OEM win 7 problems

bertieck476 · 01-03-16, 08:25 AM

Hi folks, hope some one can help.
My daughters laptop is running very slowly and she has some uni deadlines to meet, she was previously told the problem was her hdd.
I have purchased a new ssd for it and was going to download a copy of win 7 from microsoft website but they recognise the coa as being oem supplied and give the message to contact hp.
The machine is still running albeit rather slow and it does have a recovery utility that IIRC can create recovery discs, the problem is that the new ssd is smaller capacity that the old hdd and from what I can glean from hp support forums it will not work.
Is there a way around this.
Cheers Bert.

Rockin Robbins · 01-03-16, 05:46 PM

Hmmmmm..... Let me think about this one. How large is the HHD and how large is the SSD?

I would go about it this way: first make a disk image backup with Acronis True Image or a free program called Veeam Endpoint Backup. These programs don't back up files, they back up an image of everything on your hard drive. When restored you get all your installed programs, all your settings, all your favorites, all your bookmarks, all your e-mail addresses--EVERYTHING, just as if nothing had ever happened. Don't confuse disk image backups with file backup software. You want a whole disk image. Put it on another hard drive.

Now, can you uninstall software and move data to another drive so that your hard drive's used space is smaller than your SSD? Keep in mind that if you uninstall your e-mail program you lose your e-mail addresses. You might want to avoid that. But if you uninstall Microsoft Office, all you have to do is make sure your data files are saved. When you reinstall, you just copy your data back in the proper directories and you're good to go.

When you get the used space on your hard drive down to a size that can be put on the SSD, you need to make a second backup. Be careful that you don't overwrite your original backup because you'll need some of those files!

When you have the second backup and it is smaller than the space available on your SSD it's only a matter of restoring the second backup to the SSD. It will now boot up and think it's your original HDD.

Then use the Veeam startup disk I forgot to tell you to create to mount the first backup as a drive and copy your data to another drive. Your goal should be to keep the SSD for operating system and a second HDD (new one of course) for data.

There are ways to move system directories like \Documents to another drive but they can be tricky and that is best left for when you get the system working again. You'll want to install programs to the HDD eventually by moving your \Program Files and \Program Files (x86) directories to another disk if you want to keep UAC going (I personally hate UAC. It hinders no malware but grossly inconveniences the system owner). Most of ten you can choose to install software to the directory of your choice.

Then it's "do I need this program to be lightning fast?" Then install it to the SSD. If not, then install to the HDD. Microsoft Office would be a great example of a program you don't much care about how fast it runs and loads. It would go on the HDD.

vienna · 01-03-16, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertieck476

Hi folks, hope some one can help.
My daughters laptop is running very slowly and she has some uni deadlines to meet, she was previously told the problem was her hdd.
I have purchased a new ssd for it and was going to download a copy of win 7 from microsoft website but they recognise the coa as being oem supplied and give the message to contact hp.
The machine is still running albeit rather slow and it does have a recovery utility that IIRC can create recovery discs, the problem is that the new ssd is smaller capacity that the old hdd and from what I can glean from hp support forums it will not work.
Is there a way around this.
Cheers Bert.

Need more data: what model of HP laptop is it; what OS is it running now; what is the capacity of the HDD the OS is on; what sort of programs are loaded on the HDD; are there any background tasks running and, if so, which ones; have you tried running anti-malware/virus scans to see if the laptop is being used as a 'zombie'; are there any files that can be off-loaded (music, video, etc.) to make more room on the HDD, etc.? ...

"Data! Data! Data! I can't make bricks without clay." -- Sherlock Holmes...

<O>

Rockin Robbins · 01-03-16, 08:36 PM

Agree with vienna. Even the generic advice I gave could lead you entirely wrong if your initial diagnosis of a bad HDD is wrong. If you have malware, cloning it won't help you one tiny bit!

Cloning it to an SSD will just make the malware run faster!

Buddahaid · 01-04-16, 12:39 AM

Perhaps a restore point is available.

Rockin Robbins · 01-04-16, 08:35 AM

Which raises the additional questions of:

When did it begin running slowly? (bears on the usefulness of system restore points)
How was the decision made that the HDD was bad, by whom and when?

Before specific advice can be given we need answers to all of vienna's and my questions above.

Transfer of Windows OEM from one drive to another will require reactivation. That must be done on the phone but is a trivial process.

bertieck476 · 01-04-16, 02:06 PM

Hi folks, thanks for taking the time to reply.
Due to my lack of knowledge and a increasingly stressed daughter who's architecture course deadlines are looming I have dropped it into a local repair shop to deal with it.
Thanks again Bert.

01-03-16, 08:25 AM	#1
bertieck476 Chief Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 327 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	OEM win 7 problems Hi folks, hope some one can help. My daughters laptop is running very slowly and she has some uni deadlines to meet, she was previously told the problem was her hdd. I have purchased a new ssd for it and was going to download a copy of win 7 from microsoft website but they recognise the coa as being oem supplied and give the message to contact hp. The machine is still running albeit rather slow and it does have a recovery utility that IIRC can create recovery discs, the problem is that the new ssd is smaller capacity that the old hdd and from what I can glean from hp support forums it will not work. Is there a way around this. Cheers Bert.

01-03-16, 05:46 PM	#2
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Hmmmmm..... Let me think about this one. How large is the HHD and how large is the SSD? I would go about it this way: first make a disk image backup with Acronis True Image or a free program called Veeam Endpoint Backup. These programs don't back up files, they back up an image of everything on your hard drive. When restored you get all your installed programs, all your settings, all your favorites, all your bookmarks, all your e-mail addresses--EVERYTHING, just as if nothing had ever happened. Don't confuse disk image backups with file backup software. You want a whole disk image. Put it on another hard drive. Now, can you uninstall software and move data to another drive so that your hard drive's used space is smaller than your SSD? Keep in mind that if you uninstall your e-mail program you lose your e-mail addresses. You might want to avoid that. But if you uninstall Microsoft Office, all you have to do is make sure your data files are saved. When you reinstall, you just copy your data back in the proper directories and you're good to go. When you get the used space on your hard drive down to a size that can be put on the SSD, you need to make a second backup. Be careful that you don't overwrite your original backup because you'll need some of those files! When you have the second backup and it is smaller than the space available on your SSD it's only a matter of restoring the second backup to the SSD. It will now boot up and think it's your original HDD. Then use the Veeam startup disk I forgot to tell you to create to mount the first backup as a drive and copy your data to another drive. Your goal should be to keep the SSD for operating system and a second HDD (new one of course) for data. There are ways to move system directories like \Documents to another drive but they can be tricky and that is best left for when you get the system working again. You'll want to install programs to the HDD eventually by moving your \Program Files and \Program Files (x86) directories to another disk if you want to keep UAC going (I personally hate UAC. It hinders no malware but grossly inconveniences the system owner). Most of ten you can choose to install software to the directory of your choice. Then it's "do I need this program to be lightning fast?" Then install it to the SSD. If not, then install to the HDD. Microsoft Office would be a great example of a program you don't much care about how fast it runs and loads. It would go on the HDD. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

01-03-16, 08:36 PM	#4
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Agree with vienna. Even the generic advice I gave could lead you entirely wrong if your initial diagnosis of a bad HDD is wrong. If you have malware, cloning it won't help you one tiny bit! Cloning it to an SSD will just make the malware run faster! __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

01-04-16, 12:39 AM	#5
Buddahaid Shark above Space Chicken Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 8,576 Downloads: 160 Uploads: 0	Perhaps a restore point is available. __________________ "However vast the darkness, we must provide our own light." Stanley Kubrick "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming." David Bowie

01-04-16, 08:35 AM	#6
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Which raises the additional questions of: When did it begin running slowly? (bears on the usefulness of system restore points) How was the decision made that the HDD was bad, by whom and when? Before specific advice can be given we need answers to all of vienna's and my questions above. Transfer of Windows OEM from one drive to another will require reactivation. That must be done on the phone but is a trivial process. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

01-04-16, 02:06 PM	#7
bertieck476 Chief Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 327 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Hi folks, thanks for taking the time to reply. Due to my lack of knowledge and a increasingly stressed daughter who's architecture course deadlines are looming I have dropped it into a local repair shop to deal with it. Thanks again Bert.