Re-loading laptop OS

[John]

Update - Father found his XP folder with the license key.
Son returns to uni tomorrow so there is a chance we may find the old hard disc with the legal copy of Vista when we hose out his room, or it may be in his room at uni.

The win 7 for £40 on a student licence is tempting, but I'm not sure this laptop is worth spending any money on!

I though I would try activating the illegal vista by trying the XP licence key. First character R - R doesn't work on the keyboard. Tried the rest and QEUIOP don't work either!
Looks like this is heading for the bin!

I would try the Vista route first as it is free. If not, XP.

However, if a computer is certified / designed to work with Vista, it will happily run Windows 7, and in my experience - faster than Vista.

Although you will be spending more money on it, you will be buying an additional 3 years of life for it as security updates will be released 3 years beyond Vista.

Would it be completely out of order to suggest either Ubuntu

I did...

 

[neilz]

Would it be completely out of order to suggest either Ubuntu or Linux Mint (if keeping the Windows-type interface is desirable)? No headache with licensing stuff - it's free legally, miles ahead in terms of security and reliability, fun to use and comes with everything you might need (or it's available to download for free too).

It might sounds daft, but I honestly do not understand why people use an inferior, expensive OS, when there are freely available ones of incomparably higher quality?

Now, now, lets keep opinionated fanboyism out of this!

 

[Piff]

Hmmm - whatever operating system I go for isn't going to make QERUIOP keys work is it?

 

[removed]

I did...

Indeed. I was just lazy - didn't read the entire thread
Still - the best suggestion, IMO.

I actually use Open Office on my Macs too - and it's nothing to do with its price (or lack thereof ) - excellent suite, plus I prefer to keep my files in open format, as I want to be able to read them in 30yrs time ...

 

[removed]

Hmmm - whatever operating system I go for isn't going to make QERUIOP keys work is it?

You might be pleasantly surprised by the ability of Linux OS to get stuff that were broken in Windows working again. Unless there's a physical damage to the keyboard or FPC, you can try one of Linux live CDs, there's no need to instal the OS - it will run from the CD/DVD.

You can also lift the keyboard, to see if the connector/FPC is loose - could cure the missing letters.

 

[John]

Yes, certainly worth seeing if the keyboard connector is in correctly.

If you press the non-working keys harder, do they work?

I've had a space key on a Sony Vaio that needed to be struck really hard but it did work - and that certainly wasn't the connector.

If it is the keyboard, it may be time to call it a day.

Of course if the unit is going to stay in one place, you could connect an external USB keyboard and use that instead - you effectively make it a desktop PC with built-in UPS...

 

[Piff]

You can also lift the keyboard, to see if the connector/FPC is loose - could cure the missing letters.

Lift the keyboard? How do you do that?

Could it be accessed from underneath? Could it have been disturbed when son & mate fitted new hard disc?

 

[BTB 500]

If you don't have it, you should be able to download the manual for the PC from the manufacturer's website. This will tell you how to remove/re-fit the keyboard.

I recently swapped a German keyboard for a UK QWERTY one on a netbook we were given. Wouldn't have had a clue without the manual, but it was dead simple.

 

[Piff]

If you don't have it, you should be able to download the manual for the PC from the manufacturer's website. This will tell you how to remove/re-fit the keyboard.

Only an 0844 number for after sales support.

 

[removed]

Lift the keyboard? How do you do that?

Could it be accessed from underneath? Could it have been disturbed when son & mate fitted new hard disc?

If you let me know the make and model of the laptop, I might be able to guide you through...

There are usually two-three clips at the top of the keyboard, once pressed simultaneously, keyboard can be lifted up and out, but not completely away - kind of folded upside-down, and the connector/FPC will be underneath. First thing is to re-seat it and see if that helps.

Unlikely that they accessed the keyboard, when changing HD, but they could have messed up the connector, if it's near the I/O ports (e.g like on some small-medium screen Acers and Clevos).

 

[Piff]

If you let me know the make and model of the laptop, I might be able to guide you through...

There are usually two-three clips at the top of the keyboard, once pressed simultaneously, keyboard can be lifted up and out, but not completely away - kind of folded upside-down, and the connector/FPC will be underneath. First thing is to re-seat it and see if that helps.

Unlikely that they accessed the keyboard, when changing HD, but they could have messed up the connector, if it's near the I/O ports (e.g like on some small-medium screen Acers and Clevos).

It's an Advent 5401
I just tried phoning PCWorld (the number on Advents website). Their advice "try googling how to remove an advent keyboard"
Now trying that

 

[Piff]

Getting no-where.
Found out that it is a re-badged Quanta TW7M, also possibly referred to as "ECS S20 11 by PCWorld

 

[Piff]

Ahh - panel above keyboard removed with trial & error - keyboard lifts out.
Ribbon connector appears to be seated correctlybut unsure of how to remove to try reconnecting

Progress - have remover & re-attached connector. Now booting

Only T & Y now work along the top row of keys!

 

[John]

Try doing it again (but don't replace any bits you took off until it all works - if you ever get that far).

If it is anything like a Sony Vaio connector, you have to carefully slide in the ribbon with the clip released, and then keep pushing it in whilst you fix the clip back in place.

 

[Piff]

:bannana::bannana::bannana:All keys working:bannana::bannana::bannana:

Just got to get it back together.

Another question - one of the keys is broken - the key keeps falling off, appears plastic broken behind
Is superglue the right product to repair?

 

[clever dicky]

:bannana::bannana::bannana:All keys working:bannana::bannana::bannana:

Just got to get it back together.

Another question - one of the keys is broken - the key keeps falling off, appears plastic broken behind
Is superglue the right product to repair?

Check on ebay. You can many replacement individual keys. Even complete keyboards and new ribbon connectors very cheap.

 

[John]

Repairing individual broken keys is at best tricky.

I would source a replacement key or even keyboard (especially as you now know how to swap it out!).

 

[removed]

:bannana::bannana::bannana:All keys working:bannana::bannana::bannana:

Just got to get it back together.

Another question - one of the keys is broken - the key keeps falling off, appears plastic broken behind
Is superglue the right product to repair?

Great.

Wouldn't use superglue - likely to get under the flexible bit and restrict the movement of the key. As JohnEBoy suggested, best to source replacement key on eBay - I have done that a few times in the past (before the move to Apple hardware ) Quite often you can get complete keyboard for not much more than a few keys' worth too. When I was selling my last few PC laptops few years ago, I got new keyboards for some of them - it was very cheap.

 

[Piff]

Found a used keyboard on-line for £8.90 so will buy if I can get a legal OS on the machine.

Phoned Advent (PCWorld) to ask for help with the partially erased License Key - figured that the media (disc loaded by sons mate) could be made legal with the License from the original machine. They couldn't help and told me to phone Microsoft.

Phoned Microsoft. Usual foreign call centre couldn't help & told me to phone a different number, then proceeded to give me the same number I had called him on

Phoned Microsoft again, different operator from another part of the world, said they couldn't help as the software was pre-installed, I would need to contact the Manufacturer

Phoned Advent again - immediate response was that they couldn't help as the machine is out of warranty Persevered and explained that hard disc had been replaced and we needed the Licence Key to activate Vista. He said that the original Licence wouldn't work with a different copy of Vista and my installation was illegal. I argued that as the software had been paid for in the purchase of the original machine and we had a Licence that it would be legal once activated. He said no He then said that I needed their recovery disc which could be purchased for £35 if we hadn't made a recovery disc when we bought the machine. I then said that we would still need the licence key, he said no. I said again that we had replaced the hard drive, but he still said that their recovery disc would sort it out.
I then said I had copies of Win 98 & XP upgrade, both with licence keys and both currently unused as the previous machines had been destroyed. He said that they would not work as they had previously been installed on a different machine. I argued that they had been paid for & as far as I was aware I had a legal licence to use them on any one machine. He said no, installing them on a different machine is illegal.

So a search started in number 1 sons bedroom for recovery discs. Straight away found the old hard disc - Could this be refitted to extract the Licence Key?
Could it be refitted to create a recovery disc?
(When previously fitted the last action was a forced shut-down and warning of hard disc failure)

Is the Advent (PCWorld) man giving me a big pile of b*ll sh*t and is it ok (legal) to install a bought & paid for version of XP as the previous machine it was on has been destroyed? This would be the simple option if legal.

 

[neilz]

So a search started in number 1 sons bedroom for recovery discs. Straight away found the old hard disc - Could this be refitted to extract the Licence Key?

IF You can get the old HDD in and start up Windows Vista, there is the "Magic Jellybean" software (or something like that) which tells you the serial numbers of all software in use on your computer (including Windows)

KeyFinder | Magical Jelly Bean

Only premium version works on Windows 7 but free version works on Vista, XP etc.