How to format a drive and install Windows Vista?

Dinarius

I have a laptop running Windows XP.

I only use it for capturing images directly from two cameras.

I was having a problem with one of the cameras after I updated to Service Pack 3, so I did a system restore. The camera work fine, but the other one did not.

I'm at my wits end with this! :eek:

For some reason, I've mislaid the XP DVD. But, I have a Vista x64 DVD which is installed on my desktop, so I'd like to install this.

Any software I need for the laptop, I also have.

So, how do I make the cleanest possible installation?

Many thanks.

D.

Torqay

Dinarius wrote: »

I have a Vista x64 DVD which is installed on my desktop

So, how do I make the cleanest possible installation?

You don't. It will fail the activation if you install it on another computer.

Make and model of the laptop? If the system restore partition hasn't been removed from the laptop, you might be able to restore it to the factory default settings (back up anything you need).

Dinarius

Thanks for the reply.

It's a DELL Vostro 1500.

D.

Torqay

Dinarius wrote: »

It's a DELL Vostro 1500.

CTRL + F11 during the POST screen (Dell logo) should get you to the system recovery utility.

Note: all personal files and settings will be lost as everything will be overwritten, back to factory default.

Dinarius

I think that the problem may be related to how the software is installing.

Everytime I install it (have removed it and done a Registry clean also) it 'finds' preferences from the first installation.

I think that these may be stored in C:\documents and settings\Me\Application Data\Software Name

Oddly, if I open another piece of camera software and go into the log file, I am in this folder.

But, I cannot find the Application Data folder by looking for it directly from the C: drive.

Why is this?

Thanks.

D.

-( i )- Wicker

Its a hidden folder. You should be able to access it by typing the address directly in the taskbar, or you can go to Folder and Search Options, go to the View tab, and select "Show hidden files and folders".

yoyo

Have you tried downloading the latest driver for the problematic camera from the manufacturers site? Also another much less drastic solution to formatting is picking up a cheap memory card reader, and downloading the photos using that rather than camera to the computer. Its essentially the same process to using the camera to transfer them. Picasa is good for that kinda thing and freeware

Nick

Dinarius

Thanks.

This camera has to be tethered for certain features.

Drivers are up to date.

D.

yoyo

One thing you could try is removing both cameras completely. Start by using add/remove programmes to uninstall all related content. Then manually remove program files/app data/registry entries (be careful editing the registry). To access the application data folder simply press the windows key and 'r' buttons, and in the run box type "%appdata%" minus the quotations and click ok. The application data folder will open. Are the cameras different models or the same?

Nick

Dinarius

Nick,

Cheers!

One Canon, one Hasselblad. The Hasselblad is the problem.

Downloaded and ran System Mechanic. It found 479 Registry errors. Fixing the problems at the moment. Taking ages! :rolleyes:

Thanks again.

D.

Dinarius

In the end, out of sheer frustration, I went for the Ctrl/F11 approach.

I had downloaded and installed System Mechanic. But, after I ran it, I got a bug (as described here> http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5447&review=Iolo+System+Mechanic+9.5 - "forcing a copy of Roxio Update Manager into an error loop with every system restart. It was looking for DLLs that weren't present after the System Mechanic tune-up, and I had to shut down the app with Task Manager to clear it away. The only permanent solution was to reinstall the Roxio utility from CD.")

It would probably have been possible for me to solve the problem (I still have the Roxio CD), but I was just beyond that!:eek: I am now trying to get my €29.99 back.

So, I went the Ctrl/F11 route to remove everything, including System Mechanic. I then dumped most of the garbage that comes pre-loaded on Dell computers.

I reinstalled the software for the two cameras and downloaded Firefox. I also turned off Automatic Updates.

Both cameras are working fine now. I had forgotten that when you first connect the cameras and insert the Firewire card, Windows Device Manager kicks in and, after a few seconds, you get a message saying, "Your hardware device is ready to use."

I'm wondering now if I had deleted the IEEE 1394 in Device Manager and 'forced' it to reinstall, would it and the camera have 'found' one another again? (For what it's worth, I can't see the cameras listed in Device Manager even though they were both detected by name when I connected them - Canon (via USB) and Hasselblad (via Firewire))

A lot of time wasted, but I learned a lot! :rolleyes:

D.

Ps. The amount of garbage that comes preinstalled on a Dell computer is truly staggering.

Pps. As a total aside, I can't get 'Open search results in a new window' to activate in google/preferences. Neither for Firefox nor IE. I removed Google Toolbar from the installed Programs. Wonder if that has anything to do with it.