Help the old guy install Win 7 Pro

[Jimintexas]

O'm one of those old farts that doesn't know beans about computers. I have a new (to me) computer that I got from the Goodwill store and it has given me nothing but problems so far. I believe that this is the last of the problems that I'll have to deal with. It just stops sometimes. I mean right in the middle of doing something it just shuts down completely. There is no warning, no indication, no nothing it just stops, and simetimes it will try to redtart and then shutdown again. When I try to restart it, it will try to restartstart it, it will shut dolwn again. Sometimes it will get almost to full start up and sometimes it will shut down immediately and sometimes in between. It seems that if I let it sit for a few hours unplugged, it will come up and work, sometimes for a couple of days, sometimes for a few hours and sometimes for five minutes. I have ruled out power interuptions from the wall socket. I did get a message on my screen at one time that told me that the Windows install that I am using is bogus. Well, they didn't say bogus, but that's what they meant. I want to get a reinstall disc from E-Bay and try a new installation. What I don't know is (and it's plenty that I don't know) I do have a Win 7 Pro sticker on my computer. I also have a Win Vista sticker on it, but I don't really want to use that software. If I reinstall Win 7 Pro will I loose all of my data? Will I loose the programs that I have downloaded (Avast antivirus, AOL Desktop, Skype, etc.). Please help this old codger out.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Jimintexas,
Welcome to SF. It sounds like you've got your hands full. I would first of all unplug the computer and open it up and check for dust and dirt levels. I would as well get some compressed air and clean all the fans and especially the CPU or main chip which has a finned cooler and a fan on it. If you would please take some pictures and post them if you can so we have a clue what you're dealing with.

Do you have any idea as to the spec's of this computer, model number and such so we can also help with these questions?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Do some prioritization in your mind.

No sense investing a lot of time in finding out if you have bad hardware if it turns out your Windows 7 Pro installation is illegal/bogus.

If it is bogus, do you want to buy a non-bogus version or do you want to take the whole thing to the garbage? It's a Goodwill PC, so I'm guessing your current investment is low, maybe lower than a legal copy of Windows.

You can find out if it's bogus by calling Microsoft 800 number and giving them the info off your stickers. You should see a code with 25 characters like this: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.

That would be my first move.

Does that Win 7 Pro sticker have the letters "OEM" anywhere on it?

Don't post the 25 characters if you see them, but find out if they are shown.

I'd certainly caution you against using Ebay as a source for Windows. That's begging for trouble.

 

[Jimintexas]

The Win 7 sticker is for a refurbed computer. I took it to a repair shop and they could not find anything wrong with it. They told me that it ran like a champ and never failed. Well, It is workong right now, but I don't know for how long. They also charged me enough to buy another computer for the work that they did. Don't get me wrong. This thing had more troubles than is legal to have and they did fix some of them. They just either couldn't figure out what was causing this problem and didn't want to refund the $100+ that they charged me for the repairs or it didn't fail while it was there. I have my own theory about which scenario applies here. I now have enough invested on it that I hate to just scrap it and for less than $30 I can try a new software download, but I don't want to loose what I have on it now. Actually when I think of it, the computer is only partly useful to me now..................

 

[UsernameIssues]

There are several forum members that might be able to help you determine if the shutdowns are hardware/heat related. Once you know that the hardware is worth working on - you can work on getting a good copy of Windows installed.

You might not need to buy a W7 installation DVD.
See the note/link below the first image in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/85813-windows-7-universal-installation-disc-create.html

It would help us to help you if you would fill out the system spec info:
http://www.sevenforums.com/profile.php?do=extra

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Jim.

Many good youtube video's on how to clean a computer, but basically you want to hold fan blades from wildly spinning and also move the computer outside in good light. Place it on something stable like a card table and take both side panels off. locate the power supply and also blow it out from all directions, then locate the CPU and blow off the fins and fan holding the fan still then find the front air intake fan if it has one and clean it and all air intake points then blow of the entire mobo (mother board) with the air. I would also suggest you blast all the ram slots even taking the ram gently out and cleaning with air and placing back in the slots they came from. Then if the computer has a GPU then I would clean it with air as well. GPU stands for Graphic Processing unit, CPU stands for Central Processing unit, PSU stands for Power Supply unit.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

The Win 7 sticker is for a refurbed computer.................I now have enough invested on it that I hate to just scrap it and for less than $30 I can try a new software download, but I don't want to loose what I have on it now.

Any $30 price for Windows is almost certainly a scam.

That sticker you refer to may or may not be valid. If it is valid, you don't need to buy another Windows. If it isn't you probably will.

The way to find out about your Windows license and the sticker is to call Microsoft and tell them the straight facts.

A legit license for Windows 7 is $80 on up.

You have to decide if and when to throw more good money at it.

You can buy a known good setup (refurb) for maybe 350 on the low end, with Windows.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I'm suspect of the PSU almost right away......just my gut. Like others I don't know how much good money for bad I'd spend on this without you giving us pictures and spec's. You can use this forum tool for the spec's.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

 

[whs]

That does not sound like a software problem. Sudden shutdowns are usually hardware related. So a cleanup is essential and then we'll see.

 

[Jimintexas]

It is NOT the power supply. I changed that out and it does the same thing. Is there a heat sensor in there some place that could be sending out false alarms? It is sparkly clean inside. It does not needs cleaning. Reinstallation discs are not a scam. I just want to know if I will lose all of my programs and data if I reinstall the software.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you do a clean reinstall of Windows, yes, you will lose your programs. You'd have to reinstall them.

You would also lose your data if you did not have a backup of it somewhere.

I'm glad to learn that $30 reinstallation discs are not a scam. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[whs]

The data you have to backup and the programs you have to reinstall. And yes there are heat sensors and they can be defunct. But there is little you can do about.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Maybe you could have told us of the trip to the repair shop and the cleaning and new PSU and we might not be guessing all over the place. As mentioned you will lose all data if you to a clean/fresh install and if you can get a few good minutes with it now then back up all important data and give it a try. But why do you think you don't have a good W7 install now? Have you called Microsoft to confirm your using a valid copy currently?

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 starting with the hardware tests. The problem should reveal itself. Or you can move to the reinstall to see if that sorts it, but I'd at least do the hardware tests.

If you have a COA sticker for refurb PC then you own a Win7 license on there and are entitled to reinstall it as often as you want and in whatever way you want. Everything you need to get and keep a perfect install is here in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Just ask back if you have any questions.