Challenges with my Vista Home and X61 * SOS PLEASE...

[eelco]

Hello,

I really do hope people can offer me some sound advice since after reading so many threads in this fora and via Google I am getting a splitting headache.

I offer all the full story here so no confusion, or suggestions about requests for warez can be raised ...

I live in the Netherlands, my former colleague bought for me a X61 in Taiwan since you can not buy this model (7675/A23) here. It is supplied with Vista Home Basic pre install. This is now almost two years ago...

After initial install I did not make back up and thus own a recovery set.
As such thus occurs with real stupidity I managed to screw up my pre install partition with CC cleaner..
However; everything worked these last 9 months +, so I did not take actions.

Now it comes; windows defender is now messed up so bad, that it does not install any updates...and with fairly extensive support via Microsoft helpdesk NL (whom explicitly forbid me to ever use CC cleaner again), and even with their remote support, they finally suggested me to contact Lenovo.

Since defender is part of the OS and my OS is now structurally damaged, since I have an OEM key pre install I need to contact the Manufacturer. The Lenovo world wide warranty does not cover my machine in this region and now I am stuck.


I do have no person in my region by far whom has recovery set or similar DVD/CD and such more.
I do have retail version DVD Vista, no external DVD player...I do have external USB harddisk


Here are my questions;

1) whom has actually been in same situation and experience therefore understands the do's and don't
2) I understood that my OEM key is legal, but using that Key in a retail DVD install same Vista Home would be not legal ?...or what is the issue there...

Since I have Vista DVD avail (without that originating Key)
and my pre install in completely messed up, can I thus make a complete new install with my own key?

and If yes; the how too please...


And please try to refrain from ''smart'' comments like buy new DVD player, buy new Vista DVD and Key,
and such more....

thank you for understanding my request for support here, since I am really stuck and still seek a legit and proper solution for this messed up situation...


Kindest regards,


eelco v

[jdhurst]

Eelco wrote:

Since I have Vista DVD avail (without that originating Key)
and my pre install in completely messed up, can I thus make a complete new install with my own key?

No. The OS supplied was OEM, and the Vista DVD you have is likely retail. It is not going to work.

and If yes; the how too please... I think any how-too is illegal here because you lack your Vista DVD key

And please try to refrain from ''smart'' comments like buy new DVD player, buy new Vista DVD and Key,
and such more....

thank you for understanding my request for support here, since I am really stuck and still seek a legit and proper solution for this messed up situation...

And so I believe a legitimate and proper solution for you has three options:

1. Listen here for answers, and/or, post over in the Marketplace forum and seek a set of bona-fide recovery CD's.
2. Go to eBay and see if you can find a set of recovery CD's
3. Call Lenovo back. Tell them you had to replace the Hard Drive and that you need recovery CD's. Out of warranty they should sell them to you.

.... JDH

[Marin85]

@OP: Just a few points:

1. CCleaner cannot screw up the preload partition. It has screwed up Rescue and Recovery. And it has screwed up almost everything else in your setup because you have used the built-in registry cleaner without caution (By this I mean CCleaner is a very good piece of software regarding HD cleaning and can solve problems rooting in registry if you exactly know what you are doing , so there is no real reason to give up CCleaner if you stay away from the registry, and, no, I´m not in the development team of CCleaner)

2. If you need Lenovo preload that much, you should purchase those Vista recovery DVDs (since you are in EU, if your machine is still under any warranty, call the regional Lenovo, tell them your unfortunate story and they may send you recovery DVDs for free if you happen to reach some good soul there )

3. Something from my limited experience with Lenovo XP and Vista preloads: use Magical Jelly Bean Key to extract the "actual" key from your current Vista setup (note it´s different from the one on the COA sticker on the bottom of your ThinkPad) (from what I understand it´s a volume license key). From my experience it should work with "ordinary" Vista install DVD (probably like the one you have), but you may have to call M$ to complete the activation (not sure about that last part though). This key will work only with the same Vista, that means both language and edition (you can change the arch from x86 to x64 though).

Hope this helps and good luck!

Marin


BTW, welcome to the forum!

[jdhurst]

If the Vista DVD is a retail product, the on-board key likely won't work. Otherwise, a Volume License DVD should not likely be in the hands of a regular user (although, per the OP, the key did not come with it). From the point of view of legalities, we should tread carefully. The OEM license (any OEM license) preloaded on any computer is not portable, and lives and dies with the computer. So the only legal way of rebuilding the PC that I know of is with recovery CD's. However, recovery CD's are reasonably easy to get. ... JDH

[Marin85]

JDH, now when you mention about the legal side, I have assumed that calling M$ and having the installation approved and consequently activated by them would resolve any doubts about its legal status, but I might be very well wrong about that...

As for the other part, here is my case:
1. XP -> got XP (with SP2 included) installation disc aimed for the state administration, used the "extracted" key from the Lenovo image, had to call M$ -> no problems activating it.
2. Vista -> got MSDN Vista DVD (incl. SP1), used the "extracted" key from Lenovo image (the one created by the Vista recovery DVDs that I have received from Lenovo instead of XP recovery CDs), activated successfully (didn´t have to call M$).

I can imagine that the XP media was a Volume License one...

As for the OP reinstalling his/her system I would say, as far as things are uncertain, it´s worth a try...

Marin

[eelco]

First of all,

thank you for being welcomed at this forum.

Both positions I do understand and I will logically first try the key and DVD combination to understand if it
uberhaupt works or not...

When it happens that it does not work then my question here would be that a recovery set, can it provide a full new install, since my pre installation is really gone. So can those recovery sets help me with a full install of Vista,..and since it are recovery set how then does my OEM key then work...

The main concern here about legality is that I bought a license for good money and now will feel screwed over about 50 bucks when in need of ''service''. The endless telephone calls are of course also not free of charge...

anyways, thanks and again; your comments are highly appreciated due to constructive advice

eelco


update

I have managed to get Ubuntu working
(and also repaired my pre load Vista Partition, thus I will not further use windows : only when no other options are available to me)

; from this day on I will seek to put efforts and feedback back to the community where it makes sense,

ubuntu