Ryarwood99

Estimable
Oct 26, 2014
17
0
4,560
So my hard drive failed in my Pavilion g6 1d16dx and now that I need a new one do I need to buy another copy of windows... I read somewhere that the key is saved on the Mobo (i can't imagine that's true) so if I put in a windows disk (which I have from my desktop) can it automatically put it in? This came at a terrible time just a couple days before I leave for vacation
 
to save yourself a lot of pain spend the small fee and conact hp for a restore disk. the restore disk will have the factory image and drivers in it already. windows oem iso wont have the laptop drivers you have to download them to a usb stick and install them after you get windows up. some laptop vendors now put the windows oem number lable in the battery bay or under the ram tray lid. try googling your laptop model and oem lable and see where the vendor placed it.
 

psoohoo

Estimable
Jul 30, 2014
25
0
4,590
You will need the HP copy of Windows 7 installation media (DVD or ISO). The printed key on the sticker cannot used for installation.

The DVD will have the licensing keys and certificates that match the predefined information in the machine's BIOS.
 

Ryarwood99

Estimable
Oct 26, 2014
17
0
4,560
Ffg7, It has both 32 bit & 64 bit... It is not associated with any brand except Microsoft (I built my own desktop) it is just a Microsoft box with 2 CD's (32 bit & 64 bit) and a product key on top (which I can't use because it is associated with my desktop)
 

ffg7

Splendid
Moderator
are both computers using the same make cpu's as in intel or amd & same chipset as in intel, NVidia or amd because 1 of the members on the afterdawn site that I moderate was able to use a different oem version of windows on some dell desktops?
 

danny2000

Distinguished
Sep 14, 2010
196
0
18,660


Sometimes you can boot to the bios or recovery partition and it sometimes will let you make recovery disks that way.

Also I would SURELY, SURELY investigate this before spending time reinstalling an O/S and then finding out you can't activate it, being that you have such a short time until your vacation;
 

danny2000

Distinguished
Sep 14, 2010
196
0
18,660
On some recovery DVD(S) the first disk is the operating system installation DVD and the rest are their software and drivers. Often you can do a clean installation this way, but then you'll either have to download the drivers to a USB and you might be able to find them on the DVD set by manually searching. Basically, the only one's that you need right at start is the Network drivers for however you are going to connect to a network, and before that, the chipset drivers.

All of the other drivers you can download from the HP website once you get connected to the Internet.