Replacing new hard drive on an old HP computer?

Question

I have an older hp slimline and the hard drive died recently. Replacing it seems easy and I don't care about the files lost but will the new hard drive work with the preinstalled windows vista on the old drive? It did not come with any discs. Please advise. I hope I don't have to buy a $100+ copy of windows vista.

Answer 1

Call HP and ask them to send you a copy of the restore software. They might send it free... you pay for the license to use it, not the software itself.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, my friend, when you install the new hard drive there will be no operating system on it, so your computer won't be able to boot up.



I'm afraid the only way round this is to either buy a new operating system disc ... Vista in your case ... or use a Linux distribution, many of which are FREE. You could either get someone else to download one of the distributions and burn it to disc or USB flash drive for you.



If you look closely at your computer, you should find that there's a label on it with a serial number/product key for whichever version of Windows Vista you had installed. You could, if able, find someone that would loan you a copy of the same version of Windows Vista and install it using your original serial number/product key.

Answer 3

No it won't. New hard drives are empty, you need to install an operating system on them from a disc.



Rather than spending $100+ for Vista or Win 7, why don't you download and bun a free copy of Linux instead?



http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=07263



Go for the linuxmint-13-mate-dvd-32bit.iso version on your machine.

Answer 4

As said you have to install an os to new disk, you can pick up widows xp pro on ebay for $30 with the coa(certificate of authenticity(keeps you legal)) much better than vista

Answer 5

you're suited to difficulty approximately your troublesome tension. i decide directly to propose that, till now the stress fails, you do 2 issues: Get tension Imaging utility (like Norton Ghost) and make an entire backup of the completed troublesome tension onto an exterior tension (below $a hundred.00 for a good 250Gb USB tension). 2nd, to an identical troublesome tension, export or replica all your important archives and information to a distinctive folder on the exterior tension. the fee of an inner troublesome tension can selection from $40.00 to nicely over $200.00, reckoning on the dimensions and style and high quality of the stress. choose for good high quality and a particularly super length. Then, set up living house windows onto the recent tension (or have the community computing gadget save do it for you) and set up your photograph Backup utility onto the recent tension. you should the two restoration (clone) from the backup photograph you have made till now changing the stress, in the different case reinstall your different utility and replica or import your information and archives from the copies on the exterior tension. An exterior troublesome tension is mandatory in case you opt to grant your self with protection from information loss in the experience that your computing gadget crashes badly and you're able to be able to desire to do an entire device reinstall. It occurs -- frequently once you least assume it. So how you're able to do finished device backups with Ghost or the different backup product, and be secure extremely than sorry next time.