empty contents of laptop on new hard drive (solved)

[Devra]

ok, I've been trying to figure out how to get a windows os into a partition on my new hard drive that already has PClinuxOS installed.

I don't have the original disk (MS OS) that came with my original fully rigged out computer so I've been trying to think of ways to get an MS OS on this darn drive.

I have (yes, it's mine) an old laptop that has a broken dvd unit, everything else works, but is old.  I was going to toss it...but then wondered...can I somehow dump the contents OPERATING SYSTEM and all into a partition on my new HD.  This would let me save the stuff on the laptop and give me an MS OS to switch to, to use with ebay, turbolister, etc..

how far off base am I?

[µT6]

if you are trying to copy a entire os form another machine running windows, you are wasting your time, i work with that and tried to do it, even on the same machine by transferring it to another hard disk and system refused to boot properly, after some hours trying to fix what i broke, system booted but it was working weird, as a experiment it was a complete failure

this doesn't mention the fact that transfer a license, probably oem from one machine to another, even if it works, won't activate and will stop working soon because the mainboard and the serial key doesn't match

if you need a installation disk, you can buy it or use one borrowed, what really matters is the coa on the laptop with the serial key required to activate the install form the disk you can get

you can search on internet for a iso of the os you should have on that laptop and burn it to a cd or dvd or if it is windows 7 put it on a usb

[Devra]

ok, thanks for the info!

[µT6]

i have seen many aio iso on internet

not sure if modified or what but the installer offers all the versions available for 32 and 64 bits, all in a single iso, i have seen that for windows xp, vista, win 7 and win 8

i read somewhere that some of those were provided by microsoft msdn so it should be ok, except for the xp one, seems to be that it was made by someone using many iso images in one dvd

perhaps what you need, you could use one but be sure to use the serial key on the laptop

if the serial key is not visible anymore because it is scratched, peeled off or numbers are not readable anymore, then, you don't have a license anymore, you could try contact microsoft and if the barcode on the coa, near the serial key can be read, that could work but probably they will tell you that you need to buy a new license

[Just17]

i have seen many aio iso on internet

not sure if modified or what but the installer offers all the versions available for 32 and 64 bits, all in a single iso, i have seen that for windows xp, vista, win 7 and win 8

i read somewhere that some of those were provided by microsoft msdn so it should be ok, except for the xp one, seems to be that it was made by someone using many iso images in one dvd

perhaps what you need, you could use one but be sure to use the serial key on the laptop

if the serial key is not visible anymore because it is scratched, peeled off or numbers are not readable anymore, then, you don't have a license anymore, you could try contact microsoft and if the barcode on the coa, near the serial key can be read, that could work but probably they will tell you that you need to buy a new license

... and if they told me that I would promptly use a hacked version and dare them to take me to court.

I recall downloading an ISO for Win 7 from some official site or other, to add to someone's laptop.
After hacking the ISO, all versions of Win 7 were available from the single ISO, from home basic to Ultimate (or professional? not sure).

Those ISO are probably still out there somewhere .....

[Devra]

I've gotten (?) a copy of xp pro that confirms to me that I HATE MICROSOFT.  I've gotten errors where I shouldn't but it is doing the basic thing I need it to do, kind of.  I still can't use my turbo lister (problems with getting my backup from my flash drive onto xp in VB.) and can't access my digital camera. port com problems..

after easter i attack these issues...

[µT6]

"After hacking the ISO, all versions of Win 7 were available from the single ISO, from home basic to Ultimate (or professional? not sure).

Those ISO are probably still out there somewhere ....."

yes, i heard something similar but never bothered testing that, still if i am using the original serial key on the coa in the laptop, it is not important to have versions i don't need, the system won't be activated if i put one os and a serial key for a different version of the os

"and can't access my digital camera. port com problems.."

com port?  do you still have a camera using a com port?  and it still works?

[Yankee]

If I had ActiveDiskImage/DOS and put it on a FreeDOS flash
drive I can get a compressed image of the OS.   Those images
restore to any size drive or partition AFAIR, but if not on sda1
sometimes don't boot.    Used this on Windows-XP.

Whatever licensing is req'd to register with MicroSoft, give them
a quick call.

[Just17]

"After hacking the ISO, all versions of Win 7 were available from the single ISO, from home basic to Ultimate (or professional? not sure).

Those ISO are probably still out there somewhere ....."

yes, i heard something similar but never bothered testing that, still if i am using the original serial key on the coa in the laptop, it is not important to have versions i don't need, the system won't be activated if i put one os and a serial key for a different version of the os

......  unless of course you need to install a Win OS on different PCs, in which case the one install medium is all that is required.

You only ever install one version of Win?

[µT6]

"......  unless of course you need to install a Win OS on different PCs, in which case the one install medium is all that is required.

You only ever install one version of Win?"

when the owner of the pc doesn't have the media, i use the aio discs i mentioned, made by microsft and offered in msdn, not the hacked ones you mention, i need something that at least is closer to be decent quality.

[Just17]

"......  unless of course you need to install a Win OS on different PCs, in which case the one install medium is all that is required.

You only ever install one version of Win?"

when the owner of the pc doesn't have the media, i use the aio discs i mentioned, made by microsft and offered in msdn, not the hacked ones you mention, i need something that at least is closer to be decent quality.

I recall downloading an ISO for Win 7 from some official site

The ones I mentioned are the official releases!

The ISOs had the capability of installing the different OS's but were prevented from showing that option to the user by placing a small config file in each ....  the contents of the config file determined what the user saw as install options.
The only difference between the various ISOs was that config file!

The hacking I referred to was a user one ....  break out the ISO, change the config file and recreate the ISO for access to all the ISO contained.

[µT6]

probably that is the case on recent versions of windows, on older versions each iso had more or less files and the resulting iso had different size than other versions

"The ones I mentioned are the official releases!"

the ones i mention are official releases too, where are we going with this long discussion that doesn't help the op?

[Just17]

probably that is the case on recent versions of windows, on older versions each iso had more or less files and the resulting iso had different size than other versions

"The ones I mentioned are the official releases!"

the ones i mention are official releases too, where are we going with this long discussion that doesn't help the op?

I was responding to this inaccuracy you posted

i use the aio discs i mentioned, made by microsft and offered in msdn, not the hacked ones you mention, i need something that at least is closer to be decent quality.

[µT6]

if you see i am not helping the op, please do a better job than the one i'm doing, it is very easy

but please, stop following me complaining about everything i write when you start talking about things you found online about dumb windows isos

[Just17]

if you see i am not helping the op, please do a better job than the one i'm doing, it is very easy

but please, stop following me complaining about everything i write when you start talking about things you found online about dumb windows isos

All it takes is for you to not quote me and misrepresent what I wrote.

I WILL respond to such posts whether you like the response or not.

when you start talking about things you found online about dumb windows isos

Read again what I wrote .....  it was a personal experience not something 'found online'.

More misrepresentation!   

stop following me

      

complaining about everything i write

I made no complaint ....  you are imagining things.

Tip:
       If you don't want similar responses in the future then don't quote me, and misrepresent what I wrote, in your reply.