Can anyone help me??? Windows Vista???

[monte]

Hello everyone,
Well a friend of mine put windows 7 on my Hp laptop about 6 mths ago assuring me that I wouldn't have any probs with licence issues. He told me something along the lines that it was a company product with many licences.
However since I had my laptop on auto updates I recently started getting messages about being a victim of software fraud. The guy to take no notice of them..... so I did.

I switched on the other day but nothing. I tried various start up options but it says no OS found 

So I don't know what to do???

I just want to add that my laptop originally came with Vista home ed, but it didn't come with a windows disc, and I never made a backup 
I do have the original product key underneath though.

Can I simply buy a copy of the vista program, run it and add my product key???

......has any got said disc?

Any advice is really appreciated. 

Carlo.

[maxload]

It sounds to me like your 'freind' installed a pirated version of windows7. You could try booting from the disk again and running system restore. But if it is a pirated disk and you are recieving these update messages from microsoft then i'm affraid you've had it.

[Tfsi_Mike]

He probably installed a copy with an 'activator' patch. It's when updating / sending data to microsoft it's normally detected.

Don't understand why its found no os though. Normally a symptom of hard drive failure that.
Has it had a knock or bump?

[stealthwolf]

The product key is the important thing so grab a Vista disc and then use your key on it. Alternatively, buy Windows 7. I'd always recommend the OS is a proper version irrespective of what you run on there.

[bacillus]

If you can get into bios then see if your hdd is seen as one possibility is that it's failed.
Another possibility is your master boot record is screwed; if this is the case you can try booting off the win 7 dvd and choose repair my computer.

[bacillus]

Carlo what version of vista were you previously using and was it 32 or 64 bit?

[monte]

Well I know it's not been bumped or dropped.
Any ideas where I can get a vista disc?

I sorta think it's 64 bit but I will check when I get in later. Also I'll check the bios for the HDD.

I popped into a local pc shop and the guy said £45 to fix and he will give me the discs but they won't be original discs.

Does that sound ok???


Thanks for all the help so far guys 

[bacillus]

I sorta think it's 64 bit but I will check when I get in later. Also I'll check the bios for the HDD.

I popped into a local pc shop and the guy said £45 to fix and he will give me the discs but they won't be original discs.

I would want an original MS disc and licence as he may be offering you a cracked version that he's burned himself.

If it's 32 bit then I have an unused ultimate version copy and licence hanging about somewhere...

[monte]

Well I checked and tbh im not sure what it is...
I have taken a photo of the bios page, but trying to copy and paste a link from photobucket using an iPhone is near impossible.

Here is a link to my page...
(not sure if it will tell u any info)

http://s612.photobucket.com/albums/tt210/monte0797/?action=view&current=photo.jpg

[monte]

We'll Mike,Bacillus,

You might have been right all along. I think the HDD has had it

Any ideas on how to get it sorted???

Here is a photo of the bios diagnostic check of the HDD...

http://s612.photobucket.com/albums/tt210/monte0797/?action=view&current=photo-1.jpg

[Tfsi_Mike]

You could buy a replacement HDD cheap enough.

3x tiny x head screws and it should pull out.  Ifti deals in components I think or your local computer shop.
 

[bacillus]

Or step up and get a refurbished ssd.   

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,34086.0.html

[Tfsi_Mike]

Or step up and get a refurbished ssd.   

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,34086.0.html

Would be a good peeformace upgrade, the your computer will be ready for stage2+ then lol

[monte]

So if I buy a hard drive how easy is it to get up and running again with windows on.
Will I still be able to use vista with the product key under the laptop.
Do I need to buy a vista disc?

Where is the best place to buy the things I need?

Really sorry for all the newb questions.    again.

[Tfsi_Mike]

So if I buy a hard drive how easy is it to get up and running again with windows on.
Will I still be able to use vista with the product key under the laptop.
Do I need to buy a vista disc?

Where is the best place to buy the things I need?

Really sorry for all the newb questions.    again.

Physically swapping it is simple enough.

When the new one is back in; re enter bios > set primary boot device to DVD drive > start computer with windows disc in > follow installation instructions on windows setup.

You should be able to use the vista disc that came with it (have I got you right?) and the key on the computer.