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Mischief and other things
- Thread starter Faery_Light
- Start date
Yea, don't bother with Linux, the setup with Wine or the other will be a total hassle. I would think that Dell or whomever you bought the computer from originally would supply you with a replacement OS disk or give you an option to buy one at a steep discount in case of a hard drive failure. Shame on them!
I can buy it from Dell at $29.95 but that is Windows 7 and I had upgraded online free to Windows 10.
May just do that and stay with 7.
May just do that and stay with 7.
seachnasaigh
Energetic
Faery, if your computer has the holographic sticker on it with the Windows 7 key code, you can use most any Win7 install disc; Dell OEM would be preferred because it will also have some -not all- Dell drivers, etc. But any missing drivers should auto-download once you're up and running.
A Win7 install disc is worth about five cents; it's the key code which is valuable, and you still have that. This is a golden opportunity to go back to Win7Pro, unless Microsoft refuses re-activation of the key as Win7 - they may force activation as Win10. Are you using 64bit? What model Dell is this? (desktop? laptop? XPS720H2C? XPS M1730?)
A Win7 install disc is worth about five cents; it's the key code which is valuable, and you still have that. This is a golden opportunity to go back to Win7Pro, unless Microsoft refuses re-activation of the key as Win7 - they may force activation as Win10. Are you using 64bit? What model Dell is this? (desktop? laptop? XPS720H2C? XPS M1730?)
seachnasaigh
Energetic
Oh, and what type video card(s) does your computer have? If it has a Quadro, then do not install a GeForce series driver, and if it has a GeForce GPU, then do not install a Quadro driver. Quadro and GeForce GPU drivers interfere with each other.
edit: Ah, I see from earlier post that it's desktop.
Hold off buying anything. You can replace a hard drive and re-activate Windows - three of mine have gone through this (and Urania is about due; she already has an Acronis backup and bootable rescue disc ready and waiting, along with a new hard drive on the shelf).
edit: Ah, I see from earlier post that it's desktop.
Hold off buying anything. You can replace a hard drive and re-activate Windows - three of mine have gone through this (and Urania is about due; she already has an Acronis backup and bootable rescue disc ready and waiting, along with a new hard drive on the shelf).
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If I had remembered to do a back-up disk I might have been able to do that.
But the only one I did wad a rescue boot disk...sigh.
But the only one I did wad a rescue boot disk...sigh.
seachnasaigh
Energetic
Don't buy anything.
You have a bootable rescue disc? Then this should be doable; the remaining issue would be whatever else you had stored on the C: drive; those might be recoverable by connecting the old HD as a data drive and copying off whatever is intact.
As for Windows, as I understand it, you have:
A] bootable rescue disc
B] holographic Windows 7 Pro sticker on the computer chassis with key code
Is this correct?
Is your Win7Pro key for 64bit?
You have a bootable rescue disc? Then this should be doable; the remaining issue would be whatever else you had stored on the C: drive; those might be recoverable by connecting the old HD as a data drive and copying off whatever is intact.
As for Windows, as I understand it, you have:
A] bootable rescue disc
B] holographic Windows 7 Pro sticker on the computer chassis with key code
Is this correct?
Is your Win7Pro key for 64bit?
Yes. dual core.
seachnasaigh
Energetic
If it's 64bit, PM me a mailing address and I'll send you a Dell Win7Pro 64bit install disc. Won't work if your license is for 32bit.
I bought OEM Win7 licenses in bulk to set up my server blades ($72 each for 64bit Win7Pro OEM licenses); I have eleven server blades, two midtowers, four full tower workstations (64bit Win7Ultimate), and a laptop. The blades don't have an optical disc drive; I re-formatted an 8GB flash drive to FAT (to make it bootable) and copied a Win7Pro install disc onto it. I used that same flash drive to install Win7Pro 64bit onto all eleven server blades. Each blade got its own key code, so the Windows licensing is legitimate.
But a Win7Pro 64bit install disc is not key-coded; they come with the key-coded holographic sticker in the paper sleeve so you can put the sticker on the chassis.
Each blade has its own sticker and key code.
Now I have a stack of Win7Pro 64bit install discs which have never been used. Those discs are worth nothing; it is the key code -which you already have!- which is valuable. My key code stickers are applied to my server blades.
If you have a bootable rescue disc and the key code sticker on the chassis (so that you can read that and enter it when you install Windows), then all you need is an installer disc. I'd be happy to send you a Dell Win7Pro 64bit installer disc.
Put on reading glasses and read off the Windows key from that holographic sticker, writing it down onto a whiteboard or paper.
Remove the old hard drive, and set it aside (gently - once you're back online, you'll want to connect it as an external hard drive and scavenge it for any personal files).
Install the new hard drive, power up, and run the Win7Pro installer. During installation, it may ask for the driver (rescue) disc. Once installation is accomplished, Windows will ask you for a key code; enter that key code from your holographic sticker.
cost: $0
I bought OEM Win7 licenses in bulk to set up my server blades ($72 each for 64bit Win7Pro OEM licenses); I have eleven server blades, two midtowers, four full tower workstations (64bit Win7Ultimate), and a laptop. The blades don't have an optical disc drive; I re-formatted an 8GB flash drive to FAT (to make it bootable) and copied a Win7Pro install disc onto it. I used that same flash drive to install Win7Pro 64bit onto all eleven server blades. Each blade got its own key code, so the Windows licensing is legitimate.
But a Win7Pro 64bit install disc is not key-coded; they come with the key-coded holographic sticker in the paper sleeve so you can put the sticker on the chassis.
Each blade has its own sticker and key code.
Now I have a stack of Win7Pro 64bit install discs which have never been used. Those discs are worth nothing; it is the key code -which you already have!- which is valuable. My key code stickers are applied to my server blades.
If you have a bootable rescue disc and the key code sticker on the chassis (so that you can read that and enter it when you install Windows), then all you need is an installer disc. I'd be happy to send you a Dell Win7Pro 64bit installer disc.
Put on reading glasses and read off the Windows key from that holographic sticker, writing it down onto a whiteboard or paper.
Remove the old hard drive, and set it aside (gently - once you're back online, you'll want to connect it as an external hard drive and scavenge it for any personal files).
Install the new hard drive, power up, and run the Win7Pro installer. During installation, it may ask for the driver (rescue) disc. Once installation is accomplished, Windows will ask you for a key code; enter that key code from your holographic sticker.
cost: $0
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seachnasaigh
Energetic
Faery, I got the PM. I don't see how to reply, so I'm posting here to let you know that I got it. I would think that the post office will be closed today, but I'll get the disc out tomorrow, either by mail or UPS. I'll post again to let you know which carrier will be delivering the disc.
For the entire hive:
If you have the luxury of having some forewarning before the OS hard drive dies, here is a better solution...
Remove the old hard drive, install the new blank hard drive, power up, and run the bootable rescue and connect the external hard drive which has the Acronis backup.
The bootable rescue will offer to install the Acronis backup. Select Yes, and it will re-install Windows (including key code), all of your programs, your saved Lolcat pictures, your browser bookmarks, your desktop background with shortcut icons all in place, your Poser-D/S projects, everything. Go have coffee while it's rebuilding - put some honey in that coffee.
The only things lost would be whatever you saved since the last Acronis backup. Your first backup will take a while; subsequent backups can be incremental - saving only that which has changed.
The five-machine Acronis license covers my four workstations and my laptop. I don't use Acronis for my render slave machines because for them all I'd need to do is re-install Windows (entering key code manually), and re-install the render engines (QueueManager for Firefly & Superfly, Lux, and Vue RenderCow), which is fairly trivial. All I need for them is the Win7Pro install flash drive and each machine's Win7Pro key code. I have the render engine installers on another flash drive.
For the entire hive:
If you have the luxury of having some forewarning before the OS hard drive dies, here is a better solution...- 1] Buy an Acronis permanent license - $50 covers five computers (any combo of Win/Mac). Acronis allows you to make a backup of your OS hard drive - everything on C: is kept; your browser bookmarks, saved pictures, all of your software and their serial keys, drivers... all of it. Acronis saves this as a compressed file to an external hard drive.
- 2] Use Acronis to make a bootable rescue disc for your computer. Sometimes a CD is enough; or you may need to use multiple CDs or burn a DVD instead.
- 3] Verify that you have that holographic Windows key code sticker - copy that key to an index card in large enough print that you read it.
- 4] Buy a (bare, internal) hard drive of the same or larger capacity as your current OS hard drive. For OS drive, Western Digital's Black series is good.
Remove the old hard drive, install the new blank hard drive, power up, and run the bootable rescue and connect the external hard drive which has the Acronis backup.
The bootable rescue will offer to install the Acronis backup. Select Yes, and it will re-install Windows (including key code), all of your programs, your saved Lolcat pictures, your browser bookmarks, your desktop background with shortcut icons all in place, your Poser-D/S projects, everything. Go have coffee while it's rebuilding - put some honey in that coffee.
The only things lost would be whatever you saved since the last Acronis backup. Your first backup will take a while; subsequent backups can be incremental - saving only that which has changed.
The five-machine Acronis license covers my four workstations and my laptop. I don't use Acronis for my render slave machines because for them all I'd need to do is re-install Windows (entering key code manually), and re-install the render engines (QueueManager for Firefly & Superfly, Lux, and Vue RenderCow), which is fairly trivial. All I need for them is the Win7Pro install flash drive and each machine's Win7Pro key code. I have the render engine installers on another flash drive.
seachnasaigh
Energetic
Win7Pro disc enroute, via US mail. See PM for tracking number.
I have a question about Acronis, how long does it take to back up approximately 3TB?
Right now I am paying 5.99 a month to Crashplan to backup online and it has bee two months with only 45% done.
This is for the main C dive and my external.
All my personal stuff and 3d stuff is on the external with programs only on the C drive.
But I know how quickly an external can fail too.
Right now I am paying 5.99 a month to Crashplan to backup online and it has bee two months with only 45% done.
This is for the main C dive and my external.
All my personal stuff and 3d stuff is on the external with programs only on the C drive.
But I know how quickly an external can fail too.
Yes, we have a really great bunch of folks here. 
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seachnasaigh
Energetic
The first backup will likely take 4-5 hours for 3TB, assuming your external hard drive is connected via USB 2.
You are wise to imagine the possibility of the external itself failing; I keep four external HDs, and each time I do a backup of any workstation, I switch to the next HD, giving me redundancy. Four workstations - four backup hard drives. Each external HD ends up with a backup for each workstation. But that's overkill.
If you have two external HDs, with say the November backup on external "A" and the December backup on external "B", you would have a great deal of redundancy, but I would only do that if a second HD is comfortably within your budget.
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Had to post this, it is amusing.
My eldest (actually second eldest) grand-daughter came home from high school with an infant in a carrier.
The two youngest kids got all excited and gathered around.
They have to do a thing where they act like married couples with a child and have to take this (realistic) artificial baby everywhere with them.
My brother came in and told me I have a new great grandchild.
My eldest (actually second eldest) grand-daughter came home from high school with an infant in a carrier.
The two youngest kids got all excited and gathered around.
They have to do a thing where they act like married couples with a child and have to take this (realistic) artificial baby everywhere with them.
My brother came in and told me I have a new great grandchild.
Great news!
I got the new drive in, re-installed Win 7 and then using my brother's Windows 10 usb I upgraded and let it find my previous Windows 10 serial from the original upgrade.
They store them in the system bios.
New drive is 2TB with my 2TB external for backup and all my personal files and work files are there.
I am very happy.
And now, because a really bad flare hit two days ago and got worse and I can't have Prednisone anymore because if the TIA issues.
So my health nurses said to use Tylenol and back it up with Xanax three times a day while in so much pain.
It has given me more relief than Tylenol alone but I am very sleepy so Im going to bed now.
And tomorrow I will re-install all my programs tot he desk top, two computer to switch between now may help.
So goodnight.
I got the new drive in, re-installed Win 7 and then using my brother's Windows 10 usb I upgraded and let it find my previous Windows 10 serial from the original upgrade.
They store them in the system bios.
New drive is 2TB with my 2TB external for backup and all my personal files and work files are there.
I am very happy.
And now, because a really bad flare hit two days ago and got worse and I can't have Prednisone anymore because if the TIA issues.
So my health nurses said to use Tylenol and back it up with Xanax three times a day while in so much pain.
It has given me more relief than Tylenol alone but I am very sleepy so Im going to bed now.
And tomorrow I will re-install all my programs tot he desk top, two computer to switch between now may help.
So goodnight.
Oh good news indeed FL. I'm very jealous, as this hard drive is only 700gb, so having a hard drive with 2tb, well that's quite a big difference. Of course, this is a laptop, so don't know if they have hard drives for laptops larger than maybe 1tb.
Rest easy, and we'll see ya tomorrow.
Rest easy, and we'll see ya tomorrow.
