Neighbors got a new laptop. Didn't like it (windows 8). They are elderly and just
wanted something simple to play card games on, etc.
Tried to help them understand the new Os, no luck. They took it back to wally
world and asked what to do.
I offered to help them find one (bad idea no. 1)
Went online and discovered windows 7 laptops are getting very hard to find.
Finally found a few that appeared to be acceptable.
Decided to go with the lenovo b590.
Ordered it for them, finally came in set up initially and went online to find some free
online games for them. (bad idea no. 2) caught a nasty little virus, blew right past
the norton antivirus. realized it wasn't worth messing with and decided to reinstall the OS.
Realized i hadn't made a disc copy of the OS and decided to do that.
While it is copying to disc it flashed a blue screen and had something on there
about failed to copy (forgot exactly what it said, been a while now).
It gave me two options which i can't remember exactly what they were now (this is
a dead giveaway that i'm not qualified to be doing this in the first place) something
to either rescue the drive i was trying to copy or to copy it???
Either way, i chose the wrong option(bad idea no. 3). I think i chose to copy it
(continue what i was doing) and it tried to write over with something that wasn't
finished. Make sense?? I wish i could remember what exactly happened there.
Well, now that i had no OS, the rescue discs that came with the laptop were not
the same as what it came installed with. It was loaded with windows 7 pro and had
recovery for windows 8 pro.
Back up for a second. Yes i tried the recovery button and yes i had wiped out the
recovery partition. No luck there.
Now, i figure what the heck, i'll put W8 on there and maybe i can go back to 7 after
that, or get it up and running and tweak it to something they can use until i can
get a disc from lenovo for w7, etc.
The windows 8 recovery will not work for nothing. Tried multiple times. From
what i have come to understand it needs data from the original recovery partition
to install it. Lots of "failed to load CMI files"
So, now it decide to burn up lots of my satellite internet data usage and download
an iso copy of the windows 7 pro 64 that i need. After many attempts that would
get to .5g install i finally figured out i needed a download mgr. to get a download (imagine that).
Finally, got a copy and install, from what i had read to skip the key (which wasn't
anywhere to be found anyway), set up, went online with my pc and get some
drivers from lenovo site listed for the laptop. There were a bunch. Most loaded
after some effort, but could tell things were not exactly right. The laptop would go
into sleep mode and have to hold the power button on until it totally went out in
order to power back up. It also shows something about "failed to recognize c:
drive" after windows comes up. Doesn't cause any issues, but both of those problems will freak out the owners.
But,,, there is a bigger problem. The iso copy will not register with windows. I
used a key program and found it. Tried to register and it says can't with a default
key. From what i'm reading, it's not going to work. ???????
Back up on the process a little bit - I called lenovo and told them the backup failed
and it deleted the recovery and that i needed a disc, that i had only had it for a day
and they said not problem will be here in three days.
It never came so i called and now they tell me there is no recovery discs available for that model at this time and that they will have cs call me friday to figure out what to do.
Aside of getting a refund or a replacement from them - which it looks like they won't have a problem with, is there anything else that can be done?????
wanted something simple to play card games on, etc.
Tried to help them understand the new Os, no luck. They took it back to wally
world and asked what to do.
I offered to help them find one (bad idea no. 1)
Went online and discovered windows 7 laptops are getting very hard to find.
Finally found a few that appeared to be acceptable.
Decided to go with the lenovo b590.
Ordered it for them, finally came in set up initially and went online to find some free
online games for them. (bad idea no. 2) caught a nasty little virus, blew right past
the norton antivirus. realized it wasn't worth messing with and decided to reinstall the OS.
Realized i hadn't made a disc copy of the OS and decided to do that.
While it is copying to disc it flashed a blue screen and had something on there
about failed to copy (forgot exactly what it said, been a while now).
It gave me two options which i can't remember exactly what they were now (this is
a dead giveaway that i'm not qualified to be doing this in the first place) something
to either rescue the drive i was trying to copy or to copy it???
Either way, i chose the wrong option(bad idea no. 3). I think i chose to copy it
(continue what i was doing) and it tried to write over with something that wasn't
finished. Make sense?? I wish i could remember what exactly happened there.
Well, now that i had no OS, the rescue discs that came with the laptop were not
the same as what it came installed with. It was loaded with windows 7 pro and had
recovery for windows 8 pro.
Back up for a second. Yes i tried the recovery button and yes i had wiped out the
recovery partition. No luck there.
Now, i figure what the heck, i'll put W8 on there and maybe i can go back to 7 after
that, or get it up and running and tweak it to something they can use until i can
get a disc from lenovo for w7, etc.
The windows 8 recovery will not work for nothing. Tried multiple times. From
what i have come to understand it needs data from the original recovery partition
to install it. Lots of "failed to load CMI files"
So, now it decide to burn up lots of my satellite internet data usage and download
an iso copy of the windows 7 pro 64 that i need. After many attempts that would
get to .5g install i finally figured out i needed a download mgr. to get a download (imagine that).
Finally, got a copy and install, from what i had read to skip the key (which wasn't
anywhere to be found anyway), set up, went online with my pc and get some
drivers from lenovo site listed for the laptop. There were a bunch. Most loaded
after some effort, but could tell things were not exactly right. The laptop would go
into sleep mode and have to hold the power button on until it totally went out in
order to power back up. It also shows something about "failed to recognize c:
drive" after windows comes up. Doesn't cause any issues, but both of those problems will freak out the owners.
But,,, there is a bigger problem. The iso copy will not register with windows. I
used a key program and found it. Tried to register and it says can't with a default
key. From what i'm reading, it's not going to work. ???????
Back up on the process a little bit - I called lenovo and told them the backup failed
and it deleted the recovery and that i needed a disc, that i had only had it for a day
and they said not problem will be here in three days.
It never came so i called and now they tell me there is no recovery discs available for that model at this time and that they will have cs call me friday to figure out what to do.
Aside of getting a refund or a replacement from them - which it looks like they won't have a problem with, is there anything else that can be done?????