What leads you to believe Windows has been installed over this current OS? The OP clearly isn't capable of doing this, unless someone else did it for him. Even if this was the case. "Repair your computer" Would still be there.
 
sorry took so long to reply great great advice i repeatedly tapped F8 soon as i switched on power and i got them menu now recovering back to factory defaults thanks a lot and i will let u all know if works , thanks again ppl appreciate it
 
Dean037 said:
sorry took so long to reply great great advice i repeatedly tapped F8 soon as i switched on power and i got them menu now recovering back to factory defaults thanks a lot and i will let u all know if works , thanks again ppl appreciate it
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Was there a packard bell menu in there that allowed you to do this?

Glad your well on your way to recovery.
 
Buchanan0204 said:
With regards to the COA... I'm a bit confused? Just to clarify, are you saying that if I obtained a laptop and attempted to install an OEM copy of Windows (the exact edition) onto the laptop using the 25 character product key on the COA sticker... it wouldn't work as it's not a real key, it's a decoy and the vendors/manufacturers use a generic key?
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No, using the key on the COA would work but the COA does not exist. The key on your COA is your key for the licence of Windows purchased when you bought the laptop/netbook. If you took a dozen identical netbooks of the same brand and model, when you looked for the COA using Belarc, Produkey or whatever the chances are the key will be the same. It is a valid key for installing but not for activating.

Dean037 said:
also the windows 7 code on bottom stickers has peeled off since over a year old so cannot read the code
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Buchanan0204 said:
What leads you to believe Windows has been installed over this current OS? The OP clearly isn't capable of doing this, unless someone else did it for him. Even if this was the case. "Repair your computer" Would still be there.
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The netbook is not his and therefore it is possible that Windows has been installed from another source without his knowledge.

As for the "Repair your computer" option, if you install Windows (either over the top or fresh) the repair option will get changed to only show the standard OEM/Retail repair options of

  • Start-up repair
  • System Restore
  • System Image Recovery
  • Windows Memory Diagnostics
  • Command Prompt
The option for recovery from a hidden recovery partition will not be listed. The System image recovery is not the hidden partition option but a different windows version which required the user to have previously made images using the backup system.

So the only way the OP can get Windows installed without having to purchase a new key is to recover the system from the hidden partition, assuming that the partition is not corrupted and if Windows has been re-installed that the partition has not been deleted.
 
Last edited:
Idleman said:
@Swordfish.
I have an MSI x600 slim, no optical drive. Belarc shows windows as OEM, in brackets the key. But that key is different to the COA key on the sticker.
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That is correct. The key recovered by Belarc will allow you to install Windows again but will not be able to be activated, only the key on the COA key can be used to install AND activate.
 
Hi all i used the f8 function and a pakard bell menu came up but not sure if it was wondows system or pakard bell lol had the pakard bell logo in back ground. can u use this function with all netbooks ? installed security essentials and removed all unwated programs and now as good as new after all updates so thanks for help everyone works perfectly
 
Dean037 said:
Hi all i used the f8 function and a pakard bell menu came up but not sure if it was wondows system or pakard bell lol had the pakard bell logo in back ground. can u use this function with all netbooks ? installed security essentials and removed all unwated programs and now as good as new after all updates so thanks for help everyone works perfectly
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That's exactly what was supposed to happen :)
 
Dean037 said:
Hi all i used the f8 function and a pakard bell menu came up but not sure if it was wondows system or pakard bell lol had the pakard bell logo in back ground. can u use this function with all netbooks ? installed security essentials and removed all unwated programs and now as good as new after all updates so thanks for help everyone works perfectly
Click to expand...


Glad you got there in the end. Enjoy !
 
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