General Windows 7 Upgrade Guide for HP Laptops

[mikasi1968]

Okay, let me clarify so I that do all correctly.

This is the methold in lieu of waiting on the correct disks? 

Also, when I recover back to Vista, do I need to allow it to do any updates for Vista, drivers, etc. or can I just immediately proceed to the clean install? 

Before I begin the "clean install" should I also run the HP Upgrade Manager before and after? Should I also run the MS upgrade advisor (I know it's on the approved list, but may be additional help not sure)

Is it better to do a clean install formatting the disk or not?

After the clean install is done, should I manually download the Win 7 drivers from the site or let the Supp. assistant handle? and if manually, is it better to  start with certain drivers, then go in order to others?  i.e. chipset then .....

Also, should I run the BIOS winflash?

I know this is a lot to ask of you but the ones I have spoke with before were vague and it seems you have the knowledge to assist me in making this time the success.

I don't want to deal with this again just because I was missing some information, even though I have done extensive research on your site and the MS site on this issue.

Thank you thus far.

[mikasi1968]

Oh, and when I go back to Vista should I do any type of Troubleshooting on the hardware, etc. before proceeding to the install?

[Rakhmad]

If you wish to run HP system recovery, there no need to install any driver, since it will restore the the factory install condition, the condition when the first time you turn ON. The process will not give you too much options, see more detail here

It is recommended to make your own Recovery Disks, see how here, just in-case something happen to your harddisk. Buy 2 DVD-R, run HP system recovery and store it in the safe place.

The system recovery is not a clean installation of Vista, it is a system image of HP Vista, clean installation would need Vista DVD installer, the one that unfortunately does not provided by HP.

Yes, you need to use MS update to for the latest update of security or patch, since factory install does not have the latest update patch. If you have Vista SP1, download standalone SP2, here,

Then if you still wish to install Windows 7, go to your support page and download windows 7 drivers, If you can not find it, post your product number. I recommend you to do install drivers manually, starting with Chipset, video driver, and others.

Then about BIOS, if the current BIOS is running perfectly, no point to update it, unless it was an important update, please again provide your product number so that we can talk in the same page.

[mikasi1968]

Product Number: NW160UA#ABA

Model: Compaq Presario CQ60 427NR

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description  Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MICHELLELANE-PC
System Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
System Model Compaq Presario CQ60 Notebook PC
System Type X86-based PC
Processor Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU       T4200  @ 2.00GHz, 2000 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Hewlett-Packard F.52, 8/26/2009
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7600.16385"
Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 3.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 2.93 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.55 GB
Total Virtual Memory 5.86 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.22 GB
Page File Space 2.93 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

When I tried the recovery from the disks I created after purchasing, I received Error 1005 when the 2nd disk was inserted.  The Win 7 recovery patch should correct that huh?

[CherylG]

Michelle

Let's backup just for a second and get the details of what you have done up to this point ,and what has failed for you.From the list above I see that you have done the Windows 7 upgrade.

1.What are the problems with Windows 7 that you are having?

2.Why are you trying to revert back to Vista..(maybe that is answered in #1.)

4.The Recovery set that HP sent also fails with the same error as your burned set?

Yes, the Patch is supposed to re-enable the F11 key that boots into recovery from the hdd partition with no need for disks. You hold down the F11 key immediately after power on.

[mikasi1968]

I did the first upgrade to Win7, while it was shutting down to install the Windows Updates, it froze.  Got on chat with Tech Support, had me to power off, remove battery, discharge static and we started over.

Installed the Upgrade again, the system started to lock up, the display would change the resolution, all kinds of malfunctions, so I recovered, did a clean install.  The same issues if not more arose, sound distorted, system locking up error reports Windows Desktop Manager causing issue.  IE freezing Slow to respond with navigation and I have 3GB memory.

Mind you, I was on chat with Tech Support with all of these issues and was advised to do the recovery, etc. 

So, then after one of my several attempts and getting this upgrade correct, I was troubleshooting by having my anti-virus service remote in and do a scan because it acted like a virus, when I clicked on my desktop program icons I received a message that it had deleted or changed do I want to remove the icon?

So, he did his scan all clean I went to bed while he performed this task.  The next morning when I came in, the system was froze, there was a message left open in notepad from the tech.  I had to hard boot, another time.  But this time as soon as it booted to the desktop and my wireless connection connection, FROZE.  So Tech Support chat advised me to recover using my disks and reinstall.  Lost my MS Office 2007 and don't have my disks or key due to moving. Lost everything because couldn't even do anything in safe mode

We scanned the harddrive through the BIOS

When Inerted the 2nd disk when prompted during the recovery it went to 38% and returned an error 1005.  The tech informed me that he would be sending me the recovery disks due to mine were not working.  I get the disks and recover,

 then reinstall Win 7,  update drivers, Windows, etc.  System starts freezing again.  Chat Tech Support found that I had received/recovered with the wrong disks, so a second set was shipped to me.  They were the same thing as before.

The order called for item 515690-002, the label that sealed the sleeve to the disks were the 515690-002, but the disks that were in the sleeve were 515691-002. 

So, now I am waiting for my 3rd shipment of recovery disks, and as you can see, with all I've been through up to this point I just want to make sure everything is done to the letter so that I can work without causing my customers so much anguish when I have to jump to the backup Dell to finish their trouble ticket or have to repeat myself because they can't understand me.

I've been doing  research since this and don't think my chipsets are functioning at their full capacity and honestly, it doesn't seem that the full functionality of this system is reached, so I was wanting to verify that I didn't need to update any similar drivers before moving on to installing 7 again to make the install a smoother transaction.

[mikasi1968]

Also, in one of the chats the Tech said to recover to Vista for troubleshooting.  Is there anything I need to after recovery besides the SP2 before continuing?

[CherylG]

Not sure what the Tech had in mind_except maybe just running Vista for awhile to see if the problems show up there too.If it were my machine I would run Vista for a few weeks just to rule out possible hardware problems that have nothing to do with Win 7.

[mikasi1968]

I hate to say this because I work with Vista users everyday and it is the worst OS I've ever seen on the Tech side of it.  However, on the user side Vista worked faster and more smoothly for me. 

I have visited the Intel site and it seems that my chipset may be able to take advantage of hyper-threading which will keep my memory resources running smoother.  It also has the capab. of 64-bit tech. but I don't think I want to go there.  I don't think it would improve things that much anyway.

From what I've experienced and researched and from the Windows experience Index report it seems the majority of my problem is the way the graphics are handled which uses up my resources.

Here is the information at the end of the report:

The gaming graphics score is based on the primary graphics adapter. If this system has linked or multiple graphics adapters, some software applications may see additional performance benefits.
	Caution: Based on the results of the WinSAT Disk assessment, your system drive may have slower response times under some workloads. Performance results will depend on the specific applications used and the amount of memory available. If your experience is satisfactory, no action is needed.

In my opinion, the shared memory is probably the cause of my slow and no reponse.  The subscores show that all is in the 5.5 range with the exception of the graphics which is 3.3

Display adapter driver version

8.15.10.2082

After I downloaded the ICH9 and Mobile exp. 4 updated drivers, I did a scan of the drivers with Driver Magician and it kept detecting some of the ICH9 and some of the Mobile express drivers out of date.  Just some of them. 

I don't think my system has the capability to run the program  compatibility.

Either way, I will be sure that I have the system as good as I can in the correct setup to do the next one.

[Rakhmad]

You may have a hardware issue, my suggestion is run Vista HP system recovery with factory install setting, play around with Vista, tests every hardwares and finally do all updates. If something happen to it, call HP.

Installing Windows 7 usually does not make much different with Vista.