Windows 7 Slow computer - no idea how to reinstall windows

[Natgirl89]

I have a acer laptop with windows 7 starter operating system. It's a laptop I bought from my boss then six years ago.

I decided to reinstall windows since the computer is extremely slow - can't scroll down pages and can't open a file without it going into a "not responding mode" etc...

When I bought the laptop I only got the laptop and the charging wire - nothing else - no CDs

I have a product key on a sticker at the bottom of my laptop. When I enter it to verify before reinstalling I get the following message:

"Error: The product key you entered appears to be for software pre-installed by the device manufacturer. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options."

I now have no idea what to do.

I do not have technical expertise but I can follow through directions really well. Please help resolve this.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Take a look at this Post, specifically POST #2, I just wrote for another user this morning with a Win8.1 problem. The troubleshooting steps are virtually the same, except you don't need to work about your Win7 as long as it has SP1 (Service Pack 1) installed. Here's the link:
Event error every thirty seconds (ID 16385)

If you cannot get into Windows on this computer, you should definitely borrow a friend or family-member or a co-worker's computer and print out these instructions, as they are nested links and so are 6-8 pages long on a printout. You can then have them with you in front of your broken computer. Also, it's very important that you read through the entire document which will require you to print out posts from 3 links; and digest it. If you can't wrap your head around it, I suggest that you take your laptop into your local repair shop and make sure you have a licensed Technician work on it. In fact, you need to ask the Tech his A+ license number or equivalent. If they don't know what that is, or forgot the number, or some other lame excuse, take it elsewhere.

Remember to post back all the hardware specs you can on the laptop, especially the SPECCY report.

Ask questions whenever you want, we are here 24x7x365, and always try to get an answer back to any inquiry within 24 hrs. This forum is very responsive.

Best of luck,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>

 

[Neemobeer]

This sounds like a system builder license which means it will only work with the manufacturer install. You should be able to order a disc from acer. Boot to that disc and it should give you the option for a clean install. You may want to backup any data you have before hand since the install will wipe it out.

 

[Henry Wong]

Neemobeer, not to be an ass, but what about looking for a restore partition on the system itself. It was and some time still is a practice to have a restore on the internal drive itself. If you do something like pres F8 while booting it will give you the option to run something like restore. Then it will do a reinstall from a "hidden" partition.

 

[Neemobeer]

Some will and some won't have a restore partition, it's worth checking. At the Acer logo screen, if there is a restore partiton, there should be an option F10 or F11.

 

[Henry Wong]

I knew it was one of the F keys, just didn't know witch one. Thought I should point that out and hopefully be helpful. lOl

 

[RichM]

This is how most Acer's access the Recovery Partition:
Link Removed

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Built-in System Recovery from hidden partition is a good idea, as long as the OP's data is properly backed up; if the OP's hard drive has read sector errors, the Recovery process can hang leaving windows in an unbootable state, sometimes with a BSOD. Given the fact that this was a second-owner laptop and is 6-years old, it is very likely that OP's hard drive is failing or has failed and the System Recovery may not work. That's why in my posted link I caution the OP to back up all her data to external media, test her hardware (including her hard drive), before attempting this step.

<<<BBJ>>>

 

[wolfgang112]

Scan for any malware issue using windows defender. Perform chkdsk for finding any disk error for storing and retrieving data.
Otherwise format the older one reinstall through some media by changing the boot priority from Bios setting.