New HDD for Acer netbook - New HDD installed, running slow

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CodeRedR51

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So my old Acer Aspire One netbook has been laying in it's death bed for almost a year now with HDD failure. I get a "Disc Read Error" message when booting up, and no mater what I do it just goes in circles. So, I plan on replacing the HDD but then I'll need a new copy of Windows installed onto it, however since it's a netbook it doesn't have a disc drive. I found HDD's on eBay that come with Windows 7 pre-installed, but they don't seem to fit my model.

Anyone know where I can find more of those HDD's with Windows pre-installed? Preferably Windows XP, as I don't think it's powerful enough to run 7. Budget under $100 USD.

Computer Info:

Acer Aspire One (model ZG5 A0A 150-1777)
MFG Date: 08/2011
120GB HDD
1.6 Ghz Processor
1 GB Ram
Windows XP
 
Well you can get Windows XP to USB creators.

So all you need is a Windows XP Home(most likely what the unit came with)
Then you just need to use the key on the bottom on the unit.
 
The key I assume would be on the "Microsoft" sticker on the bottom? It's well worn, and only the Microsoft logo is still visible.
 
If the drive still works but has bad sectors, see if you can ghost the recovery partition.
 
Never buy a HDD that's already has a OS installed. The OS is linked to the motherboard and hardware. It would create more problems than you'd want. So do as Grayfox suggests. I use Paragon Backup & Recovery 2011 Free! Doing this requires a external HDD and there is tutorials online to help you. I used this when I changed my hard drive in my laptop. As for a hard drive grab one of these. Big storage and it's a pretty fast HDD.
 
That's way too much space for my needs, and way over budget too. Anything up to 120GB is just fine. I'm going to call a computer shop this week and see if they have any ideas. Not 100% sure I'll be able to recover anything on the old HDD, not really concerned for it anyway. Just want to get it working.
 
Just put in a new HDD, get any Windows XP install disk from anyone and just enter in the key on the bottom of you laptop during installation. Because the hardware is mostly unchanged Microsoft will accept it as the same computer with a fresh Windows install.

Have you tried reseating the HDD?, a cable might have come loose or something.
 
I have not tried that, worth a shot though. Maybe unplugging it and plugging it back in might do something.

Also, it's a netbook so no disc drive. Have to get the Windows from some other way, USB or something.
 
Create a bootable USB Windows install. Microsoft has a tool for 7 that can create a bootable USB for install, but they don't have one for XP so you'd have to use a third-party app to create it from original XP install media - I hear that WinSetupfromUSB and WinToFlash work for XP.

An alternate option is, if your netbook uses a 2.5" drive, to put the drive you want Windows installed on into another computer (desktop or laptop makes no difference) and "pre-install" Windows onto the drive yourself. Don't activate the OS until the drive is back in the netbook though, otherwise WGA/WAT will complain that the hardware has changed.
 
I just finished putting it back together, took it all apart and cleaned everything the best I could with a can of compressed air. It's been booting up for quite a bit now, but I don't think it's going to work. I have someone working on getting me a legit copy of XP on a USB drive, and when I was in there I pulled out the old HDD and wrote down the model number. It's a really small HDD, not sure on the eact dimension, but certainly not a regular HDD you would see in a desktop. 160GB Western Digital.
 
They don't make 120GB HDD's anymore for new condition. The cheapest that you can get for new is this. Just get a larger storage HDD and you'll be good to go.
 
R1600Turbo
That's way too much space for my needs, and way over budget too. Anything up to 120GB is just fine. I'm going to call a computer shop this week and see if they have any ideas. Not 100% sure I'll be able to recover anything on the old HDD, not really concerned for it anyway. Just want to get it working.
Click to expand...

You are going to have issues finding any "new" 120GB HDDs.

R1600Turbo
Also, it's a netbook so no disc drive. Have to get the Windows from some other way, USB or something.
Click to expand...

Many Windows to USB programs out there.

I think even nLite does it and nLite is a good program which allows you to remove things out of XP.

Like Internet Explorer, Accessibility, Windows Games, ect so you can make install faster, and make windows run faster too.
 
Yeah I said that before not remembering what size it came with. So I think a 250GB version would be just fine in this case.

Obviously you will need another computer to run this nLite program on first, right? The guy that is helping me with the XP software, could I just have him use that program to install it onto a USB drive and then he can send that to me?
 
Nlite can be used on another windows computer yes.

You can remove the bloatware and also integrate drivers for your netbook into it.
As well as add programs like firefox.
 
Having a co-worker take a look at my netbook. I told him about the problem and he said he might be able to fix it. This morning he told me that he thinks it's a simple as a required boot-up file missing and he is going to try and replace it this weekend. Doesn't think the HDD is fried. So hopefully it's good news.
 
So got this thing running again with a new HDD, and for some reason it's really slow now. Any ideas what could cause it to be so slow with a new HDD? Windows XP home was installed on it.
 
A co-worker did all the work for me, he had everything. Not sure where he got it. Again, netbook with no CD drive so couldn't use a recovery CD. I did a AVG "1-Click Maintenance" this morning before work and it seems to have helped.
 
Most likely he either ghosted off the old HDD which in turn causes issues.
Installing a vanilla windows causes issues if you do not install drivers after.
 
Make sure all your drivers got installed.

Not familiar with your netbook, but some dell laptops did a "Speed step" setting which would slow the CPU down when it felt you didn't need all that cpu speed.

Check device manager to see what speed your cpu is showing. Check that with what speed your supposed to get.
 
is it a 5400rpm hdd or a 7200rpm because you can get the 7200rpm laptop hdd for better read times but i just used a sshd hybrid drive in my sisters laptop and WOW big difference SSHD FTW. but she has a i5 laptop, btw how much ram have you got ?
 

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