Windows Restore Discs...?

audiobliss

So, having concluded Dad's old laptop is trash, he went out and bought a used Lenovo today. It's a 3000 C200. Seems pretty nice, except for the Celeron M processor. Oh well, at least he doesn't do anything too intensive on it.

Anyhoo, here's my question. It's a used laptop (though supposedly only used for about a week...and to the story's credit it looks BRAND-SPANKIN' new), and it previously had two users on it. When you boot it up, you're prompted to provide a password for some kind of a client log-in. Not windows, but I'm not sure what it is. You say cancel (twice), and it just goes away. There's also AT LEAST 12 things running in the taskbar. And then there are the personal documents still on there (I cleared out all the internet history for him).

Now, I'm really getting to my question now...I promise... The guy at the store told Dad computers today don't come with CD's but have the ability to create the CD's in case you wanna run them. Meaning the restore/reformatt CD's. I can't find a way to create the CD's, but I'd be very interested in reformatting this computer and starting fresh again, even if it is only one week old.

Given that it didn't come with any CD's, how can I do that?

Thanks!!!

Gaara

I was under the impression that restore discs can be created at set points. Like you could create a restore disc now and if anything happened you could use the disc to restore to that point.

I don't believe that in your situation this would work, as you would be creating a restore disc with all the crap that you want to get rid of. I would imagine if you had a copy of windows it would be easiest to reformat the hard drive and reinstall windows for a clean slate.

Jared

audiobliss

Yeah, that's the Windows Restore Points that you can set whenever you want to. But, like you said, I'm wanting to actually reformat - wipe out the hard drive and reinstall windows.

I do have a copy of XP Pro. However, I went that route with my desktop and it was a PAIN to find and reinstall all the drivers, so I'm NOT going that route again.

Well, at least I don't want to.

jflail2

Unfortunately I'd say your best bet is probably a slash n burn. Post a fresh install and driver updates, I'd use Norton Ghost to make a copy of your "clean" hd on a backup hd. If things ever went awry, you'd have a fresh copy you could ghost over in no time.

I'm just working off of personal experience tho, so others may have better ideas...

Refefer

Is vista or XP?

If it's XP, there's a chance a copy of the i386 directory was stored at c:\i386. That folder contains all the information pertaining to reinstalling windows. Odds are there is also a program in the start menu which will allow you to render it to disc.

On the other hand, if it's brand new for the most part, I'd reboot into safe mode and restore to the first available restore point. I would then run both Spybot and Ad-aware w/ rootkit detection to make sure the guy you got it from didn't save a keylogger or open a backdoor on your system.

Fireman32

You can also look to see if there is a restore partition on the hard drive. Also sometimes if you hit certain keys on bootup it will bring the system restore up and you and bring it back to the factory settings like when it was new.

disneyjoe7

I wouldn't reformat a HD on a laptop, some drivers needed for the restore disk maybe there also. So doing so may render the restore disk useless, I would just use the restore disk straight up. That should restore it to factory like it was brand new.

jflail2

Ahh, didn't know that joe. hah, good to know now versus find out the hard way later, thx!

POLKOHOLIC

audiobliss,

follow my directions and you will be on your way to achieving nirvana:

1. go to lenovo's website and download ALL of the drivers for that model.
2. put all of those drivers on a cd or usb flash drive.
3. format hard drive / delete ALL partitions
4. make whatever partitions you want - i usually make two partitions - 1 that has the OS and Programs and the other that has all of my music, videos etc.. - 10gb should be enough for the OS and Programs - the rest I would devote to personal files.
5. install windows
6. get some food - take a crap, shower - eat some more (the next 2 steps will take some time)
7. install drivers
8. update windows
9. if system is **** in the future - repeat steps 3-8

btw: i would do this even if i bought a completely brand new system. most manufacturers shove so much usless **** in there it makes you want to shoot whoever decided it was a good idea to install the crap.

good luck

disneyjoe7

jflail2 wrote: »

Ahh, didn't know that joe. hah, good to know now versus find out the hard way later, thx!

Ok here's my experience just my $.02 here...

Had an Compaq computer in a rush to install 2nd drive which I couldn't get the motherboard to see at first. I pulled the main drive fixing the first problem I reinstalled the main drive. I did so with the power cable backward yes it keyed but I was able to do so anyway. Fried the 80gig drive DEAD, didn't what to deal with Compaq repair again I purchased a 80gig drive same type speed and model number. Installed new drive placed restore disk to some RED SCREEN of Death which gave me a number to call. Long story short the old drive had a partition which was for the restore CD, so the computer was back in the shop for a harddrive which I sure Compaq sent to them which was pre built.


Next had an old Laptop Toshiba if I recall right, reformatted HD then install 98 and never could get some parts to work again like the USB the Modem couldn't find drivers anywhere I lived with it until it died 2 years later.



You should have to deal with me when my wife purchased a new laptop Dell X140 I called them so they would send me the disk if it died and I needed to have a new HD installed. Not the some files here some there **** CD they send, I stated I was going to get them or They would get it back under their 30 day return policy. They sent them.

Refefer

POLKOHOLIC wrote: »

Most manufacturers shove so much usless **** in there it makes you want to shoot whoever decided it was a good idea to install the crap.

I used to hate it too until I realized that all that crap subsidized the cost of the laptop desktop significantly.

I now welcome the crap, then proceed to flush it down with a reinstall.

jflail2

I just don't understand why you can't use your xp disc to reformat if you have all of your drivers/necessities burnt to a disc/ saved on another HD....weird.

fatchowmein

POLKOHOLIC wrote: »

audiobliss,

follow my directions and you will be on your way to achieving nirvana:

1. go to lenovo's website and download ALL of the drivers for that model.
2. put all of those drivers on a cd or usb flash drive.
3. format hard drive / delete ALL partitions
4. make whatever partitions you want - i usually make two partitions - 1 that has the OS and Programs and the other that has all of my music, videos etc.. - 10gb should be enough for the OS and Programs - the rest I would devote to personal files.
5. install windows
6. get some food - take a crap, shower - eat some more (the next 2 steps will take some time)
7. install drivers
8. update windows
9. if system is **** in the future - repeat steps 3-8

btw: i would do this even if i bought a completely brand new system. most manufacturers shove so much usless **** in there it makes you want to shoot whoever decided it was a good idea to install the crap.

good luck

+1, go for a clean install.

If you're not comfortable with that, go to Add/Remove programs and start uninstalling stuff. Also, right click My Computers, Properties, Computer Name tab and check to see that the laptop isn't trying to connect to some corporate domain. If so, click on "Change", click on Workgroup, and just name it Workgroup unless you're using something else at home.

Good luck.

audiobliss

Thanks for all the advice, folks. Very much appreciate. It's too late for my brain to be functioning at the moment, so I'll look back over all of it and try something tomorrow.

Thanks!

disneyjoe7

POLKOHOLIC wrote: »

btw: i would do this even if i bought a completely brand new system. most manufacturers shove so much usless **** in there it makes you want to shoot whoever decided it was a good idea to install the crap.

good luck

When you do this to a brand new system, are you using a restore disk or another XP OEM disk? My experience is that the restore disk would just bring it back to the factory load no?

KrazyMofo24

You need a Microsoft XP cd, the only man that supplies the operating system cd is HP. Everyone else uses Recovery cds, and you have to format and they'll reinstall all the programs, ofcourse you can always uninstall them afterwards.

Another thing a week in and having to do a restore not good, if you don't have Office full edition that you already purchased you will lose that once you do the restore. But now days the Office that comes with computers recently actually do expire in 3 months.

KrazyMofo24

Also have you tried safe mode to see if you can log in as Administrator? Usually it doesn't have a password. Then you can delete the passwords/accounts.

audiobliss

Well, due to time constraints with both me and my dad, I think we're going to forego the reformat at the moment. He's going to go ahead and (try to) order reformat discs from IBM (as I heard you can do that), and then we'll reformat it some weekend when we both have the time.


If we decided to just do a fresh install of XP Pro (as I do have an unused copy of it), how would that work? Could we just download all the drivers listed on their website, delete the HD, reinstall fresh copy of XP Pro, then install those drivers and be 100% completely good to go? Would there be any negative effects from this? I did that with my desktop and it turned out pretty horrible, but granted, I didn't plan ahead with getting all the drivers.

Thanks!

POLKOHOLIC

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

When you do this to a brand new system, are you using a restore disk or another XP OEM disk? My experience is that the restore disk would just bring it back to the factory load no?

I have a copy of windows xp which i can install on unlimited systems (godbless Pace University's librarian)

Restore disks would normally return the system to factory condition.

POLKOHOLIC

audiobliss wrote: »

Well, due to time constraints with both me and my dad, I think we're going to forego the reformat at the moment. He's going to go ahead and (try to) order reformat discs from IBM (as I heard you can do that), and then we'll reformat it some weekend when we both have the time.


If we decided to just do a fresh install of XP Pro (as I do have an unused copy of it), how would that work? Could we just download all the drivers listed on their website, delete the HD, reinstall fresh copy of XP Pro, then install those drivers and be 100% completely good to go? Would there be any negative effects from this? I did that with my desktop and it turned out pretty horrible, but granted, I didn't plan ahead with getting all the drivers.

Thanks!

follow my guide and you're set.
they will probably chrge you money for those disk's. you are better off downloading the drivers off the lenovo website (IBM sold their notebook business to Lenovo i believe)
download drivers and install windows. completely good to go.