Solved Install from wrong CD

[John45]

I live in Thailand and bought the Win 7 Ultimate 32bit Cd X15-60560-01 in the UK and had it posted here..it's now installed and activated on my computer.

My daughter has bought 'students software', Ultimate version, again from the UK. Unfortunately the disc is still there and she is back here for a while. However I do have the Product Key for that disc.

Can I use my copy to do a custom install on her computer and then activate it with her product key.

 

[Dave76]

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes your DVD will work to install Win 7 Ultimate 32bit, then you can use her key.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

 

[John45]

Thanks Dave... I decided, for now, to install the Enterprise 90day Trial (for IT people or those who can tell a little white lie), I had been running it for a couple of weeks on my laptop with no problems. One of the reasons being that her Laptop (Dell Inspiration) is about two and an half years old and I wondered if the hard disk was ok. On my last laptop (HP) the hard disk died after about that period.
Do you know of any program that can predict the death of a hard drive please?
Also, I guess that in the future, that I can do an upgrade install over the Enterprise Trial version or can I just change the product key to the new one she has? Enterprise and Ultimate are identical? I know that the product key is embedded into the trial version so maybe I can’t.
Lastly, are there any advantages/disadvantages in re-formatting the drive before doing a custom install?

 

[Dave76]

Your welcome John.

Hard drives like most hardware can fail the first time used or last +10 years.

The rule of thumb for HDs is if it doesn't fail in the first 6 months they usually last for several years, (but not always!).

The newer HDs have S.M.A.R.T., Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, which is suppose to warn you when they're going bad. A warning window will come up when it detects something.

Each manufacturer has their own software to check the hard drive, all it really tells you is that it's ok or not ok at this moment in time. Tomorrow is a different day.
Go to your hard drive website and look for the hard drive diagnostics tools.
For Seagate it is SeaTools.

Enterprise and Ultimate are very close, not sure if you can just put the Ultimate key in the enterprise version. Might try it, just did a search and couldn't find a definitive answer.
Most experienced users will format the partition before or during the new installation, it keeps any corrupt files from staying on the new installation.

You can use Windows Easy Transfer - Transfer To & From Computers which will make the Clean installation a little easier. You will still have to install all of your programs, but your user accounts and personal files can be transfered.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks Dave... I decided, for now, to install the Enterprise 90day Trial (for IT people or those who can tell a little white lie), I had been running it for a couple of weeks on my laptop with no problems. One of the reasons being that her Laptop (Dell Inspiration) is about two and an half years old and I wondered if the hard disk was ok. On my last laptop (HP) the hard disk died after about that period.
Do you know of any program that can predict the death of a hard drive please?
Also, I guess that in the future, that I can do an upgrade install over the Enterprise Trial version or can I just change the product key to the new one she has? Enterprise and Ultimate are identical? I know that the product key is embedded into the trial version so maybe I can’t.
Lastly, are there any advantages/disadvantages in re-formatting the drive before doing a custom install?

This forum seems to suggest Enterprise can't be in-place upgraded to Ultimate because Ult. is a lesser version: Upgrading from Windows 7 Enterprise (free trial) to Windows 7 Ultimate without reinstall?

But then there is this workaround to in-place Upgrade to lesser versions: UNAWAVE - Downgrade Ultimate to Home Premium or Professional

 

[John45]

Thanks I given each of you a gold star! And no more info required thanks. Out of interest I have her WET file on my external hard drive and her ‘my documents’ file now on my laptop. She has 37Gigs of photos! and I wanted to avoid tears if I had a little problem.

I’ll stick her proper copy of Ultimate on in a few days and will re-format first….hopefully I’ll won’t need to ask for help again for a while. Her hard drive is WDC and I’ll have a look there in a while….thanks guys.

 

[Dave76]

Your welcome.

This is a Windows version of the Data LifeGuard Diagnostics. It will test WD internal and external drives. In additional, it can provide you with the model and serial of WD drives attached to the system.
Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows

You can try this for backups, free if you have a WD hard drive.
Acronis True Image WD Edition

 

[John45]

Hi Dave
Thanks, I have downloaded those two programs and am having a read and if/when I understand then I will press the button!
I guess that you are well up on Ready Boost. Her computer has 2* 512kb RAM. It will take 2*1Gig and I was going to upgrade to that. However she has a 2Gig memory stick it flashes quite a lot when installed to ’boost system performance’, in fact all the time. So can I take it that this is nearly as good as buying more RAM? I see that it has installed a folder called ReadyBoost.sfcache and it’s the same size as I set it to. So it increases the size of the cache?
Are these USB memory sticks designed to run all the time, when I tried it on my computer it stopped flashing after a short while. But started again when I opened pictures on my D Drive...so it does something.

 

[gregrocker]

Readyboost is NOT almost as good as buying more RAM. It expands your page file, and that's about it. Nothing is faster than RAM itself.

Flash drives are best used for transferring or storing files, even installing OS. I have an 8 gig I carry Win7 and Vista installers on, along with dozens of other apps like Adobe, flash, Works, Avast, etc. When I want to boot from an OS, I spill the files out into the root and it will even boot from the BIOS if you first format the stick primary NTFS.

 

[John45]

Thank you for that..I have had a little read and understand more now. So it's get 2*1Gig sticks...I know what I want (DDR2 PC2-5300 CL5 200 pin Sodimm unbuffered and non EEC 128Meg*64) and if 2nd hand run Memtest86 before I part with my money....very important here in Thailand!

I'm now using Microsoft Security Essentials, having previously always used Avast. How can I put Avast on a memory stick and then virus check my PC with it. Yes I will switch off MSE first. I have googled but can't seem to find how to do it..can you point me in the right direction please.....thanks

 

[Dave76]

Hi John,

I tried Ready Boost, my CPU went to +80% for three days.
Stopped it, un-installed it, searched and found all the files and deleted them, had to re-install my OS to fix it.
So, I don't use Ready Boost. I just bought more RAM.

From what I've read about it, it's hard on the memory sticks and it will 'wear them out'.

Be careful buying any components, Thailand is pretty much the same as the Philippines in that regard. I've found most things are better priced in the US than here in SE Asia, I usually bring computers and parts in with me.

You will have to have a virus protection program installed to work.
Search in the System Security Forum I've seen lots of discussion on running more than one virus protection program. They just turn one off before running another. It can cause problems if your not careful.

I'm using Avast and am planning on trying MSE soon. How do you like it?

 

[gregrocker]

Thank you for that..I have had a little read and understand more now. So it's get 2*1Gig sticks...I know what I want (DDR2 PC2-5300 CL5 200 pin Sodimm unbuffered and non EEC 128Meg*64) and if 2nd hand run Memtest86 before I part with my money....very important here in Thailand!

I'm now using Microsoft Security Essentials, having previously always used Avast. How can I put Avast on a memory stick and then virus check my PC with it. Yes I will switch off MSE first. I have googled but can't seem to find how to do it..can you point me in the right direction please.....thanks

Just download Avast (that's what I keep on my tool stick) and accept its offer to do a boot scan upon restart.

Turn off MSE first to avoid a conflict.

Would be interested in hearing comparison of the two as I have heard good things about MSE but after over 100 Avast free installs with no issues and no viruses EVER, I doubt I would change unless MSE has even less of a footprint which would be nearly impossible.