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[jereboam]

I'm supposed to know a lot about computers, but this is defeating me.

I've got a rather sick laptop.  It keeps telling me that the disc is about to die horribly, and occasionally blue screens and restarts.  Now, I've bought a new disc, and formatted it and it's all ready to go, except I haven't got an operating system.  The laptop was supplied with a hidden partition containing the OS (Windows Vista), and no recovery/backup CD.  I really can't work out how to get this hidden partition, or even the data in it, onto the new disc. 

I did try an image copy program a while ago, but that didn't work (at least, I don't think it did).  The problem was that there are 3 partitions set up as logical discs on the faulty physical disc, and my software wouldn't recognise the physical disc.  When I tried to copy logical disc by logical disc, it took about 12 hours and, as far as I can tell, it copied the entire physical disc, but I'm not sure if the 3 partition structure has been retained. 

I'm doing all the copying via USB disc enclosures, and intermediate drives, because I don't have any way of copying from one 2.5" SATA drive to another and I don't want to copy bootable partitions onto my desktop hard drives. 

Help!!!! :-/ :-/ :-/

[cem_devecioglu]

some softwares are not what they claim to be ..

this may help I hope

http://shareme.com/details/easeus-partition-master-home-edition.html

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

[zirk]

Also HDclone is free, easy and it does what it says on the tin.

[dbug]

Just done one for a friend - hard drive incl hidden partition completely trashed and unreadable.  His OS was XP Home - so installed from XP Home disc using serial from his COE sticker, activated ok over net.

Guess this is an option for you too - although I wouldn't be reinstalling Vista, rather get yourself a copy of Windows 7, or even XP as that is still better than Vista!!

HTH

[jereboam]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll give those a try when I get back from holiday.  In the mean time, I had a brilliant idea in the middle of the night: I'll put an XP system on the new disc, bung that in the laptop and I've got something to take with me on holiday.  I can then try getting Vista up and running when I've got a bit more time.

Not sure why I'm bothering, though - from what I've seen, Vista can be very irritating, to say the least.

[Kevin Wood]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll give those a try when I get back from holiday.  In the mean time, I had a brilliant idea in the middle of the night: I'll put an XP system on the new disc, bung that in the laptop and I've got something to take with me on holiday.  I can then try getting Vista up and running when I've got a bit more time.

Not sure why I'm bothering, though - from what I've seen, Vista can be very irritating, to say the least.

Yep. Given the choice between XP and Vista I wouldn't waste my time getting Vista to work.

[cem_devecioglu]

yep.. either xp or win7.. win 7 may be better option though as it can load most drivers itself and works a bit faster..

[jereboam]

I don't know if I've got any spare XP licences - are Microsoft going to notice if I re-use an existing licence? 

It might mean I'm using the same licence on two machines.  But as far as I can recall, in the early days of XP, it wasn't common for people to stick the Certificate of Authenticity onto the PC box, so it must have been a bit of a free-for-all. 

I've got a couple of very old XP distribution discs with yellow licence number stickers on the jewel case.

[dbug]

I don't know if I've got any spare XP licences - are Microsoft going to notice if I re-use an existing licence?

It might mean I'm using the same licence on two machines.  But as far as I can recall, in the early days of XP, it wasn't common for people to stick the Certificate of Authenticity onto the PC box, so it must have been a bit of a free-for-all. 

I've got a couple of very old XP distribution discs with yellow licence number stickers on the jewel case.

It'll either activate or it won't - if it won't change the serial and try again

[TheBoy]

Just done one for a friend - hard drive incl hidden partition completely trashed and unreadable.  His OS was XP Home - so installed from XP Home disc using serial from his COE sticker, activated ok over net.

Guess this is an option for you too - although I wouldn't be reinstalling Vista, rather get yourself a copy of Windows 7, or even XP as that is still better than Vista!!

HTH

With many 'big name' PCs, the key on the COA is disabled at source as the OS uses preactivation.

To OP - use a disk clone, not a partition clone.

[dbug]

Just done one for a friend - hard drive incl hidden partition completely trashed and unreadable.  His OS was XP Home - so installed from XP Home disc using serial from his COE sticker, activated ok over net.

Guess this is an option for you too - although I wouldn't be reinstalling Vista, rather get yourself a copy of Windows 7, or even XP as that is still better than Vista!!

HTH

With many 'big name' PCs, the key on the COA is disabled at source as the OS uses preactivation.

To OP - use a disk clone, not a partition clone.

The one I've just done was a Dell - and the serial on the COE was used for installation and activation of XP Home - no problems !

[TheBoy]

Just done one for a friend - hard drive incl hidden partition completely trashed and unreadable.  His OS was XP Home - so installed from XP Home disc using serial from his COE sticker, activated ok over net.

Guess this is an option for you too - although I wouldn't be reinstalling Vista, rather get yourself a copy of Windows 7, or even XP as that is still better than Vista!!

HTH

With many 'big name' PCs, the key on the COA is disabled at source as the OS uses preactivation.

To OP - use a disk clone, not a partition clone.

The one I've just done was a Dell - and the serial on the COE was used for installation and activation of XP Home - no problems !

Ah, was it old?

As its an obvious piracy thing, if OEMs use preactivation (which all the big boys do), they get 'special' COAs with recorded, but disabled numbers.  Much rarer with XP, although this was happening before Vista was released.