# Laptop Died - HardDrive problem



## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

Sister's Laptop - 17" ACER E1-771-6458 - Windows 7
I thought was Motherboard but after checking the HD in an external case (2 different cases) and nothing would read it.
After deleting all from my own external HD, I reinstalled (my sister's laptop) & tried the CDs I had for Windows XP then Windows 2000 - But laptop screen keeps coming up wanting a boot-disk. {I do not have a Windows 7 CD}
Which I thought she had - but we can not find it.
So the motherboard is working and my good external HD (it went to my old laptop that was identical to my sisters)
Is there anything I can do to get her laptop working. - {I had also used F2 to change the book to the CD hoping the Windows CD would install to HD. No luck, keeps wanting a reboot.}
Any help?? - or donate to someone to 'play' with? {I have pics on my phone but I am on my laptop right now. - so let me know if needed to see screen wanting Reboot & I made a pic of where I changed the Boot to read CDROM 1st}


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Lost Windows 7 Install Disc? Create a New One From Scratch


If you’ve misplaced your Windows 7 install disc, which may be the actual discs that came with your PC or a retail Windows 7 install disc that you bought separately, [...]




helpdeskgeek.com


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## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

Corday said:


> Lost Windows 7 Install Disc? Create a New One From Scratch
> 
> 
> If you’ve misplaced your Windows 7 install disc, which may be the actual discs that came with your PC or a retail Windows 7 install disc that you bought separately, [...]
> ...


** My problem is that when I start the laptop, all I get is the screen telling me to reboot with CD ***


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

Need some clarification
1. what was the problem before changing harddrives
2. is the external drive still being used as an external drive on your sisters computer? or did you take it out of the external case and installed it inside the laptop?
3. are the xp disks full retail versions or did they come with another computer?


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## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

1. Her laptop quit and when restarted, a blue screen came up asking for a reboot cd. I could go to F2 or F12 and that's it.
2. No problem changing harddrives - After removing the original one in my sister's laptop & putting it in an external case (was going to put her games on it) - I found out that the external case was not reading that the HD was in it. Put it in my external case & still not work - put mine HD back into the case & it works. Therefore her HD had to be bad. And yes, each time, I removed the HD from the external case before putting in her laptop. (would not fit otherwise).
So then I put my HD from my old laptop (motherboard had died) into her laptop.
3. The Windows XP disks I purchased as a student & it has a product key.
And what I thought was Win 2000 - is actually another XP - with product key but is an OEM SW. And both are full versions because I have used both in previous laptops - I just keep all SW - windows, ms office, etc.


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## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

bmsbms29 said:


> 1. Her laptop quit and when restarted, a blue screen came up asking for a reboot cd. I could go to F2 or F12 and that's it.
> 2. No problem changing harddrives - After removing the original one in my sister's laptop & putting it in an external case (was going to put her games on it) - I found out that the external case was not reading that the HD was in it. Put it in my external case & still not work - put mine HD back into the case & it works. Therefore her HD had to be bad. And yes, each time, I removed the HD from the external case before putting in her laptop. (would not fit otherwise).
> So then I put my HD from my old laptop (motherboard had died) into her laptop.
> 3. The Windows XP disks I purchased as a student & it has a product key.
> And what I thought was Win 2000 - is actually another XP - with product key but is an OEM SW. And both are full versions because I have used both in previous laptops - I just keep all SW - windows, ms office, etc.


**** Sorry, but I do have a Windows 2000 disc (is in her laptop) & has product key but is an OEM.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

OEM can't be transferred. Retail version can be if deleted from the other computer. With original legal Windows 7, she's entitled to reinstall or free upgrade to Windows 10. This can be done on another computer.


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## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

The old computer - hers with bad HD - has no windows on it. And my HD that I put in her old laptop - has been cleaned of all files - including mine I wanted to save - So I guess that part is ok. I do not have a disk for Windows 10 but both of our new laptops has Win10 - not touchscreens.
**** My question now - is How do I installed the Windows to her old laptop? - I changed the 1st boot to CDROM where I have the windows2000 disk. Do I need to install to my old HD - 
Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool-Installer-en-US ??? {I just looked at pic I took of F12 & I think I put the wrong CDROM as #1 to reboot } So I'll go back & check. Thank you.


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## SoCalBryan (Jun 28, 2020)

You may need to get into the bios and manually set the CDROM as the first boot device. It may have the harddrive as the first boot device so it will keep asking for a boot disk as the bios can't find an OS to boot.

for a windows 7 CDROM if you can't get one from ACER then go to the Internet Archive ar Archive.org, select the floppy disk icon for software, and then on the left hand side type "windows 7" and look for a ISO of windows 7.

The Internet Archive is archiving old software for historical purposes so you can find a Retail Windows 7 ISO or possibly use a Dell or HP OEM to use to get the OS back on it. 

You can download it to your Windows 10 machine then use burn the ISO to DVDROM. Then use it to get Windows back running. 

No need for a serial as the retail Windows ISO should be able to use the ACER's BIOS to get it going and activated.

A emergency boot disk like Hiren's Boot CD can be used to see if the laptop will indeed boot up or other EBCD.

Here's a link to some Dell Windows 7 ISO's that are archived on The Internet Archive - https://archive.org/details/software?and[]=dell+windows+7&sin=


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## bmsbms29 (Oct 24, 2006)

thank you so much. I will give that a try.


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