Acer Aspire One Operating System Issues

[mandamarie31]

Hello,

I have and Acer Aspire One that has a big problem. This is my 12 year old daughter's computer. She got it for Christmas in 2011. By June 2012 it was really slow and bogged down due to cookies and any other number of things she had going on. A friend was over and tried to do a system restore to get it back to factory settings. In the middle of the restore the computer shut off because the battery died. Our luck that it wasn't plugged in. When you turn it on now it just goes to a black screen and does nothing. I have taken it to box stores with so called technical support and was told that we had to get a new operating system. I don't want to pay more for an operating system than the computer itself. So I just went to purchase another one. As I was putting it in lay-a-way the check out guy said that I could just down load a free operating system and install it. That I could use the product key that is on the computer already. I get by with computers but don't know where I could find it to download and make sure I got the right one and that I was doing it right. It seems like something I could do with just a little guidance. I know that it came with Windows 7 Starter.

Any help that you could give me would be very appreciated.

If you need more from me let me know and I will try my best to get you the info.

Thanks!!!

 

[Golden]

Hi,

You definitely do NOT need to purchase a new operating system.

You can legitimately download a Windows 7 ISO, burn it to a DVD, install it and then activate it using the product key on the COA sticker affixed beneath the laptop.

Follow the instructions here to do that - it provides a link to download the Windows 7 ISO, and all the steps you need to perform. Read it thoroughly before starting.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

If your daughter still has files on this computer that haven't been backed-up, then use this to copy them off the laptop before re installing Windows 7.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ate-live-cd-dvd-usb-use-emergency-backup.html

Post back if you need more help.

Regards,
Golden

 

[mandamarie31]

Golden,

I am finally working on this today due to a hectic schedule and traveling. Thank you for your help but I am a bit confused. My computer is 32 bit but the download options on the sight are x64 and x86. Will those work.

 

[gregrocker]

x86=32 bit

Follow the steps for Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to get and keep a perfect install for as long as you stick with the tools and methods in the tutorial.

Did you try running Acer Support: Restoring a system to factory load?

If so and it won't run then you can delete all partitions during install in Steps 6/7 of Clean Install Windows 7

 

[Golden]

Hi,

No problem - take your time.

32 bit = x86
64 bit = x64

Use the x86 version.

Regards,
Golden

 

[mandamarie31]

More problems and I'm thinking that something was not done correctly. The product key didn't work because what was retreived was Windows 7 Home Premium. A friend was trying to help with this and "knew" what he was doing. He thought he "found" a product key that worked but it didn't. It kept trying to update / upgrade the OS. After a long time it finally said that it wouldn't update / upgrade. Then he found a version of starter that he could download but it only ended up being a dvd version and not usb. Only usb will work because it is a netbook. So now I'm back at the beginning and don't have an operating system that I can use. In frustation I called Microsoft to try and purchase Windows 7 Starter but they told me it is not for sale. My friend said that it seems as if this netbook only likes the starter version.

 

[mandamarie31]

Ok looking thru the Clean Reinstall instructions I figured that my friend didn't do the recovery disks and I'm sure he didn't keep the drivers (especially for internet). He was searching for drivers last night to connect to the internet. Is there a way to get this fixed with out recovery files? I am just about ready to throw in the towel. Bad attitude I know but this is getting crazy

 

[gregrocker]

Just reinstall using the installer provided and steps in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

The Product Key on the COA sticker represents a license with value at $100+ so should not be wasted or frittered away carelessly.

Put the wireless adapter (or ethernet if that's what he uses) in the backup so you can get online and do all rounds Important and Optional Windows Updates - keep going back to Search for Updates until they're done. Then any missing drivers can be found on the Acer Support Downloads webpage for your model. This is all in the tutorial so don't know why I need to repeat it.