# Computer guru needed - laptop may have gone to heaven. Last rites or resuscitative measures? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272 "2015-10-11T14:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/21 "2015-10-16T18:28:09Z")
You could burn the ISO file onto a DVD if you have a DVD drive in your laptop. Otherwise, go the USB route. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/22 "2015-10-17T00:45:54Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I was too, until the hard drive actually did fail. Anyway, too late now (for me at least), I bit the bullet and bought a new hard drive. > > So now I’m here with my new drive installed and I can’t figure out how to get Windows on it. I downloaded the proper .iso file onto a disc; I guess I assumed when I booted up with the new hard drive it would read from the disc and hold my hand while Win7 installed. > > Instead it seems to be looking for an installation disc (or file?) that is apparently required for installation that I obviously lack. I’m not even at a point where I am asked to input a product key. > > By the way, I’m not laying on the couch munching on doughnuts waiting for you good people to pull me out of the quicksand. I’m Googling the hell out of this but I’m having a hard time honing in on my particular problem/answer. > > Thanks again, > mmm Did you try the ‘recovery’ disc you created before your old drive died? I should have clarified about how to use an .iso image file. You can’t just copy it onto a DVD-R, you have to open it with [a program like ImgBurn](http://download.cnet.com/ImgBurn/3000-2646_4-10847481.html) which can then convert the iso image file and burn it onto a DVD-R disc creating a fully bootable Windows install DVD. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/23 "2015-10-17T01:29:23Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I am exceedingly suspicious of this. I have seen this as a result of malware many a time. Can you go into Event Viewer, Windows Logs, System, and see if there are any entries with a RED icon or entries with a source of DISK (or DISC)? Immediately after a use of a restore partition that wiped his data, I would be more prone to believe its a flaky drive. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/24 "2015-10-17T03:13:35Z")
An .iso file is kind of like a zip file. It needs to be “unzipped” onto the disc. If you just copy the .iso to the disk, it’s like just copying the .zip file rather than the files inside the zip. You need a special program which can unpack the .iso and then layout the files on the disc so they are back like real files. Are you able to open the disc on another computer? If so, do you see lots of individual files or a single .iso file? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/25 "2015-10-17T11:02:42Z")
Looks like I’m up and running. I apparently didn’t do a very good job creating the restore disc. Here is what I ended up doing: Once the restore didn’t happen, I removed the new drive, put the old one back in, and made another restore disc. Once again took out the old drive, put the new one in, launched the disc and crossed fingers. It worked flawlessly. Took all evening to get things customized and in order. Internet access, bookmarks, anti-virus, programs installed, and 146 Windows updates. I think it was an actual hardware failure vs. malware. chkdisc showed bad sectors that were un-repairable. Also, the warning windows directed me not to buy something but to go to Windows System Backup. Anyway, I am grateful for all the guidance. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272/26 "2015-10-17T12:53:38Z")
Glad you got it working. 99.9% of the time there’s a hardware failure with a computer it’s the hard drive (it’s the only moving part\*!\*) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-guru-needed-laptop-may-have-gone-to-heaven-last-rites-or-resuscitative-measures/734272.md?page=1)