Install Vista with HP Recovery disk AceX <AceIncorporated[ at ]gmail.com> 10/4/2008 1:16:21 AM I recently tried to use the Vista repair tools to format the laptop back to factory conditions. I'd done the process before, so I was familiar. I backed up files (music and pictures and such) and continued with the restoration, but it hung up mid-process and gave me the nice error message that said something about some boot files missing. Well anyways, I called them and they said it was HD trouble, and that I needed to ship it back to them (HP) and for a nice small 400 dollars they'd fix it. I wasn't too sure I had HD trouble so I ordered the Recovery disks from them (HP) and verified that I COULD indeed use them to put my purchased Vista 64x on any HP hard drive (even a blank one) I asked them like 4 times and they told me yes. And then I found a family friend that works for HP and THEY told me it was doable. So here I am, trying to figure out how to do it. I bought another HD (so now I have 2 with the HP logo on them) and have XP on the new one, and tried putting Vista on the old one. Well it wrote over my XP and just put a bunch of files on there that I didn't know what to do with. So I reinstalled XP (on D:) and I have Vista files on C:. But it's not bootable. I really need some help. I'm not computer dumb, I'm just vista dumb.. so if anyone is willing to help, I'd REALLY appreciate it. More info: I read somewhere that you should install XP, then Vista. Which is the order I've taken. I have XP, now I'm trying to install vista. In my reading I read that you should go into the XP recovery stuff and do some commands to fix the MBR or something like that. Well I did that on the C: (Vista) hard drive. I'm thinkin that may be why my Vista won't start, (But I'm not sure) because it's saying Vista is missing some hal.dll file. I had this trouble with my XP hard drive, and fixed it by installing a 2nd copy of XP and drag dropping the hal.dll file into my original installation. I thought about using the Vista Recovery disc to reinstall the Vista files and see if that works, but I'm afraid of wiping XP again.

Re: Install Vista with HP Recovery disk SIW2 <guest[ at ]unknown-email.com> 10/4/2008 2:16:28 AM AceX;852251 Wrote: > I recently tried to use the Vista repair tools to format the laptop [Quoted Text] > back to factory conditions. I'd done the process before, so I was > familiar. I backed up files (music and pictures and such) and > continued with the restoration, but it hung up mid-process and gave me > the nice error message that said something about some boot files > missing. Well anyways, I called them and they said it was HD trouble, > and that I needed to ship it back to them (HP) and for a nice small > 400 dollars they'd fix it. I wasn't too sure I had HD trouble so I > ordered the Recovery disks from them (HP) and verified that I COULD > indeed use them to put my purchased Vista 64x on any HP hard drive > (even a blank one) I asked them like 4 times and they told me yes. > And then I found a family friend that works for HP and THEY told me it > was doable. So here I am, trying to figure out how to do it. I > bought another HD (so now I have 2 with the HP logo on them) and have > XP on the new one, and tried putting Vista on the old one. Well it > wrote over my XP and just put a bunch of files on there that I didn't > know what to do with. So I reinstalled XP (on D:) and I have Vista > files on C:. But it's not bootable. I really need some help. I'm > not computer dumb, I'm just vista dumb.. so if anyone is willing to > help, I'd REALLY appreciate it. > > More info: > > I read somewhere that you should install XP, then Vista. Which is the > order I've taken. I have XP, now I'm trying to install vista. In my > reading I read that you should go into the XP recovery stuff and do > some commands to fix the MBR or something like that. Well I did that > on the C: (Vista) hard drive. I'm thinkin that may be why my Vista > won't start, (But I'm not sure) because it's saying Vista is missing > some hal.dll file. I had this trouble with my XP hard drive, and fixed > it by installing a 2nd copy of XP and drag dropping the hal.dll file > into my original installation. > > I thought about using the Vista Recovery disc to reinstall the Vista > files and see if that works, but I'm afraid of wiping XP again. Hi, You may need to do a startup repair , I have also included links to step by step screenshot tutorials http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html 'How to dual-boot Vista with XP (with XP installed first) - step-by-step guide with screenshots' (http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_xp__stepbystep_guide_with_screenshots.htm) If you need to partition your disk, it may be more straightforward to use the Diskpart command rather than gparted for your purposes i.e. steps 1,3,4and 5. Hope this helps SIW2 -- SIW2

Re: Install Vista with HP Recovery disk AceX <AceIncorporated[ at ]gmail.com> 10/8/2008 1:49:54 PM On Oct 3, 10:16 pm, SIW2 <gu...[ at ]unknown-email.com> wrote: [Quoted Text] > AceX;852251 Wrote: > > > > > I recently tried to use the Vista repair tools to format the laptop > > back to factory conditions.  I'd done the process before, so I was > > familiar.  I backed up files (music and pictures and such) and > > continued with the restoration, but it hung up mid-process and gave me > > the nice error message that said something about some boot files > > missing.  Well anyways, I called them and they said it was HD trouble, > > and that I needed to ship it back to them (HP) and for a nice small > > 400 dollars they'd fix it.  I wasn't too sure I had HD trouble so I > > ordered the Recovery disks from them (HP) and verified that I COULD > > indeed use them to put my purchased Vista 64x on any HP hard drive > > (even a blank one)  I asked them like 4 times and they told me yes. > > And then I found a family friend that works for HP and THEY told me it > > was doable.  So here I am, trying to figure out how to do it.  I > > bought another HD (so now I have 2 with the HP logo on them)  and have > > XP on the new one, and tried putting Vista on the old one.  Well it > > wrote over my XP and just put a bunch of files on there that I didn't > > know what to do with.  So I reinstalled XP (on D:) and I have Vista > > files on C:.  But it's not bootable.  I really need some help.  I'm > > not computer dumb, I'm just vista dumb.. so if anyone is willing to > > help, I'd REALLY appreciate it. > > > More info: > > > I read somewhere that you should install XP, then Vista.  Which is the > > order I've taken. I have XP, now I'm trying to install vista.  In my > > reading I read that you should go into the XP recovery stuff and do > > some commands to fix the MBR or something like that.  Well I did that > > on the C: (Vista) hard drive. I'm thinkin that may be why my Vista > > won't start, (But I'm not sure) because it's saying Vista is missing > > some hal.dll file. I had this trouble with my XP hard drive, and fixed > > it by installing a 2nd copy of XP and drag dropping the hal.dll file > > into my original installation. > > > I thought about using the Vista Recovery disc to reinstall the Vista > > files and see if that works, but I'm afraid of wiping XP again. > > Hi, > > You may need to do a startup repair , I have also included links to > step by step screenshot tutorials > > http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html > > 'How to dual-boot Vista with XP (with XP installed first) - > step-by-step guide with screenshots' > (http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_xp__stepbystep_guide_wit...) > > If you need to partition your disk, it may be more straightforward to > use the Diskpart command > rather than gparted for your purposes i.e. steps 1,3,4and 5. > > Hope this helps > > SIW2 > > -- > SIW2 I'm slightly confused. I read on the first link that the Recovery Disk CANNOT be used to re-install Vista. Since that is what I'm trying to do, does that mean I'm out of luck? Why then would multiple HP personnel tell me that I COULD reinstall Vista with the disk?. I purchased the Recovery Disk from HP, is there maybe another disk I need?