HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7100 Small Form Factor(new hdd and instal

hello i have a HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7100 Small Form Factor and it had this on it Microsoft Windows XP.well i have a few questions the hdd broke well i havd a spare hdd from my laptop and well going to put that in will it work on and be a good job.second question is i was trying to put on this windows 7 on it but when i try to boot the system restore cd it comes up with a error saying removable media is bad or missing.i have tried to put a win 7 ios on a usb but comes up with the same error.i did a online chat with hp and they said windows 7 is not compatible with this desktop.did any of you guys come across this problem.love to get this going again as tbh its working great as it should pity to throw it away.also i am missing windows xp os if anyone knows where i can get that to put on as if win 7 dont work on this desktop.i have the windows activation code on the sticker on the top so all i need is a os to put it on and then i can use my code.love to her back from you guys if u have any ideas that will help please

Layback Bear said:

I think I understand what you are trying to do.

To get Windows 7 on your system with a new hard drive or a old hard drive you will need to do a Clean Install of Windows 7 using a proper media and COA key. The hardware will have to be capable of using Windows 7.
You will need to buy a Microsoft Windows 7 DVD with the proper COA key.
I personally buy my Windows operating system from a local dealer.

This tutorial by Brink will instruct you how to do a Clean Install.

Clean Install Windows 7

Try using this from Microsoft and see if your hardware is proper for Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Official Microsoft Download Center

hello thanks for getting back to me but i was wondering i dont think going what hp told me my system cant be updated to win 7 as the software on the desktop cant use it.i was sorta hoping maybe it could run win 7.also im not sure where to get the win xp os to put on this.i tried to put on win 7 on it using a cd disk i have and also a ios win 7 on a usb but came into that problem on the both times as a error saying removable media is bad or missing.so i could not put on win 7 onto the desktop.thats why i went and got in contact with hp in online chat and they told me that the software in the desktop was not compatible for win 7.just kina at a loss what to do my last try is try to find win xp software os to put on and use my activation key that i have for the desktop putting it back the way it was before the hdd broke

Layback Bear said:

I think I understand what you are trying to do.

To get Windows 7 on your system with a new hard drive or a old hard drive you will need to do a Clean Install of Windows 7 using a proper media and COA key. The hardware will have to be capable of using Windows 7.
You will need to buy a Microsoft Windows 7 DVD with the proper COA key.
I personally buy my Windows operating system from a local dealer.

This tutorial by Brink will instruct you how to do a Clean Install.

Clean Install Windows 7

Try using this from Microsoft and see if your hardware is proper for Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Official Microsoft Download Center

sorry buddy just thought this HP Compaq DC7100 is a 32bit machine maybe that what i was doing wrong putting a 64bit os on a 32bit machine thats where i was getting the error mesage maybe.what u think

i guess buddy might try win xp on it then bin it if not work lol

I didn't really want this to be my first post here, and I was actually looking for help with adding a recovery partition, along with OS image, using Server 2008R2/Windows Deployment Server during unattended multicast installs (Win 7 pro x64 SP1), but I have a solution, and considerable knowledge specific to this situation and thought what the hey. So, if either of you gold guru members know where a thread or two that might be already running, discussing my query, please hook me up, okay. I found many discussions about recovery or restore partitions, but not specific to what I'm doing. I run a large forum myself (battlefieldsingleplayer.com), and know what it's like when members start a new thread about something that there are already 5 threads running on the same topic, so I'm hesitant starting a new thread until sure.

Okay, first of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, a blank DVD is worth more than a HP DC7100 SFF business desktop. It WILL NOT run windows 7 to any useful degree, that is if you can get it to install; it just does runs XP pro (a lot of these machines came with XP Home, or Home Premium). I can qualify this because I work for a major global recycler, and we recycle IT equipment for large corporate entities. At one time (2 maybe 3 years back) we recycled 1000's of these machines a month, and the last pallet load we sold, about a year ago, went for $7.80 USD per machine. I believe they went to Guinea, Africa. Again, this was not meant as an insult, and I am just being totally honest because I think the situation here calls for it. Now I can understand if someone is short on coin, or it's still a working machine someone has a use for, but other than that it's a bulky door stop at best. Now if you want to get it going, you will need an OEM copy of Win XP pro (if that is what your COA is), it just so happens I have such media, the official HP OEM XP disks, and your welcome to download an ISO to burn. Send me a pm and I'll hook you up. I don't see where this is illegal in any way, but if someone see's an issue here, please let me know. You have to have a HP machine that had XP installed, and a legitimate COA for these OS's to work. I also have Dell Disk if anyone needs. We are Microsoft Certified Recycle's.

CountZer0 said:

I didn't really want this to be my first post here, and I was actually looking for help with adding a recovery partition, along with OS image, using Server 2008R2/Windows Deployment Server during unattended multicast installs (Win 7 pro x64 SP1), but I have a solution, and considerable knowledge specific to this situation and thought what the hey. So, if either of you gold guru members know where a thread or two that might be already running, discussing my query, please hook me up, okay. I found many discussions about recovery or restore partitions, but not specific to what I'm doing. I run a large forum myself (battlefieldsingleplayer.com), and know what it's like when members start a new thread about something that there are already 5 threads running on the same topic, so I'm hesitant starting a new thread until sure.

Okay, first of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, a blank DVD is worth more than a HP DC7100 SFF business desktop. It WILL NOT run windows 7 to any useful degree, that is if you can get it to install; it just does runs XP pro (a lot of these machines came with XP Home, or Home Premium). I can qualify this because I work for a major global recycler, and we recycle IT equipment for large corporate entities. At one time (2 maybe 3 years back) we recycled 1000's of these machines a month, and the last pallet load we sold, about a year ago, went for $7.80 USD per machine. I believe they went to Guinea, Africa. Again, this was not meant as an insult, and I am just being totally honest because I think the situation here calls for it. Now I can understand if someone is short on coin, or it's still a working machine someone has a use for, but other than that it's a bulky door stop at best. Now if you want to get it going, you will need an OEM copy of Win XP pro (if that is what your COA is), it just so happens I have such media, the official HP OEM XP disks, and your welcome to download an ISO to burn. Send me a pm and I'll hook you up. I don't see where this is illegal in any way, but if someone see's an issue here, please let me know. You have to have a HP machine that had XP installed, and a legitimate COA for these OS's to work. I also have Dell Disk if anyone needs. We are Microsoft Certified Recycle's.

Thanks there buddy i know this machine is as old as the hills but just thought maybe could get it going as a simple back up.thanks for the info anyways to all you guys this forum is always great on helping on trying to get things going.thanks addram again for help and well im looking into buying a nice fast hp laptop as u said :) i7

No problem joseph ... and like I said, if you want an ISO 0f HP OEM XP Pro, let me know. It will get it up and running. As to the laptop, we get thousands of HP laptops, all business class though, but better than consumer #rap. I use an HP Elitebook 8740W portable workstation, giant screen, i7 quad, Quadro professional video, large number pad keyboard etc ... a powerful machine, excellent graphics. and for high dollar engineers to run autocad on, cheap.