Gateway XP Recovery Disc

[ZonoBurk]

I'm trying to reformat (have Win 7 RC) with my Gateway System Recovery XP Media Center disc, and it's not doing anything. When I boot up and hit "R" it goes straight to Windows 7 login! I don't understand this.. I have used this disc on non Gateway computers a few months ago and it worked... but I can't with the computer it was meant for? WTF. When looking in my disc drive folder, it shows all the contents on the disc, so the disc has to be working. I have to start fresh and then reinstall Vista back on, since it's an Vista UPGRADE disc I have to start with XP, which is so stupid. Does anyone know why the recovery setup is not coming up and can I reformat with the disc some other way? Thanks.

[+BudMan MVC]

Now sure about hitting the R?? In your bios set your CD/DVD drive to boot before the HDD..

Just because your vista is an upgade disk -- why do you think you have to install XP first?

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media

[ZonoBurk]

Now sure about hitting the R?? In your bios set your CD/DVD drive to boot before the HDD..

Just because your vista is an upgade disk -- why do you think you have to install XP first?

http://www.winsupers...grade_clean.asp

How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media

Yes it says hit "R" for recovery options. Anyways I think the disc just may be too scratched. Because you can't use the upgrade disc (well the product key anyway) on a hard drive with no existing OS. I guess that's why they call it "Upgrade". So since it only checks the product key to see what kind of media it is, I borrowed a family members product key (just hear me out) that isn't an "upgrade disc" and it installed. Then I put in my product key and activated it, so it's not "pirated" since I am using the product key I bought 4 years ago, and it says it's Genuine. I'll never buy an "upgrade" disc ever again, I know that.

[+BudMan MVC]

Did you read the link I posted?? Just boot your vista media and install it without putting in a key.

Step 1: Install Windows Vista

Boot your PC with the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD. After the preliminary loading screen, click the Install Now button to trigger Vista Setup. In the next screen, you normally enter your product key. However, there's a little-known trick in Windows Vista Setup whereby you can simply skip this phase and use the install media (Upgrade or Full, any version) to perform a clean install of virtually any Vista product edition. What you do is leave the Product Key field blank, deselect the option titled "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online," and then click Next. Vista Setup will ask you whether you would like to enter your Product Key before continuing. Click No.

If its not booting -- again I ask is your bios set to boot from cd/dvd before you hdd?? 9 out of 10 times users have issue with booting a CD -- its because their bios is not set to boot the cd/dvd ;)

[ZonoBurk]

Did you read the link I posted?? Just boot your vista media and install it without putting in a key.

Step 1: Install Windows Vista

Boot your PC with the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD. After the preliminary loading screen, click the Install Now button to trigger Vista Setup. In the next screen, you normally enter your product key. However, there's a little-known trick in Windows Vista Setup whereby you can simply skip this phase and use the install media (Upgrade or Full, any version) to perform a clean install of virtually any Vista product edition. What you do is leave the Product Key field blank, deselect the option titled "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online," and then click Next. Vista Setup will ask you whether you would like to enter your Product Key before continuing. Click No.

If its not booting -- again I ask is your bios set to boot from cd/dvd before you hdd?? 9 out of 10 times users have issue with booting a CD -- its because their bios is not set to boot the cd/dvd ;)

Ah, ok. Well I did a little trick of my own. LOL Yes my bios is set to boot the DVD-ROM first. When booting up, it says boot from CD and then under that it says "Press "R" for recovery options". Did that, and the next black screen says "Press "R" to begin the recovery" or "ESC to boot into your OS". I press R and it says "Loading recovery.." then it's cut short and just booted into Windows 7. My guess is the disc is just messed up, just a few scratches makes a disc do crazy things.

So does the Windows 7 upgrade disc have that "loophole"?

[+BudMan MVC]

Do you have a windows 7 upgrade media? But yeah the double install method works

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media

[veritas310]

You don't need to press "R" to boot to recovery, in fact that's not what you want to do at all. I think you were misinterpreting the recovery option to mean the "Gateway Recovery CD" you had inserted, it doesn't. Bud mentioned a flawless way to install from the Upgrade media, maybe next time you can try it that way, if you're ever in this position again.