[HELP] Laptop got reformatted. Starting from scratch again.

[gregrocker]

Did you follow the steps for handling drivers correctly which are so important that they are printed in red in Clean Reinstall Windows 7?

The OS you're running is counterfeit. I hope you didn't pay them for the OS, but if you didn't shouldn't you wonder why you weren't charged $300 which is the cost of Ultimate by this "Service Center?"

Your best bet now is to do a Clean Reinstall Windows 7 with the Product Key on the COA sticker showing the exact version you own. It tells how to unlock that version in any Win7 ISO or disk in Step 1.

 

[Layback Bear]

fabbriche If you want to have a proper install please follow Greg's instructions.

 

[dsperber]

There is an "unknown device" in the device manager which has hardware ids

NUSB3\ROOT_HUB30&VID_1033&PID_0194&REV_0004&SID_05071025
NUSB3\ROOT_HUB30&VID_1033&PID_0194&REV_0004
NUSB3\ROOT_HUB30&VID_1033&PID_0194

This appears to be Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Root Hub.

You can try one of the newest 2.1.39.0 drivers available for your Win7 x64 environment from this page. They should probably work on your Acer machine as well for the Dell or Lenovo machines.

 

[fabbriche]

What will happen to my system if it's running a counterfeit OS? Will it become unusable in a couple of weeks/months? I think I will have to stick with it for now if it won't give me problems until Windows 10 is released and I'll upgrade to that. I've read Microsoft will be giving free upgrade to Windows 10 for current Windows 7/8 users. The service tech only charged me $20 for the repair not for the OS. I don't want to go back there again and have my laptop reformatted again.

I've installed the Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Root Hub driver and still my USB 3.0 port doesn't work.

 

[dsperber]

I've installed the Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Root Hub driver and still my USB 3.0 port doesn't work.

For some reason, the link I provided above seems to be incorrect. My COPY/PASTE may have been sloppy. So I actually don't know what you downloaded since the link was bad.


Just to be sure we're on the right page here, this is the direct link to Lenovo's 2.1.36.0 download for the Renesas USB 3.0 root hub driver.

What happens when you run it? Any messages? Does Device Manager still show a yellow exclamation mark in the USB devices or Other devices? I would expect it to show something like "Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Hub".

 

[Mellon Head]

What will happen to my system if it's running a counterfeit OS? Will it become unusable in a couple of weeks/months?

Yes. It may very well stop working.

I think I will have to stick with it for now if it won't give me problems until Windows 10 is released and I'll upgrade to that. I've read Microsoft will be giving free upgrade to Windows 10 for current Windows 7/8 users.

As far as I know, Microsoft won't upgrade you to Windows 10 if you have a counterfeit OS. Do you have a product key for this new version of Windows? You'll need one to upgrade.

I don't want to go back there again and have my laptop reformatted again.

If you follow the tutorial that gregrocker linked, you should be able to do the reformat and reinstall yourself. We'll help.

 

[RolandJS]

fabbriche, I paid $299 plus tax for each of my true-blue 32 & 64 bit set of Windows 7 Professional [having three computers].
Once Microsoft tags that OS as invalid, unauthentic, that OS will no longer be able to pull down anything but maybe critical updates. That OS is dead in the water. BC techs gave you diamond-level advice.

 

[Layback Bear]

Microsoft will not allow any upgrades of any kind using a counterfeit Windows operating system. Free or other wise.

 

[gregrocker]

I would not return to a shop where they sold you a counterfeit OS, which is criminal activity.

You are at the top tech forums on the web where we specialize in helping over a million consumers do a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7.
Many of those worried that they could not do this, but every single one who did was rewarded with the best install of the OS one can get anywhere. Not one of those 1+ million has complained or returned with problems if they stuck with those steps, tools and methods.

So we know without doubt that if you stick with the steps, tools and methods given you will get and keep a perfect install, even have a backup that you can easily apply in 20 minutes if something bad happens.

So why not read over Clean Reinstall Windows 7 making note of any questions you have to ask back here. We will have your back every step of the way.