Using Recovery DVDs and it stalls at the Vista startup screen

[8895mentzer]

I've got a Lenovo 3000 N100 and I had to install a new hard drive. The old one went bad.  I use the 3 restore DVDs and the all run and then when the final reboot happens, I get to the Vista splash screen and the circle just keeps going around and that is as far as it gets.  I've removed the drive and insured that is was formatted.  I've even used a Dell Vista restore DVD and it loaded just fine.  Does anyone have any idea why the Lenovo DVD set gets as far as the Vista splash screen but never installs?  When I reboot and try booting into safe mode, I get a message that says something like "startup cannot complete in safe mode. Please restart" 

[IPnaSh Guru]

Did you made that recovery dvd set?

[8895mentzer]

The CDs are oem. A set of three.

[yigit]

are the size of hard disks ( old one and new one ) the same?

[8895mentzer]

No the old one was a 160 and the new is a 250. Just out of curiosity, I put a 160 in and same thing.

[IPnaSh Guru]

Try this:

1. Enter to BIOS and load default settings.
2. Erase all disk partitions (backup your data first).
3. Use again the disk set.

Best regards.

[yigit]

sounds like recovery dvds are faulty. contact support line if you can't install it.

[alexmia]

Hello,

You have a Windows license sticker on the back, right? And license key is clearly displayed, right?

All you have to do, and this is perfectly legal, is download a proper version of Windows. For example if you have Vista Business, you download Vista Business. Use www.torrent-finder.com or search google like this "Vista Business torrent". Burn to DVD, install, use your license key.

Also, don't be shy to use same channels as above to search for Lenovo recovery disks, you never know, maybe someone is seeding them!

-Alex

[yigit]

@ alexmia.

microsoft provides special serial numbers for manufacturers, so that doesn't work always.

but user can try.