Antique Packard Bell desktop pc restoration

sparkyb

sparkyb

sparkyb

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20 Nov 2005
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Hi,

Please can you help me?

My parents are still using their first desktop pc (Packard Bell with XP) from about 13 years ago, but recently it stopped working. They only used it for typing letters, printing letters and storing photos, they also have a new laptop. They didn't want to spend money on a new desktop pc as they only really used the old one for very basic things - so gave it to me to see if I could get it working.

I have got the PC working and backed up all their personal files. I also figured it would be good to do a factory reset and fresh install of XP as it has never been done since first purchase. Note that the restore was from a hidden partition and thus they had no software discs included.

There were two ways to do a factory reset using the red floppy disc (Master CD's where not supplied with this PC model):

1. Windows only.

2. Packard Bell Smart restore and windows (smart restore lets you load on the software included that wasn't supplied on disc).

I choose windows only as I didn't want all the Packard bell software back on (not realising at the time about Word 2000). Smart restore does load a bit of the Packard Bell software back on if I recall. The factory reset went very well and it runs fine.

However.....my parents told me that they used Microsoft Word 2000, which came with the PC, but didn't have the disc. But word hasn't installed with the version of factory reset I did. After looking through their old paperwork and manuals I have found a Word certificate, which I am thinking must be on the hidden partition as they don't have the CD. I am sure if I had used smart restore instead it would have given me the option to install word.

So, without doing another factory reset to use Packard Bell smart restore. Is it possible to install word from the hidden partition or just load on smart restore and get word back through this?

Thank you
 
It probably depends what is setup on the hidden partition.

1. Is it actually hidden or can you access it through Windows Explorer?

2. Depends if the software comes packaged with the 'image' of the PB restore or if it is a separate installation that you could do manually.
 
Hi, thank you.

I had a look on windows explorer, but could'nt find anything - unless I was looking in the wrong place.

I have got a feeling the PB smart restore is taken off the hidden partition, the red floppy is just to access the drive tools. I haven't seen smart restore on any disc or on windows so far.
 
That's strange? Just put the floppy discs in to see what tools are available. The installation i did said "windows and smart restore only" but i cant find the smart restore program anywhere. The standard restore puts it back to how it would have left the factory - with all the software on and no doubt smart restore.
 
It might be easier just to bung open office on it.

Did it defiantly come with Word? I don't think office 2000 had any form of activation, it wasn't unusual back then for people just to borrow the disk of a mate.
 
Yeah, later ones did come with Word. Just Word, not Office.

Customer feedback from the target market was that MS Works or the WordPerfect suite which came pre-installed before wasn't up to the task as MS Word had pretty much become the defacto standard file format.

Older Packard Bells stored the software installs in password protected archives. Not sure about Smart Restore, I'd left DSG by that point.

For an easy life I'd just do a full restore and strip the bloat out after, unless you can find an OEM copy of Word 2000 to use with the certificate.
 
Thank you.

I'm pretty sure it came with Word 2000, parents cant find the disc anywhere but they do have that product identification card from PB and MS. Which is for, works 2000, word 2000, money 2000 and midtown madness game. On the card is a product key listed under NEC computers.

Before i factory reset, word 2000 was on their desktop, but it kept crashing and would not work. In the PB manual it describes how to use PB smart restore and you can clearly see word on the image of the software, then you just put a tick or cross against it to install or remove.

I think i will try a full restore and then strip out the bloat to see if that gets word back
 
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Does the certificate have the key for Office 2000 on it? If so, I'd be tempted to download Office 2000 and use the key from the certificate.
 
NEC owned Packard Bell at that point, so it's correct.

PB wouldn't have included the disc by that point, was just asking for piracy. Back in the Win95 days they came with the full set including Windows, plus the MasterCD.
 
darael said:
Does the certificate have the key for Office 2000 on it? If so, I'd be tempted to download Office 2000 and use the key from the certificate.
Click to expand...

Word only. Bundled as part of a suite, which I can't remember the name of. It's also OEM, probably won't work with a retail or VL office CD.
 
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Its just one product key for the items listed, yes its just word and not the office suite.

I do remember that, my first PB pc came with all the discs for everything that was sold with the computer, pretty good i used to think.

I'm in and out of the house at the minute doing the gardening, but will try and get on it tonight. It's really odd as at the factory reset stage it says restore with windows and smart restore only. Which is then used to get that software back I think. But I cant see that smart restore anywhere. I have fully updated xp to service pack 3 before i looked - do you think windows update would have removed it?

Think I will try both versions of factory reset to see which one installs smart restore. It doesn't take too long, as its the updates that take the time.
 
Just ran the windows and smart restore only again and smart restore does not get loaded on?

Now trying the standard restore, which should put everything back on. This worked, got word back!

Thanks for your help
 
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