IT folks-computer question

[wickedmerc]

Tapping into the very helpful nature of this online community......

My wife's laptop (Dell Inspiron 1525) crashed in a big way. I tried all restore options, nothing. I want to bring it back to life with a different OS and get away from Vista. Can I just buy Windows 7 and install? I realize all previous data and files will be lost but it's a perfectly good laptop...except for Vista.
Any input appreciated.

[Blk Mamba]

you may be able to simply install Windows 7 without Formatting the hard drive and be able to keep your files. However, if Windows 7 won't install it may be a hard drive issue and youmay have to actually get a new Harddrive.

it all depends on what blue screen error you got (if any). However Vista is highly unstable and your best bet may actually be installing a newer operating System.

[RacerX]

You may want to check the boot menu to see if that Dell has the selftest partition so you can test all the hardware. Windows 7-64bit will install on that unless there are hardware issues as he said. Max the memory out with 2x2Gb DDR2 sodimm if it's not allready. You could give it new life/speed with an SSD. Don't think about Win 8.

Blk Mamba, Vista can be VERY stable depending on hardware and user. :beer:

[1stMerc]

^^^What he said check the hard drive first before even trying to install new os. Saves time.
Error message if any may be your first clue.^^^

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Did you boot in safe mode?

The files are still there.

Do you have the original install disks?

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Doug

I just PM'd my cell # to you.

[MM2004]

Tapping into the very helpful nature of this online community......

My wife's laptop (Dell Inspiron 1525) crashed in a big way. I tried all restore options, nothing. I want to bring it back to life with a different OS and get away from Vista. Can I just buy Windows 7 and install? I realize all previous data and files will be lost but it's a perfectly good laptop...except for Vista.
Any input appreciated.

You say crashed in a big way. What's it doing or not doing?

Like stated above. If the hardware is good, upgrading to Win 7 is definitely doable.

If it won't boot and the drive is good, there are ways to get the data from the drive prior to formatting.

Last time I checked, Win 7 upgrade was about $125.00 retail.

Mike.

[wickedmerc]

Thanks for input/advice guys. Believe it or not, I couldn't find the laptop to get back into it. It was shelved when it started acting up back in September and we got a new unit for my wife.

I started laptop tonight. I get the boot error and it allows me to start up in "safe mode". I did that and it took a good 5-7 mins to start. It started and ran really slow. Not really sure how to check status of hard drive so I tried to check programs installed. After a few minutes, screen went black and that was it. I tried to restart but I get nothing. Power light comes on and that's all. Seemed fatal.

[Ozark Marauder]

I was sitting around last night having a few brews with some geek friends, and told them about your problem. Most of them said to strip out the usable parts, then recycle the rest.

Well after a few more brews the subject turned to what to do with a dead laptop. Got a little crazy....

1. Carry it with you and throw it at the first person you see texting while they drive.

2. Do a burnout on it.

3. Sell it on Craigslist as "lightly used" and in need of "minor repairs".

4. Take it to Starbucks on a busy day and place it close to the edge of you table...when someone walks/squeezes by let it fall to the floor, then start freaking out how you lost 2 years of your data on a paper you been working on...see if they will buy you a new one?? or at least a coffee.

5. Bring it to the range and go nuts.

6. Keep it to take your frustration out when your new laptop is acting up, you can abuse the old one.

Yeah, I know, I hang with a strange bunch. But seriously other than taking it somewhere and paying a bench check charge, if you really don't need it, DO take the hard drive out (destroy it yourself), and recycle the rest.

OZ

[Rockettman]

Don't buy anything again that has to do with Microsoft (just sayin' ;))

If you got a laptop from the "compitition", you can partion some of the drive to run Windows (actually it's designed to do that already).
So you could have a partition that runs Windows; and another partition that actually works!!

[wickedmerc]

I was sitting around last night having a few brews with some geek friends, and told them about your problem. Most of them said to strip out the usable parts, then recycle the rest.

Well after a few more brews the subject turned to what to do with a dead laptop. Got a little crazy....

1. Carry it with you and throw it at the first person you see texting while they drive.

2. Do a burnout on it.

3. Sell it on Craigslist as "lightly used" and in need of "minor repairs".

4. Take it to Starbucks on a busy day and place it close to the edge of you table...when someone walks/squeezes by let it fall to the floor, then start freaking out how you lost 2 years of your data on a paper you been working on...see if they will buy you a new one?? or at least a coffee.

5. Bring it to the range and go nuts.

6. Keep it to take your frustration out when your new laptop is acting up, you can abuse the old one.

Yeah, I know, I hang with a strange bunch. But seriously other than taking it somewhere and paying a bench check charge, if you really don't need it, DO take the hard drive out (destroy it yourself), and recycle the rest.

OZ


HAHAHA!!! Thanks OZ! Got a good laugh from that. Ya know, #4 isn't a half-bad idea....may steal it ;)

After working with the machine a little last night and this morning and seeing it's in sorry shape, I'm going to agree with your internet prognosis OZ. Machine will be recycled.
Thanks again for all the input guys!! You folks are alright :cool: