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Question

Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows

by Jul 13, 2015 6:10PM PDT

I have just got a used Acer Aspire 3100 and it looks good, works fine but the c drive is loaded and it has an antivirus program that wont let me delete stuff to relieve the drive to reinstall windows. The anti virus program is "Panda" something or other and i cant delete it or anything. Here is what i'd like to do if it's possible and workable.......first set the bios to read cd drive first, then reformat c drive so when it boots it reads the windows and installs it. right now the c drive is loaded to max and i cant see why because there arent lots of progams on it and whats there i cant delete either and windows needs so much available space to install and it just isnt there so i'm kinda stuck.

Discussion is locked

27 Posts
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Clarification Request
did you ust the Panda uninstaller?
by itsdigger Jul 15, 2015 8:13AM PDT
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Answer
Acer has their own recovery system
by Forum moderator Jul 13, 2015 6:19PM PDT

If you format the drive most folk can install Windows but there will be no sound, WiFi and such. Installing drivers and the apps to make it all work is too much to ask today.

Why not use Acer's system?

When you initially boot, on the black screen look for:

F2 - BIOS
F10 - SETTINGS
Alt+F10 on some models
F11 - RECOVERY

or some keys to that effect. Hitting Atl+ F10 or F11 should link you to the recovery system.

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PS. Another prior discussion at link.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 13, 2015 6:21PM PDT
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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 14, 2015 8:00AM PDT

i tried to use the Acer recovery too but it is password protected. Maybe you might know how to bypass that issue?

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Acer notes a default password at link.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 14, 2015 8:22AM PDT
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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 15, 2015 7:47AM PDT

mmmm i cant get into their recovery the password hint is gone too now, What can i expect if i were to format the c drive and do an install from a disc i have for Vista Home Premium? anyone have an idea what i'd get into??

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Why format the drive?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 15, 2015 7:52AM PDT

When I install Windows, the installer does that for me or I select the options to delete the old partition and let Windows set it up for me. Sounds like extra work. Tell more.

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 15, 2015 9:29AM PDT

so your saying i can format the drive to clean it and then install Vista? and the program will install all the drivers etc etc? and make a recovery partition as well?

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That was a lot of questions.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 15, 2015 9:36AM PDT

The answer varies with what is on those DVDs.

The maker's restore media has always done the best job of getting it all working. If it's not the maker's restore media then you are in for a rough ride. Not that it's a new question or discussion but today I think most folk will buy a new PC over a clean install of any retail Windows.

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PS. Another reason I use restore media.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 15, 2015 9:45AM PDT

Beyond the work involved in getting all of the machine working, I don't want to format the drive since I may corrupt or wipe out the onboard restore system. I've had good luck with using the maker's restore media and later the onboard restore system came back to life.

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 16, 2015 2:06AM PDT

the major issue is I cannot get into the mfg recovery system on the computer becasue i dont have the password. and the c drive is loaded so there is no room on it to do an install without doing a format. so what alternatives are theere besides formatting and reinstalling?

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Alternatives
by Kees_B Forum moderator Jul 16, 2015 2:33AM PDT

1. See if you can buy recovery discs from Acer.
2. See for what versions of Windows Acer offers downloadable drivers and buy and install that.
3. See what happens if you install Linux on it in stead of Windows.
4. Use it as it is.

Kees

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 16, 2015 8:14AM PDT

Acer doesnt offer recovery discs for this laptop anymore, there are no drivers that i found from them, i can try Linux but what will that give me? (i never used that before). and as for using it as it is ...theree's no room on the drive to manipulate anything.

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So let's not use the mfg recovery system (onboard)
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 16, 2015 8:09AM PDT

If the machine boots, CREATE those restore DVDs. Acer documents how so I'll skip how.

If you can't do that, order them as Kees noted.

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Re: install Windows Vista
by Kees_B Forum moderator Jul 15, 2015 7:54AM PDT

You would get into Vista if you logon. If anything specific for this laptop (like WiFi, USB, sound, microphone, webcam, internet) works is anybody's guess. If you can find drivers for it to get it working, is anybody's guess also.

Kees

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 15, 2015 9:30AM PDT

your reply sounds like it isnt a good thing to do??

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(NT) Can you find those drivers on the Acer site?
by Kees_B Forum moderator Jul 15, 2015 1:22PM PDT
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Answer
READ THIS.
by Forum moderator Jul 16, 2015 8:23AM PDT

I guess we have to learn a lot to work with such a machine. For example, we can reset passwords with NTPASSWD (free, found on the web and plenty of tutorials.) So there's no reason to not have access to the Administration accounts.

Next we can always boot SAFE MODE which will disable most of Panda.

Finally we have other than Windows bootable CDs which does not require learning a new OS as I wrote in the past at http://tips.oncomputers.info/archives2004/0401/2004-Jan-11.htm

That's 3 ideas that I use a lot to clean up an old PC.

-> But best of all you could head to Acer's eRecovery software and create restore media. I've lost count of the times I've had to do that for a client. I don't mind since it's an easy 100 bucks in my pocket. Not that they could do it themselves but what I'm seeing is a move by folk away from learning about the PC. I can't tell if that's good or bad.

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 16, 2015 2:40PM PDT

i cant get into Acer's eRecovery software and Acer does not support an Acer Aspire 1300 anymore. maybe you can get the recovery discs for me, R.Proffitt?

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Sorry no.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 16, 2015 2:51PM PDT
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As Bob said, no country.
by Dafydd Jul 16, 2015 3:07PM PDT

Post was last edited on July 16, 2015 3:44 PM PDT

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 18, 2015 7:16AM PDT

ok here is an update of all thats been seen and done so far and i have to admit Acer sure has me stuck. I read all the tips and advice and got more confused too. SO here is what i have so far.....i formated the D drive so it was clean, then i removed all the stuff Acer would let me on the C drive. There is 33.5 gb on it and all but 2.61 is used up. the D drive has 33.2GB space on it. I installed windows vista home premium on the d drive and i can boot the computer from there. Here is what i'd like to do though.....clean the c drive and install windows Home premium on it and have a recovery drive on D.....so does anyone know what i need to do to do this?? PLEASE i feel like i'm in a closet and the lights are off HELP ME Please .

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That is nothing I've seen folk accomplish.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 18, 2015 9:04AM PDT

The part about the recovery drive on D, is something I never found anyone restore to date.

Frankly now that you have wiped that out, I'd say it's gone forever. Now if you had made the recovery media or ordered such from either Acer or others, if you had not wiped D it might have come back.

Now it's gone.

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acer aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 18, 2015 11:42AM PDT

there was no recovery on that D drive it was all junk stuff that was deleted when i did the format. now i need to figure out how to format the c drive and install a fresh windows...can anyone help?

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I see that's been covered up above.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 18, 2015 3:22PM PDT

The easy out is to order recovery media or just ask Microsoft for Windows 10.

As to format the HDD, I never do that. Haven't for over a decade. I may remove disk partitions to leave a blank HDD but formatting? Never. Why? Because I can trip up the Windows install if I partition and format ahead of the Windows install.

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Acer Aspire 3100, help needed to reinstall windows
by irebeer--2008 Jul 18, 2015 5:53PM PDT

i mentioned before that Aer DOES NOT have a recovery CD available anymore. And to get windows 10?.........can't anyone just tell me, explain how, to do format and to install the windows vista and do a recovery partition?

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Which is why links were given to other than Acer.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 18, 2015 7:36PM PDT

As to the install of Vista, that's on the web and one does not have to format before the install. Vista's installer will take care of that for us if we give it a blank HDD.

-> BUT NO and again NO. There is no procedure that will will result in a working recovery partition UNLESS you lucked into a working copy of that laptop and cloned the drive.

As long as you persist in that goal, you will fail.

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