Thanks David - this is where I'd got a little lost - ignore my last post!Having the bootable Windows DVD, you should have the choice of what you want to try, Repair or Install
Either is fine (both backed up) but I'll try repair then install (I mistakingly thought I needed to versions of Windows 7 - one for repair and one for clean install...).
Huge thanks again - I'll keep the thread updated with progress!
Cheers.
Good results.
On the first laptop (Dell Inspiron) Windows 7 has successfully installed. Not had a full 'play' yet, but all seems to be running smoothly. One thing: I've lost the internet connection and currently unable to find a driver to get the wi-fi working (and not being connected to the internet has scuppered plans to find one!). I suspect it might be better to pick up a new USB wi-fi dongle anyway (like the one on this new PC).
The second laptop (Dell Vostro - newer than the Ispiron) is a little more tricky. Went for system repair (as she probably has a few new files she hadn't backed up) and although Windows 7 was back up (with all her programs in the same state) it crashed shortly afterwards. It won't allow me to restore up to the previous working state due to lack of memory (she has thousands of photographs on there from various projects)...but then it crashes before I could make any attempt to back up.
I might try the suggestions on the first page of this thread (re backing up) otherwise I'll have to advise her she'll lose a few files if she wants a working computer again. Still might be a HD fail however.
At least one laptop is working fine however - means our youngest boy has some kind of computer to play around on!
Huge thanks again.
I'll keep updating regarding the Vostro laptop.
If you would like to backup the photographers on the Dell Vostro you can use Kyhi's Bootable Rescue Disk. It is a live version of Windows. Just download the ISO and burn it to DVD or extract it to a USB flash drive. Boot the DVD or flash drive and copy all the photos, documents, music, to an external hard drive.
I would download the 32-Bit version (x86).
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Windows 10 Forums
Is this suitable for the Windows 7 machine (being a Windows 10 version)?
I've created the ISO and burned to disc the booted up the laptop from DVD, but it's currently sat on the Windows 10 logo (it might be doing something slowly in the background, but as of yet it doesn't seem to be opening to Windows)?
Many thanks.
Ok - it works fine. Can see all the files I need to transfer :)
However, all my external HDD's are formatted for MAC so this Vostro can't pick up the HDD when it's attached (it reconized the connection but I can't access the drive to drop files into).
I think there is a piece of S/W to (HFS explorer?) to enable the PC and Mac formatted drives to see each other, but I'll need to get the laptop online (it's lost the drivers for Wi-FI). Failing that, I wonder if I can attach the laptop via ethernet cable direct to my Mac and drop the files there?
Or, pick up a HDD and format it to a PC (more costly method!)
Cheers.
Well, at least you can see the files. Hopefully it will work out for you. My daughter is in love with MAC, so I know how nothing is compatible.
^^ Thanks.
Ethernet via sharing is a likely option (and I have done it that way before) but it currently cannot connect...something is awry, but I'll get to the bottom of it! My daughter has around 100Gb of photos on that machine and she'd prefer not to lose anything!
Pressure :)
Many thanks again.
For cross-compatibility it is best to reformat the drive to either exfat or fat32. Both mac and windows can write to either. https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0 Mac should give you the option (under the disk utility) to format as exfat. I don't believe that windows does. A thumb drive will probably come as fat or fat32.
Thanks townsbg. I may even have another HDD connected to my mac that is formatted to fat32 (my USB drives are, but such is the size of the documents - 100GB + - I can't really use that option).
I'll try that.
Incidentally, I'm having a royal struggle trying to access files on the Vostro when connected to the network (via ethernet).
I have actually (successfully) carried this out last year, but I cannot for the life of me access it anymore.
Not sure if it's due to the Windows7 version being corrupted? I've ended up on threads on here trying to find a resolve (spent the past couple of hours going through everything!!
I can't even find the Network Username/Password as the Homegroup option is not working for me.
I can see the Mac from the PC and vice versa...very frustrating.
Wondering if I could boot up the rescue disk (as posted above) and see if I can access the files that way (if the current Windows is too corrupted to access)?
Cheers.
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