Need help! PC crashed.

[therealsimpsons]

My PC hard drive crashed. Installed a new HD, fortunately, I have all critical data backed up on an external drive. Fired up the PC with the new HD. Inserted the disk with the OS (Vista Home Premium 64 bit , and it doesn't boot.
Without an OS, I don't know how to make it boot. Can someone help, please?

Thank you,

Stan

P.S. The screen shows a bunch of symbols, letters, and numbers with a DOS command prompt at the end.

 

[Jeff]

In the computer setup (F2) is the choice of boot drives. It needs to be set to cd/dvd with the disk in the drive when you start the computer.

 

[therealsimpsons]

Jeff,

Thanks a million!! That worked!!

Stan

 

[Jeff]

Stan, love it when it does.

 

[rsnyde11]

hey Jeff, my desk top HD crashed, awhile back didn't back any thing up, I do however have my wife's back up for her desk top same make different MD, If I buy a new HD can I use her back up???

 

[Jeff]

You can try but part of the operating system is for the devices on her PC and if yours is different it may create conflicts. If it does work you'll have all her emails. ???


If it doesn't a reinstall of Windows will get you going again.

 

[Ned]

If you have an image backup, you can try a restore to a new drive and computer and Windows may install the drivers for the changed devices when you first boot it up.  You may have to go online and find drivers for any devices that Windows doesn't know about.  Worst case it won't boot and you'll have to do a clean install of Windows and all applications.

 

[rsnyde11]

Thanks Jeff and Ned, that's what I was afraid of I don't have the windows programs so I would have to buy them, guess it wouldn't hurt to try.