for the Hard disk 305 Error - i have preloaded Windows help!

[Blofeld1975]

i haven't used this laptop for years and took a chance in booting it which it did to the windows 7 profile page until it froze and wouldn't  let me enter a password. so i restarted it and got into a boot loop.

the repair tool donet work and possible repair using the product key cannot use ISO version of the OS as it was a preloaded version.

the error i understand means the HDD needs replacing which i'm happy to do but i wont have a version of Windows to reload.  how do i got about fixing this?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

You can download a W7 Home Premium retail ISO file from the link below, toward the bottom of the page.

https://getintopc.com/softwares/operating-systems/windows-7-home-premium-free-download-iso-32-bit-64...

Make sure that you download the right bit version.  I thought that most CQ61's came with W7 x64.

The product key would be good for either bit version.

Use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below to transfer the ISO file to a DVD or USB flash drive so that it is bootable, or you can use the free Rufus utility to transfer the ISO file to a USB flash drive.

https://rufus.ie/

When you boot from the installation media, you can use the repair option found on the bottom left side of the 'Install Now' screen, or you can just go ahead and clean install W7.

You may have to use the automated Microsoft phone activation system to activate the installation, since the ISO file is retail and the product key is OEM.

[Blofeld1975]

Thanks for your help.  the screen i get now says invalid disk when it tries to boot from the USB.  i mounted the ISO file in a working laptop W10 and then transferred the files from that drive to a clean formatted USB.

I took the HDD out and put it back in in case the contacts where being made.

Would it be that the compaq drivers it looking for in the iso file version are missing?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you with why you are getting that error.

Normally, I use the free CD burner XP program and use the burn ISO file option and burn the ISO file to a DVD, burning it at the slowest speed that I can.

https://www.cdburnerxp.se/en/download

Never had an issue doing it that way.

I have also used the Microsoft tool I attached to make a bootable USB flash drive and DVD.

It has worked sometimes, and sometimes not.