Anyone still running Windows 7?

I’m a bit lost here. I used to have a Vista license that actually had some value, but these days I mostly stick to Linux. I bought this laptop with an original Vista license, so I’ve got the product key and everything, just no installation disc. I let a buddy of mine try to help out by installing XP SP3, but he ended up installing a German version. To make matters worse, he split my drive into three different partitions. The biggest one is just sitting there full of old Vista files and programs that aren't doing me any good. The middle partition has this XP install on it that is absolute garbage—it's a pirated version, and now I don't even have enough disk space left to install iTunes for my iPhone. As for the third partition, it's basically useless; I tried formatting it, but it's like it doesn't even exist. Does anyone have an idea how I could get my hands on a Windows Vista installer so I can actually use my key? And would it be possible to get it in German?

I was looking at my C drive and noticed there’s still about 70GB left over from Vista. It doesn't feel like the whole thing is totally wiped out, because when I boot up Ubuntu (Linux), it's actually detecting the old Vista installation instead of XP. Is there any way to actually get back into Vista, maybe through some kind of recovery process?

Recovery is definitely sitting somewhere on the drive, but it all depends on what kind of machine you're running—desktop or laptop. Every manufacturer uses their own specific key combinations to trigger the recovery partition, so you'll have to check your specific model's manual.

emachine g625 laptop

Try hitting Alt+F10 right as you're booting up—you know, that split second when the screen says "Press F2 to setup" or something similar. That should trigger the recovery from the hidden partition, which basically just resets everything back to how it was when you first got it. I actually just did this on an Acer Extans a few days ago and it worked perfectly.

So, my coworker totally trashed my Windows Vista setup and swapped it out for Windows XP. He left a bunch of old Vista files floating around, but since the OS isn't even running anymore—just XP—I'm completely lost. To make matters worse, he installed an English version instead of the German one I actually need. It felt off from the jump, and now everything is just a mess. Honestly, I don't even care about the data; I just want to know if there's any way to get my original Vista back up and running.

Nathan Castillo16 said:A coworker of mine messed up my computer by wiping Windows Vista and installing Windows XP instead. He left some old Vista files behind, but since the system is running on XP now, I'm totally lost. To make matters worse, he installed an English version of XP when I actually need the American version. It felt off from the start and everything has just been a mess.I don't really care about the old data; I just want to get my original Windows Vista back.

I definitely see what you're trying to do here. I've already outlined the steps for you to get exactly what you need...

Timothy Taylor42 said:Look, I get where you're coming from. I already laid out the steps for you to make this happen...

It’s just not working. As soon as it reads the boot drive, nothing happens, then it just dumps me into a menu asking if I want Windows XP or Ubuntu (Linux)

Nathan Castillo16 said:It’s just dead. As soon as I try to boot it, nothing happens, then it kicks me right back to the menu asking if I want Windows XP or Ubuntu (Linux)

Maybe you wiped the partition where Windows Vista was sitting when you were installing XP?

@Nathan Castillo16/">@@Nathan Castillo16 - Did you get an installation DVD for Windows Vista when you bought the laptop?

If you did, you can find the reinstall steps right here:
http://www.emachines.com/faq/vista/7515418su539.html

If there wasn't a DVD, the installation might have been on a hidden partition that maybe the guy who set up your Windows XP wiped out, which would mean you can't really get back to the original Windows Vista this way. 😢

Here are some more instructions for the reinstall (in English):
http://emachines-us.custhelp.com/app...tail/a_id/2631

You might be able to order an installation disc if you didn't come with one:
https://secure.tx.acer.com/RCDB/Main...rand=eMachines

Hey everyone, first off, I want to apologize to the rest of you on the forum because I honestly have no clue which sub-section this belongs in, so I just decided to drop it here and hope nobody gets annoyed and that someone actually knows what they're talking about... so, basically, I’m running Windows 7 Home Premium and everything is working like a charm, really smooth, but I ran into this weird issue. I picked up some new RAM—a 2x2 GB 800MHz DDR2 kit—but when I check my system, it says 4.00GB RAM (3.50 Usable), and I can't wrap my head around why it's only showing 3.50... if anyone has any idea why this is happening, please, please let me know... :S I've got a dedicated 1 GB graphics card installed too, so it's definitely not some integrated chip stealing my memory, so I'm totally stumped here. Thanks in advance!

Look, I've said this a million times already, but it's because the Windows you're running is the 32-bit version. 🙂

Joshua Garcia3 said:Man, I am telling you for the millionth time, it’s because the Windows you’ve got installed is the 32-bit version... 🙂

since everyone keeps claiming 32-bit is somehow better than 64-bit? lol

but honestly, listen, I just went out yesterday and picked up another 2 GB stick to add to the mix... I was sitting there with 2 GB, so I grabbed one Kingston DDR2 800 stick from the local Best Buy and then grabbed another identical one right there at the same store, and now my system is only showing 3.50GB :S:S

It really just comes down to how you decide to handle things; both versions get the job done fine. 🙂

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/support/windows/faqs/scheduled-questions

Joshua Garcia3 said:It really just comes down to what you want to do with it, honestly, because both versions handle things just fine... 🙂

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/faqs

So what am I supposed to do now, just bite the bullet and switch over to 64-bit or what? You think 64-bit is actually gonna run smoothly on just 4GB of RAM?

Ever since I switched over to Windows 7 32-bit, my setup has been running like this (2x2 GB 800MHz DDR2 4.00GB RAM (3.25 Usable)). Honestly, I don't really have any intention of jumping over to a 64-bit version anytime soon, mostly because the computer seems to be working perfectly fine without any issues. 🙂

Joshua Garcia3 said:Ever since I jumped on Windows 7 32-bit, my setup has been running like this (2x2 GB 800MHz DDR2 4.00GB RAM (3.25 Usable)) and honestly, I’ve got zero interest in switching over to 64-bit anytime soon, mostly because the machine just runs fine without any headaches... 🙂

fine then... heh, but why the hell am I burning through 750 - 800 mb of RAM while I'm literally doing nothing at all? -.....-

swiftdriver30 said:fine, whatever... but why the hell is it eating up 750 - 800 MB of RAM while I'm literally doing nothing? -...-

that's just how much the OS pulls (maybe a bit less) 😉

swiftdriver30 said:Fine, whatever... but why on earth am I burning through 750 - 800 MB of RAM when I'm literally doing nothing?

Alright then, what exactly are you doing with those 3.5GB of RAM you have? Are you expecting them to just sit there at zero usage, or are they actually meant to be used??? I mean... no comment needed.

I'm hitting a wall with an installation. Trying to get Windows 7 running on an Acer Aspire One http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/10767407, which shows you the specs. I follow the standard procedure: grab the 32-bit version, pick my language and keyboard layout, and format the drive. It starts installing, everything seems fine, then it reboots. But instead of picking up where it left off, it just loops back to the initial language and keyboard setup screen.
I've tried this two or three times now. Honestly, I'm losing steam here. Anyone have a clue what's causing this loop?
Thanks