Windows 7 issues.

[Lillith]

So a while ago a friend of mine convinced me that I should download this copy of Windows 7. The end result is my computer rebooting every 2 hours and making playing games on it a mess. Said friend is now nowhere to be found.

Yeah I guess I should have just bought a legal copy, but I was convinced by someone else. I got no computer knowledge whatsoever but I really need my computer for schoolwork. Anybody have any advice for someone who barely knows how to switch her computer one? :smallfrown:

[Erloas]

You have a release candidate copy. IE a beta copy MS released to anyone that wanted to help test or check out the soon to be released OS (soon to be released when the RC was given out).
To keep people from simply keeping the beta copy forever they put something in so the computer would restart every 2 hours after... July I think.

So your choice is to either buy a full copy of 7, or to go back to whichever OS you were using before.

Installing an OS is pretty easy once you get it. Basically insert the disk and run the setup and it will do everything else. Sometimes there are a few more things, but we can talk about that later if it comes up.

[Lillith]

How do you go back to your previous OS? I used to have Vista on this computer, does that help?

Edit: This version came on the computer. I do not have any discs or something.

[pendell]

Lilith: Do you have system restore capability on your computer? If you do, simply restore to a date before the windows 7 installation, and you should have your computer back just as it was before you made that mistake. The functionality was put in for precisely this reason.

System restore (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx)

Another possibility is to get a Windows XP installation DVD .. the one that came with the computer .. and boot up off the DVD. It will then prompt you through the installation steps. If you don't have an installation DVD, you can purchase one from your local computer store.

Another possibility is to simply buy the legal version as an installation DVD and do a complete re-install with the full version. This may not help with your games, but it will at least stop your computer rebooting!

I'll spare you the lecture on why using illegal software is a bad idea, because I suspect you've had an object lesson. :)

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[TSGames]

How do you go back to your previous OS? I used to have Vista on this computer, does that help?

Edit: This version came on the computer. I do not have any discs or something.

Most likely, you have installed over your previous OS or you have done an "upgrade." Either way, you need to backup critical files and reinstall the OS your choice, or simply 'upgrade' to the full version of Windows 7.

There is no way to simply restore to a previous operating system.

[Brother Oni]

It depends on how they installed Windows 7.

If they installed it as a dual boot, then shortly after you power on the computer, you should get an option to select which OS you want to boot up in (select Vista).

If they did a clean install, you're out of luck and have to find an OS disk of some sort. If you're sure your computer didn't come with any recovery/backup disks, then you're going to have to either *cough* acquire a new OS or buy one.

[TSGames]

If they installed it as a dual boot, then shortly after you power on the computer, you should get an option to select which OS you want to boot up in (select Vista).

No offense, but given the level of computer knowledge presented in the OP, it seems *quite* safe to assume that this was not a dual boot situation. Even if it was setup as dual boot, why wouldn't the OP simply boot into the other OS, why would the OP even waste time asking for a solution? It just doesn't make sense to address the issue of dual booting right now.

[pendell]

Should add: At my job we use Windows Embedded Standard (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/westandard/default.mspx), which by default produces evaluation images that expire after 90 days -- when that time comes up , the system will endlessly reboot.

There was no alternative save to install a new OS image. Preferably a fully registered one.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Lillith]

Alright I'm gonna see if I can find any discs around the house and if I can go to a past recovery point. If I've learned anything besides the fact of going legal with software is to never take advice about computers from friends (hopefully that doesn't come out too wrong). Thanks everybody.

Edit: Yeah, luckily my laptop got a dual boot, that saved me pretty much. (Even though the laptop has one of those flunky Visas, but it was a legal one)

[TSGames]

Alright I'm gonna see if I can find any discs around the house and if I can go to a past recovery point. If I've learned anything besides the fact of going legal with software is to never take advice about computers from friends (hopefully that doesn't come out too wrong). Thanks everybody.
Just an FYI.... System Restore cannot restore an old operating system. It can restore a previous state, but that is all it does. So if you lost some files or data from before the installation, assuming your restore points were somehow preserved during the installation process, then you could possibly recover said files and data, but cannot recover Windows Vista.

*facepalm* Glad it turned out to be dual boot after all. Just be careful when you install in the future, and maybe stick to buying operating systems. Or switch to Linux[/mandatory_Linux_plug].

[Lillith]

No no, my laptop got dual boot, my computer however doesn't. Yeah I learned something really valuable today.

[pendell]

If I've learned anything besides the fact of going legal with software is to never take advice about computers from friends (hopefully that doesn't come out too wrong). Thanks everybody.



A better solution might be to get the advice of multiple friends, preferably ones that have demonstrated some knowledge and understanding of technical matters. No one person is right all the time. Multiple experts help cancel out individual errors. It certainly works in my job.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Erloas]

If you still have the Microsoft sticker on your computer with the activation key for Vista then all you need is a copy of the disc. If you need to borrow the disc for installation then that is fine, because it is the product key (and the license it is tied to) that determines a legal vs illegal copy.

[Brother Oni]

No offense, but given the level of computer knowledge presented in the OP, it seems *quite* safe to assume that this was not a dual boot situation. Even if it was setup as dual boot, why wouldn't the OP simply boot into the other OS, why would the OP even waste time asking for a solution? It just doesn't make sense to address the issue of dual booting right now.

Well the OP has said that she 'barely knows how to switch her computer one' [sic], so I assumed the bare minimum.

Having done free IT support for friends of the family, experience has taught me to always look at what they've actually done, not what they've said they've done.

[chaser]

Windows 7 won't let me play diablo :{ :smallfurious: