Format HD with Vista

[Richard LeBlanc]

If I want to format my HD on vista or remove partitions, what is the
procedure?

All I have is the back up DVD's that I made. My original HD gave me
intermittent problems so I abandoned it.

Is there any way to get the recovery program from the original disk onto my
new hard drive?

 

[LVTravel]

If I want to format my HD on vista or remove partitions, what is the
procedure?

All I have is the back up DVD's that I made. My original HD gave me
intermittent problems so I abandoned it.

Is there any way to get the recovery program from the original disk onto
my new hard drive?

You should be able to boot the computer from the "recovery DVD" number 1
(set the bios to boot from the CD/DVD drive if not done already) which
should restore your computer to the original factory installed condition.
All added programs and data would not be there and would have to be
reinstalled after the restore. Data can be copied from your data backups
you have created.

 

[Mark Adams]

If I want to format my HD on vista or remove partitions, what is the
procedure?

There isn't any, because you cannot reformat the C: partition from within
Windows. You can boot the machine from the Vista DVD, delete the partitions,
recreate partitions you want and format them before you install. If you don't
have a Vista DVD, you will need third party software to do this.

All I have is the back up DVD's that I made. My original HD gave me
intermittent problems so I abandoned it.

You didn't say what kind of problems; if the problems are with Windows, you
could invoke a system restore from the hidden partition. This will return the
machine to the condidion it was in when it left the factory (see your owner's
manual) and you won't need the new hard drive.

If the problems are with the hard drive itself; you will be very lucky to
recover the recovery partition. That's why you should be using imaging
software like Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost. If your drive fails,
repalce it and recover your system from your most recent image.

Is there any way to get the recovery program from the original disk onto my
new hard drive?

Yes. If the hard drive is good (test it with the tools you can download from
the maker of the hard drive), use the cloning software that came with the new
drive. You can also use Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost to clone the old
drive (recovery partition and all) to the new drive.

If the old drive is truely bad, you will need to buy recovery disks from the
maker of your computer, or consider upgrading to Windows 7 by purchasing a
retail install DVD.

 

[Richard LeBlanc]

One of the problems I have is that the Windows Media Player won't play DVD
videos any more. My original hard drive gave me problems. I don't have the
hidden partition on on my present hard drive.

When I try to use Acer recovery eManagement and I select recovery using the
DVD,
there no live icons on the Acer Recovery management window (Restore system
to factory defaults etc).

As I remember it I was able to reinstall applications and drivers when I
had the hidden partition. I did not know how to get the hidden partition on
to the new hard drive and so have none. I'm not sure, but maybe that is the
reason I can no longer do re installs.

What do you think?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Are you trying to boot from the DVD? To me, you seem to be saying that your
are just running programs on it from Windows, but my understanding of these
discs is that you boot from one, which then loads its own interface (an OS,
in fact) that way - which is also how recovery partitions usually work.

 

[Richard LeBlanc]

I don't have any problem booting from my back up DVD. I have done re
installs several times. What I can't seem to do is uninstall programs and
then re install using the back up DVD.

I was able to do repairs when I had the hard drive with the hidden
partition.

 

[Mark Adams]

I don't have any problem booting from my back up DVD. I have done re
installs several times. What I can't seem to do is uninstall programs and
then re install using the back up DVD.

I was able to do repairs when I had the hard drive with the hidden
partition.

You still haven't said what is wrong with the old hard drive. What priblems
are you having with the old drive that made you stop using it? If it still
operates, you can clone the recovery partition to the new drive.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Now you're saying backup DVD. That doesn't sound like the recovery DVD...

The backup programs I use don't allow for *reinstalling* programs from the
disk, they just create copies of the disk I backed up. I can replace one or
more individual files or recreate the original HD from the backup, that's
all.