Clean Windows

Well after the ordeal of yesterday I was still no further on with installing Windows. Assuming my Vista disk was, well, being Vista, I dug out The Boy's copy of XP (it involved going in the" yet to be unpacked boxes). I had even less luck with this, it didn't even get as far as the install page before telling me my hard drive was most likely corrupt.

With all this and the stress of trying to get my assignment finished at the same time, The Boy woke to find me in a bit of a state. Being his clever self he popped online to search for solutions. Had I tried inserting my driver disk during set up? I have a drivers disk, that's news to me. So out come the random box of computer CDs only for me to tell him I've only got drivers for the Desktop. Apparently that's not right, Dell should have given me drivers for my laptop so I start hunting through the cd shelf where I find a cm thick cd sized cardboard box that has never been opened and it relates to my laptop.

Turns out I'd been attempting to use the Vista disk for my PC in my laptop. Now that shouldn't be a problem only Dell incorporate some sort of anti-distribution system into their OS CDs that only allows them to be used with the computer they were supplied with (it didn't even ask for a validation code). Now in my defence, I had no way of knowing this, nor did I realise there was small print on the CD specifying which computer it was for.

To cut a long story short I now have Vista reinstalled and my Windows 7 Professional Upgrade installed over it. It's shiny and lovely and not Vista. I'm enjoying learning all the new features and playing with the smart new Office programs that are available with Office 2010 Professional Accademic. I can have a virtual notebook on my laptop. How handy!