Upgrade gone wrong (I need help)

el nevan

New Member
Hi, I'm new to using Vista, but I did run 7 during our first lockdown. I noticed that some of the apps that I wanted to use (iTunes, Dropbox, Chrome, etc.) would only support Windows 7 and higher. I thought about upgrading to 7, so I watched some YouTube videos about upgrading from Vista to 7. After 5 or so videos, I felt confident enough to do it myself. I started by finding an ISO online (I'm running Vista Home Premium x86, so I would need to get a Windows 7 Home Professional x86.) I found the one I needed on softlay.com (I used this one, x86 of course. Windows 7 Home Premium ISO). After burning the ISO to an 8gb USB drive, I backed up my Vista system, not thinking to make a system image before the upgrade. I went through the necessary steps to complete the upgrade (everything went perfectly), but when I got to the activation screen and entered my Vista product key, it said it wasn't valid. I'd seen some other people use what I thought was their Vista key, but I guess they used a 7 key. I figured that I didn't need to run Windows 7, so I went through the process of finding an ISO that matched my original Vista setup (I found one, Windows Vista Home Premium). I burnt the ISO to another flash drive, installed it, entered my product key and got in fine. I went to the Backup and Restore program and tried to restore my past Vista files, it said that my user account needed to have the same name as the one in the backup, so I changed it to match (It was 'staples'. My system is a prebuilt from 2009ish). It backed up most of my files, but always got confused with one called 'boo.mgr', so I skipped it. When the restore window said that it had an issue with it again, I told it to skip it and all other files that were causing trouble. The restore went well, but it didn't restore my programs, wallpaper, theme, or drivers. I did find the correct network driver for my network card, so I installed it. After I installed the network driver, my PC went straight to finding drivers for my devices (Monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, printer). It said that everything but my printer was up to date, so I downloaded and installed the newest drivers for my printer, they installed fine. I decided I should try a driver manager, so I found one I liked, installed it and ran it. It said that all of my drivers were out of date, so I tried another driver manager, it said the same thing. I'm not really able to use this PC at all because there are only 3 resolution options: 800x600, 900x1024, and 1280x1024. That's all of them. My monitor (an Acer AL1916W) needs to run at 1440x900, before I downgraded from 7 to Vista, 7 ran at 1440x900, and even before I upgraded to 7, Vista ran at 1440x900. I don't know what to do now, I want to restore it to how it was before the upgrade/downgrade cycle, but my PC won't let me. Is there any way that I can make an ISO from my backup? I have the backup on a 1tb external hard drive. If there isn't any way to do that, is there any way that I can get my stuff from Microsoft?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS
Hi el nevan:

Please note the following:

The free upgrade offer from Vista to Win 7 expired on 31-Jan-2010 and there is no free upgrade path from Vista SP2 to either Win 7 SP1, Win 8.x or Win 10. Assuming your system hardware and peripherals are compatible with Win 7, you would still need to purchase a new Win 7 DVD and license (product key) from a reputable online source like newegg.com. Win 7 SP1 reached end of extended support on 14-Jan-2020 so spending that amount of money to upgrade to an unsupported Win 7 SP1 OS might not make sense now.

Microsoft deactivated the Windows Update servers for unsupported Win XP and Vista operating systems that do not support SHA-2 code signing on 03-Aug-2020. See the Microsoft support article Windows Update SHA-1 Based Endpoints Discontinued for Older Windows Devices for information about typical errors codes that XP and Vista users will now see if they try to run Windows Update.

First some basic questions:

Did the ISO you used to reinstall Vista include Service Pack 2 (check at Control Panel | System and Maintenance | System as shown below)? See my post # 104 in Brink's Why SP1 May Not Be Available For You And How To Get It for download links if Service Pack 1 and/or Service Pack 2 hasn't been installed yet.

Vista System Information Service Pack.png

If Service Pack 2 (KB948465, released May 2009) is installed, have you found a way to patch your Vista SP2 back to end of extended support (11-Apr-2017) with the ~220 security updates released for Vista after May 2009 ? If you aren't sure open your IE browser, go to Help | About Internet Explorer and let us know the Update Versions. A Vista SP2 OS that is patched to end of support should have Internet Explorer 9 with Update Versions 9.0.60 / KB4014661 (Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 9: April 11, 2017) or higher as shown below.

IE9 Version KB4014661 April 2017.png

If you used your Vista ISO to perform a clean reinstall of OS did you re-activate your Windows installation? If not your Vista installation might be running in reduced functionality mode. If necessary, see Brink's tutorial How to Activate Vista Normally and by Phone Activation. Step 2 / Option 2 of that tutorial describes how to perform an automated activation via phone using slui.exe 4. If the automated phone activation doesn't work you will be transferred to an activation operator who will give you a set of Confirmation ID numbers if they agree your Vista product key is legitimate.

What is the make and model of your computer (I'm not sure if you meant it was custom-built when you said "system is a prebuilt from 2009ish"), and when you say "I have the backup on a 1tb external hard drive" how was this backup created? Did you use Macrium Reflect Free or some other disk imaging software to create full disk image of your hard drive, or did you simply use basic Backup and Restore software (either built-in or provided by a third party like your computer manufacturer) to back up your personal data and user files to your external hard drive? If you performed a clean reinstall of your Vista SP2 OS and don't have a full disk image that you can use to restore your entire system to a previous state you will have to reinstall your third-party software like your antivirus, iTunes, Firefox ESR browser, etc. from scratch to ensure those programs are registered correctly in your Windows registry.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free 7.3.6391 * SyncToy 2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1415 * Firefox v95.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v.4.18.2111.5-1.1.18800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.0.152-1.0.1538 * Macrium Reflect Free 7.3.6391 * Karen's Replicator 3.7.6 * 64-bit iTunes v12.12.2.2
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
I noted that he said he couldn't use iTunes or Dropbox in Vista. I can use both in Vista home premium/x64.

Did he reinstall his monitor using the accompanying disc?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
I noted that he said he couldn't use iTunes or Dropbox in Vista. I can use both in Vista home premium/x64. Did he reinstall his monitor using the accompanying disc?

Hi wither 3:

It's possible el nevan did not use the legacy iTunes v12.1.3.6 installer for Win XP and Vista. A download link for the full 104 MB offline 32-bit iTunesSetup.exe v12.1.3.6 installer (released 16-Sep-2015) is posted near the bottom of turingtest2's support document Troubleshooting Issues with iTunes for Windows Updates in the Apple forum. My iTunes version numbers were included in my system specs at the bottom of post # 2.

I should also mention that Vista SP2 users have not been able to use the iTunes Store since 25-May-2018 to log in to their Apple account and make new purchases or re-download previous purchases to their computer, although they can still run iTunes on their local computer and create playlists and playback songs, video and other media.

Just an aside, but I'd also suggest that el nevan use a Firefox ESR v52.9.0 browser (the legacy version for Win XP and Vista rel. 26-Jun-2018). They mentioned in their original post that they wanted to use Chrome but Google ended support for Chrome back in April 2016 after Chrome v49 was released. I recently posted instructions for installing Firefox ESR v52.9.0 <here> in the BleepingComputer Vista forum. I rarely use my Vista SP2 computer these days so other users might want to suggest a different a Vista-compatible browser.
______________________________________

If you have a question or comment for el nevan it would be better if you addressed them directly. I have no idea if their Acer AL1916W monitor came with its own software disk.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
I noted that he said he couldn't use iTunes or Dropbox in Vista. I can use both in Vista home premium...
Use them for what? Apple iTunes also ended support for Windows 7 and 8.1 about a year ago. If the OP needs iTunes to support devices running iOS 15, then what he really needs is a new PC running Windows 10 or 11. If he wants to use a version of Chrome (or even Firefox) that is not obsolete, then Windows 7 would suffice for the time being, but Vista hasn’t enjoyed major browser support for years. I don’t see much point in reinstalling Vista for 2022. I would have to recommend a new PC.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium x86 SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Elite m9150f
    CPU
    Intel Q6600
    Memory
    3 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
Hi el nevan:

Please note the following:

The free upgrade offer from Vista to Win 7 expired on 31-Jan-2010 and there is no free upgrade path from Vista SP2 to either Win 7 SP1, Win 8.x or Win 10. Assuming your system hardware and peripherals are compatible with Win 7, you would still need to purchase a new Win 7 DVD and license (product key) from a reputable online source like newegg.com. Win 7 SP1 reached end of extended support on 14-Jan-2020 so spending that amount of money to upgrade to an unsupported Win 7 SP1 OS might not make sense now.

Microsoft deactivated the Windows Update servers for unsupported Win XP and Vista operating systems that do not support SHA-2 code signing on 03-Aug-2020. See the Microsoft support article Windows Update SHA-1 Based Endpoints Discontinued for Older Windows Devices for information about typical errors codes that XP and Vista users will now see if they try to run Windows Update.

First some basic questions:

Did the ISO you used to reinstall Vista include Service Pack 2 (check at Control Panel | System and Maintenance | System as shown below)? See my post # 104 in Brink's Why SP1 May Not Be Available For You And How To Get It for download links if Service Pack 1 and/or Service Pack 2 hasn't been installed yet.

View attachment 31017

If Service Pack 2 (KB948465, released May 2009) is installed, have you found a way to patch your Vista SP2 back to end of extended support (11-Apr-2017) with the ~220 security updates released for Vista after May 2009 ? If you aren't sure open your IE browser, go to Help | About Internet Explorer and let us know the Update Versions. A Vista SP2 OS that is patched to end of support should have Internet Explorer 9 with Update Versions 9.0.60 / KB4014661 (Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 9: April 11, 2017) or higher as shown below.

View attachment 31018

If you used your Vista ISO to perform a clean reinstall of OS did you re-activate your Windows installation? If not your Vista installation might be running in reduced functionality mode. If necessary, see Brink's tutorial How to Activate Vista Normally and by Phone Activation. Step 2 / Option 2 of that tutorial describes how to perform an automated activation via phone using slui.exe 4. If the automated phone activation doesn't work you will be transferred to an activation operator who will give you a set of Confirmation ID numbers if they agree your Vista product key is legitimate.

What is the make and model of your computer (I'm not sure if you meant it was custom-built when you said "system is a prebuilt from 2009ish"), and when you say "I have the backup on a 1tb external hard drive" how was this backup created? Did you use Macrium Reflect Free or some other disk imaging software to create full disk image of your hard drive, or did you simply use basic Backup and Restore software (either built-in or provided by a third party like your computer manufacturer) to back up your personal data and user files to your external hard drive? If you performed a clean reinstall of your Vista SP2 OS and don't have a full disk image that you can use to restore your entire system to a previous state you will have to reinstall your third-party software like your antivirus, iTunes, Firefox ESR browser, etc. from scratch to ensure those programs are registered correctly in your Windows registry.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free 7.3.6391 * SyncToy 2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1415 * Firefox v95.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v.4.18.2111.5-1.1.18800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.0.152-1.0.1538 * Macrium Reflect Free 7.3.6391 * Karen's Replicator 3.7.6 * 64-bit iTunes v12.12.2.2
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620
Yes, I did reactivate my installation with the original product key. It says that my version of Vista isn't activated though. Yes, The ISO that I used was Vista SP2. My IE browser says it is on version 7.0.6002.18005. My system is not custom-built, it is an HP Pavilion A6528P DT. When I backed up my PC, I just used Backup and Restore in Windows. I didn't make a disk image, just a standard backup.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS
Hi wither 3:

It's possible el nevan did not use the legacy iTunes v12.1.3.6 installer for Win XP and Vista. A download link for the full 104 MB offline 32-bit iTunesSetup.exe v12.1.3.6 installer (released 16-Sep-2015) is posted near the bottom of turingtest2's support document Troubleshooting Issues with iTunes for Windows Updates in the Apple forum. My iTunes version numbers were included in my system specs at the bottom of post # 2.

I should also mention that Vista SP2 users have not been able to use the iTunes Store since 25-May-2018 to log in to their Apple account and make new purchases or re-download previous purchases to their computer, although they can still run iTunes on their local computer and create playlists and playback songs, video and other media.

Just an aside, but I'd also suggest that el nevan use a Firefox ESR v52.9.0 browser (the legacy version for Win XP and Vista rel. 26-Jun-2018). They mentioned in their original post that they wanted to use Chrome but Google ended support for Chrome back in April 2016 after Chrome v49 was released. I recently posted instructions for installing Firefox ESR v52.9.0 <here> in the BleepingComputer Vista forum. I rarely use my Vista SP2 computer these days so other users might want to suggest a different a Vista-compatible browser.
______________________________________

If you have a question or comment for el nevan it would be better if you addressed them directly. I have no idea if their Acer AL1916W monitor came with its own software disk.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
I got my monitor secondhand a few years ago. It didn't come with a disk. When I first connected my PC to my monitor, it found the correct driver somewhere, and it ran perfectly.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
Hi el nevan:

Some of your comments about your Vista reinstall raise some red flags:
  • You've obtained your slipstreamed Vista SP2 ISO from softlay.com . I'm not familiar with this site and can't tell you if their ISOs are safe.
  • You said "I want to restore it to how it was before the upgrade/downgrade cycle, but my PC won't let me". You initially tried an upgrade to Win 7 SP1, which failed because you didn't have a valid Win 7 product key. I'm guessing this deleted the HP recovery partition on your hard drive that you could have used to reset your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop to factory condition (i.e., with drivers certified by HP for your hardware).
  • You said your Backup and Restore program "backed up most of my files, but always got confused with one called 'boo.mgr', so I skipped it. When the restore window said that it had an issue with it again, I told it to skip it and all other files that were causing trouble. The restore went well, but it didn't restore my programs, wallpaper, theme, or drivers." Instead of backing up personal file and user data in your C:\Users\<yourusername> folder for recovery, it sounds like you also tried to backup and restore files in other system folders (e.g., C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, C:\ProgramData, etc. ???) to avoid downloading and reinstalling third party software like your antivirus, browser, etc. and customizing your display settings. As I noted before, restoring files located outside C:\Users\<yourusername> to your hard drive after a clean reinstall is likely going to cause issues, and I can't predict what odd behavior and glitches this is going to create on your system going forward.
  • You said your IE browser "is version 7.0.6002.18005". That means you have Internet Explorer 7 (rel. 18-Oct-2006) that was bundled with Vista Service Pack 2, and not Internet Explorer 9, which suggests your reinstalled OS still hasn't been patched to end of support on 11-Apr-2021 and is missing ~ 220 security updates dating back to May 2009 when SP2 was released. See my comments below about the Dism++ utility.
  • You said that "I did reactivate my installation with the original product key. It says that my version of Vista isn't activated though." I don't know what method you tried, but if simply typed in your product key during the reinstall and didn't use the automated activation via phone using slui.exe 4 I suggested above you could be running Vista in reduced functionality mode.
  • You said "I decided I should try a driver manager, so I found one I liked, installed it and ran it. It said that all of my drivers were out of date, so I tried another driver manager, it said the same thing." I don't know which driver update utilities you used, but they're notoriously inaccurate (especially on machines with older operating systems) and could be recommending drivers that aren't even compatible with Vista SP2. If possible, you should be using drivers recommended by your computer manufacturer (unfortunately, it looks like HP Support has taken down the Software & Drivers page for your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop) or downloading them directly from the original manufacturer like Acer, Realtek, etc..
____________________________________

Before you go any further, is this Vista SP2 desktop the only computer you own, or is it a spare computer you were trying to refurbish? Given the concerns I've raised above (and how difficult it is to reinstall Vista SP2 since Microsoft deactivated Windows Update for Win XP and Vista on 03-Aug-2020) I'm not sure it's worth even pressing forward and trying to fix your installation in its current state. Here are a few other options you should consider first:
  • Recycle this old Vista SP2 machined and move on to a newer Win 10 PC (what I would recommend, if possible).
  • Perform another clean reinstall of Vista SP2, use the Dism++ utility to patch to end of support (see SIW2's Dec 2021 instructions in the thread Vista ISO Download from page 160 / post # 3186 onward), and reactivate Vista using the slui.exe 4 automated phone activation method. This time only restore personal files in your C:\Users\<yourusername> folder that were backed up to your external hard drive and reinstall your antivirus, browser, and other third-party programs using freshly downloaded legacy installers that are still compatible with Vista SP2. Once your hardwares drivers are updated and your system is stable manually install the out-of-band emergency updates for Vista SP2 released after end of support on 11-Apr-2021 [see my 20-Feb-2021 post in 80072EFE on Fresh Install of Windows Vista about five security updates (KB4018271 / KB4018466 / KB4021903 / KB4024402 / KB4019204) released in May/June 2017 to patch the NSA-leaked Shadow Broker exploits as well as the KB4499180 update released in May 2019 that patches the BlueKeep remote desktop vulnerability CVE-2019-0708].
  • Upgrade to Win 7 SP1 (not ideal since you'll have to pay for a valid Win 7 product key for an OS that has not been supported since 14-Jan-2020; you'd have to check if the specs <here> for your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop even meet the minimum system requirements for Win 7 SP1).
  • Completely ditch Windows and switch to a Linux distro (see my 12-Dec-2021 post in gravitycoil828's Inspiron 1501 - No Recovery Essentials for Vista in the Dell forum about creating a bootable Linux Live CD or USB you can use to take Linux for a test drive before deciding if you want to install Linux on your hard drive; Philip_Yip posted on that same page about a new Zorin OS 16 Lite Linux distro designed for older computers with a legacy BIOS).
Let us know how you'd like to proceed.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
Hi el nevan:

Some of your comments about your Vista reinstall raise some red flags:
  • You've obtained your slipstreamed Vista SP2 ISO from softlay.com . I'm not familiar with this site and can't tell you if their ISOs are safe.
  • You said "I want to restore it to how it was before the upgrade/downgrade cycle, but my PC won't let me". You initially tried an upgrade to Win 7 SP1, which failed because you didn't have a valid Win 7 product key. I'm guessing this deleted the HP recovery partition on your hard drive that you could have used to reset your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop to factory condition (i.e., with drivers certified by HP for your hardware).
  • You said your Backup and Restore program "backed up most of my files, but always got confused with one called 'boo.mgr', so I skipped it. When the restore window said that it had an issue with it again, I told it to skip it and all other files that were causing trouble. The restore went well, but it didn't restore my programs, wallpaper, theme, or drivers." Instead of backing up personal file and user data in your C:\Users\<yourusername> folder for recovery, it sounds like you also tried to backup and restore files in other system folders (e.g., C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, C:\ProgramData, etc. ???) to avoid downloading and reinstalling third party software like your antivirus, browser, etc. and customizing your display settings. As I noted before, restoring files located outside C:\Users\<yourusername> to your hard drive after a clean reinstall is likely going to cause issues, and I can't predict what odd behavior and glitches this is going to create on your system going forward.
  • You said your IE browser "is version 7.0.6002.18005". That means you have Internet Explorer 7 (rel. 18-Oct-2006) that was bundled with Vista Service Pack 2, and not Internet Explorer 9, which suggests your reinstalled OS still hasn't been patched to end of support on 11-Apr-2021 and is missing ~ 220 security updates dating back to May 2009 when SP2 was released. See my comments below about the Dism++ utility.
  • You said that "I did reactivate my installation with the original product key. It says that my version of Vista isn't activated though." I don't know what method you tried, but if simply typed in your product key during the reinstall and didn't use the automated activation via phone using slui.exe 4 I suggested above you could be running Vista in reduced functionality mode.
  • You said "I decided I should try a driver manager, so I found one I liked, installed it and ran it. It said that all of my drivers were out of date, so I tried another driver manager, it said the same thing." I don't know which driver update utilities you used, but they're notoriously inaccurate (especially on machines with older operating systems) and could be recommending drivers that aren't even compatible with Vista SP2. If possible, you should be using drivers recommended by your computer manufacturer (unfortunately, it looks like HP Support has taken down the Software & Drivers page for your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop) or downloading them directly from the original manufacturer like Acer, Realtek, etc..
____________________________________

Before you go any further, is this Vista SP2 desktop the only computer you own, or is it a spare computer you were trying to refurbish? Given the concerns I've raised above (and how difficult it is to reinstall Vista SP2 since Microsoft deactivated Windows Update for Win XP and Vista on 03-Aug-2020) I'm not sure it's worth even pressing forward and trying to fix your installation in its current state. Here are a few other options you should consider first:
  • Recycle this old Vista SP2 machined and move on to a newer Win 10 PC (what I would recommend, if possible).
  • Perform another clean reinstall of Vista SP2, use the Dism++ utility to patch to end of support (see SIW2's Dec 2021 instructions in the thread Vista ISO Download from page 160 / post # 3186 onward), and reactivate Vista using the slui.exe 4 automated phone activation method. This time only restore personal files in your C:\Users\<yourusername> folder that were backed up to your external hard drive and reinstall your antivirus, browser, and other third-party programs using freshly downloaded legacy installers that are still compatible with Vista SP2. Once your hardwares drivers are updated and your system is stable manually install the out-of-band emergency updates for Vista SP2 released after end of support on 11-Apr-2021 [see my 20-Feb-2021 post in 80072EFE on Fresh Install of Windows Vista about five security updates (KB4018271 / KB4018466 / KB4021903 / KB4024402 / KB4019204) released in May/June 2017 to patch the NSA-leaked Shadow Broker exploits as well as the KB4499180 update released in May 2019 that patches the BlueKeep remote desktop vulnerability CVE-2019-0708].
  • Upgrade to Win 7 SP1 (not ideal since you'll have to pay for a valid Win 7 product key for an OS that has not been supported since 14-Jan-2020; you'd have to check if the specs <here> for your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop even meet the minimum system requirements for Win 7 SP1).
  • Completely ditch Windows and switch to a Linux distro (see my 12-Dec-2021 post in gravitycoil828's Inspiron 1501 - No Recovery Essentials for Vista in the Dell forum about creating a bootable Linux Live CD or USB you can use to take Linux for a test drive before deciding if you want to install Linux on your hard drive; Philip_Yip posted on that same page about a new Zorin OS 16 Lite Linux distro designed for older computers with a legacy BIOS).
Let us know how you'd like to proceed.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
This desktop is more of a spare computer, we've got a PC running XP, my laptop that runs 10, my dad's that also runs 10, my dad's old laptop which runs 7 SP2, and my Chromebook. I only have this PC because it was passed down through the family to us when we put my great-grandmother in an assisted living facility. It had some pictures on it, they're all in the backup that I made. I just want this PC to go back to how it was.

I use this PC as a daily driver, as my laptop sucks (32Gb emmc, 4Gb Ram). I mainly use it for watching YouTube, running Google Classroom, and Driver's Ed.

I installed a second hard drive in it (Western Digital Caviar, 500Gb), I use this hard drive to dual boot the PC, this hard drive is running an unlicensed version of Windows 10 Pro. Whenever I wanted to use iTunes, Dropbox, or other modern software, I would boot to this. I never told Vista to store files here. On this hard drive, I have another copy of my Vista backup. Windows 10 runs ok, as long as you don't have 5+ Chrome tabs open at once, or 3+ less ram hungry programs.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS
....You said your IE browser "is version 7.0.6002.18005". That means you have Internet Explorer 7 (rel. 18-Oct-2006) that was bundled with Vista Service Pack 2, and not Internet Explorer 9, which suggests your reinstalled OS still hasn't been patched to end of support on 11-Apr-2021 and is missing ~ 220 security updates dating back to May 2009 when SP2 was released....
It sounds like you still believe every Vista user must install IE9 so that it can be given a security update from 2017, then forget IE and use a Firefox version from 2018!? Have you ever asked yourself whether patching Vista to end of support is a means to an end, or an end in itself? If it is a means to the end of online security, then it is an exercise in futility. Microsoft has always made it clear that their products require regular patching and should not be used after support ends. It seems to me that you view old patches the same way a collector views old postage stamps: as an end in themselves.
Given the concerns I've raised above (and how difficult it is to reinstall Vista SP2 since Microsoft deactivated Windows Update for Win XP and Vista on 03-Aug-2020) I'm not sure it's worth even pressing forward and trying to fix your installation in its current state.
Reinstalling Vista SP2 is easy enough: It’s just getting a complete collection of old patches that is difficult. I actually ran Vista for nine years without the April 2017 patches, and my installation did not require fixing.

Regarding the OP’s concerns, the link provided by wither 3 in post #8 looks very promising to me. I’m glad to hear that Vista is not his only available OS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium x86 SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Elite m9150f
    CPU
    Intel Q6600
    Memory
    3 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
I don't know if the fully patched ISO that SIW2 gave me would be beneficial or even recommended.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
...I want to restore it to how it was before the upgrade/downgrade cycle, but my PC won't let me. Is there any way that I can make an ISO from my backup? I have the backup on a 1tb external hard drive. If there isn't any way to do that, is there any way that I can get my stuff from Microsoft?...

... When I backed up my PC, I just used Backup and Restore in Windows. I didn't make a disk image, just a standard backup...

... I use this PC as a daily driver, as my laptop sucks (32Gb emmc, 4Gb Ram). I mainly use it for watching YouTube, running Google Classroom, and Driver's Ed. I installed a second hard drive in it (Western Digital Caviar, 500Gb), I use this hard drive to dual boot the PC, this hard drive is running an unlicensed version of Windows 10 Pro. Whenever I wanted to use iTunes, Dropbox, or other modern software, I would boot to this. I never told Vista to store files here. On this hard drive, I have another copy of my Vista backup. Windows 10 runs ok, as long as you don't have 5+ Chrome tabs open at once, or 3+ less ram hungry programs....

If you didn't use imaging software like Macrium Reflect Free v7.x to save a full disk image of your Vista hard drive to your external backup drive (and create emergency recovery media like a bootable USB) before you attempted your upgrade to Win 7 then I don't know how you can quickly return your computer to the exact state it was in (i.e., with the identical software and hardware drivers) prior to the upgrade attempt . I'll post a separate reply later about imaging software but installing that software now isn't going to help with your current dilemma.

Before attempting your Win 7 upgrade it sounds like you created a full backup (copy) of all the folders on your hard drive (e.g., including your C:\Users\<yourusername>, C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, etc.) using HP Backup and Restore or Vista's built-in Backup and Restore . If that isn't correct let us know. I don't know of any way you could "make an ISO" from those copied files that you could use to restore your hard drive back to the same condition it was in before the upgrade attempt. If your HP Pavilion desktop came with an official OEM Windows Vista installation disk there are utilities you can use to create a slipstreamed Vista installation disk with Service Pack 2 (i.e., similar to the slipstreamed Vista SP2 ISO you obtained from softlay.com), and some users in this forum have even created their own Vista SP2 ISO that is slipstreamed with Service Pack 2 plus all ~ 220 security updates released before end of support on 11-Apr-2017, but I don't think there's any way you could use the files you copied to your external hard drive to create an ISO or installation disk that would restore your computer to the exact state it was in prior to your Win 7 upgrade attempt.

I don't even know how you could reset your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop back to factory condition now to recover the software and HP utilities that were installed at the factory. My HP Pavilion laptop was purchased in 2008 and did not ship with an OEM Windows Vista installation disk or recovery media. It has a partition called D:\HP_RECOVERY that I could use along with my HP Recovery Manager utility to reset my computer back to factory condition (i.e., Vista SP1 with no personal data files and no third-party software or drivers I've installed myself since 2008) . When I booted up my laptop after it shipped from the factory and ran the initial setup I was asked if I wanted to create my own bootable recovery media (which I did by burning three DVDs using my CD/DVD burner) so that I would be able to reset to factory condition if my D:\HP_RECOVERY partition was ever damaged or if I needed to recover any factory-installed software that was accidentally deleted. If your attempted upgrade to Win 7 wiped your recovery partition (e.g., D:\HP_RECOVERY) and/or you've lost your factory-installed HP utilities, and if someone didn't burn HP recovery DVDs for your great-grandmother when this computer shipped from the factory, then a reset to factory condition isn't possible, even if you wanted to try this.

Vista SP2 HP_RECOVERY Partition in D Drive EDITED.png

Vista SP2 HP Recovery Manager Software EDITED.png

... I went to the Backup and Restore program and tried to restore my past Vista files, it said that my user account needed to have the same name as the one in the backup, so I changed it to match... It backed up most of my files, but always got confused with one called 'boo.mgr', so I skipped it. When the restore window said that it had an issue with it again, I told it to skip it and all other files that were causing trouble. The restore went well, but it didn't restore my programs, wallpaper, theme, or drivers....

...This desktop is more of a spare computer, we've got a PC running XP, my laptop that runs 10, my dad's that also runs 10, my dad's old laptop which runs 7 SP2, and my Chromebook. I only have this PC because it was passed down through the family to us when we put my great-grandmother in an assisted living facility. It had some pictures on it, they're all in the backup that I made. I just want this PC to go back to how it was...

Perhaps someone else following this thread has a better suggestion that starting a fresh reinstall of Vista SP2 OS from scratch on your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop and then restoring your personal data and pictures from your external backup drive. It sounds like you have an unactivated or pirated "unlicensed" copy of Win 10 Pro (which I don't condone) on a second internal hard drive that doesn't run well on your Vista SP2 hardware, so installing a legal copy of Win 10 on this old machine doesn't sound like a viable option either. You might have to learn to live with your underpowered Win 10 laptop or Chromebook for now until you can purchase a new Win 10 machine with better specs.

What is the current state of you personal data that was stored in C:\Users\<yourusername> before the failed Win 7 upgrade? Did you manage to recover all the important photos and personal documents from the backup on your external backup drive, and do all they all open correctly, or do you still need help with that?
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
 
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My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
If you didn't use imaging software like Macrium Reflect Free v7.x to save a full disk image of your Vista hard drive to your external backup drive (and create emergency recovery media like a bootable USB) before you attempted your upgrade to Win 7 then I don't know how you can quickly return your computer to the exact state it was in (i.e., with the identical software and hardware drivers) prior to the upgrade attempt . I'll post a separate reply later about imaging software but installing that software now isn't going to help with your current dilemma.

Before attempting your Win 7 upgrade it sounds like you created a full backup (copy) of all the folders on your hard drive (e.g., including your C:\Users\<yourusername>, C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, etc.) using HP Backup and Restore or Vista's built-in Backup and Restore . If that isn't correct let us know. I don't know of any way you could "make an ISO" from those copied files that you could use to restore your hard drive back to the same condition it was in before the upgrade attempt. If your HP Pavilion desktop came with an official OEM Windows Vista installation disk there are utilities you can use to create a slipstreamed Vista installation disk with Service Pack 2 (i.e., similar to the slipstreamed Vista SP2 ISO you obtained from softlay.com), and some users in this forum have even created their own Vista SP2 ISO that is slipstreamed with Service Pack 2 plus all ~ 220 security updates released before end of support on 11-Apr-2017, but I don't think there's any way you could use the files you copied to your external hard drive to create an ISO or installation disk that would restore your computer to the exact state it was in prior to your Win 7 upgrade attempt.

I don't even know how you could reset your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop back to factory condition now to recover the software and HP utilities that were installed at the factory. My HP Pavilion laptop was purchased in 2008 and did not ship with an OEM Windows Vista installation disk or recovery media. It has a partition called D:\HP_RECOVERY that I could use along with my HP Recovery Manager utility to reset my computer back to factory condition (i.e., Vista SP1 with no personal data files and no third-party software or drivers I've installed myself since 2008) . When I booted up my laptop after it shipped from the factory and ran the initial setup I was asked if I wanted to create my own bootable recovery media (which I did by burning three DVDs using my CD/DVD burner) so that I would be able to reset to factory condition if my D:\HP_RECOVERY partition was ever damaged or if I needed to recover any factory-installed software that was accidentally deleted. If your attempted upgrade to Win 7 wiped your recovery partition (e.g., D:\HP_RECOVERY) and/or you've lost your factory-installed HP utilities, and if someone didn't burn HP recovery DVDs for your great-grandmother when this computer shipped from the factory, then a reset to factory condition isn't possible, even if you wanted to try this.

View attachment 31019

View attachment 31020



Perhaps someone else following this thread has a better suggestion that starting a fresh reinstall of Vista SP2 OS from scratch on your HP Pavilion A6528P desktop and then restoring your personal data and pictures from your external backup drive. It sounds like you have an unactivated or pirated "unlicensed" copy of Win 10 Pro (which I don't condone) on a second internal hard drive that doesn't run well on your Vista SP2 hardware, so installing a legal copy of Win 10 on this old machine doesn't sound like a viable option either. You might have to learn to live with your underpowered Win 10 laptop or Chromebook for now until you can purchase a new Win 10 machine with better specs.

What is the current state of you personal data that was stored in C:\Users\<yourusername> before the failed Win 7 upgrade? Did you manage to recover all the important photos and personal documents from the backup on your external backup drive, and do all they all open correctly, or do you still need help with that?
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.6391 * SyncToy v2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
I just used Vista's built-in backup software. I have all my data and photos included in the backup. They are all there. They all open correctly.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
.... I'll post a separate reply later about imaging software ...

Hi el nevan:

Once you have your Vista SP2 OS patched to end of support (11-Apr-2017), updated all your drivers, reinstalled your essential third-party programs (antivirus, web browser, etc.) and restored all your personal data and your system is in a stable state again you should think about installing disk imaging software like Macrium Reflect Free to create emergency rescue media (e.g., a bootable USB stick or CD/DVD) and then save a full disk image of your entire hard drive to your external backup drive. This will allow you to quickly restore your entire hard drive to a previous state if disaster ever strikes (e.g., you are infected by a serious malware infection, a software upgrade fails and your system is not bootable, etc.). I have limited free disk space on my external backup drive so I only create a new disk image just before I make a major change to my system (e.g., a Win 10 version or BIOS upgrade) and only retain three or four of my latest images. In addition to creating a removable bootable USB stick that I can use to boot my system I've added the Macrium rescue environment to the Windows boot menu on my local Win 10 machine so I can start an emergency recovery without booting up from my USB stick (see the AskWoody thread Macrium Reflect Free Rescue Media Questions for further details). If you add your rescue environment to your Windows boot menu just note that each time you boot up your machine you’ll be given a 10 second countdown that will give you the option to enter the recovery environment before Windows starts to load, which some users might not like. If you create a bootable USB stick or CD/DVD recovery media also test to make sure your system can actually boot up from your recovery media - if it can't you might have to tweak the boot order of your devices in your BIOS settings.

For regular backup of personal files in my C:\Users\<myusername> folder to my external backup drive I prefer to use free utilities like Microsoft SyncToy (Win XP/Vista) or Karen's Replicator. I don't use file compression or encryption - I just replicate any changes to new, edited or deleted files in my C:\Users\<myusername> folder since the last sync over to the backup folder on my external backup drive. That way I can create a new Windows user account and easily transfer my files to that new account (or even transfer them to another computer) without having to worry about matching account names and other restrictions one might encounter when using Windows Backup and Restore. I also save files deleted from my backup folder in the Recycle Bin of my external backup drive and only empty that Recycle Bin every few months when I'm sure I haven't accidentally deleted any important files in C:\Users\<myusername> I want to copy back to it's original location.

On my 64-bit Win 10 machine I currently use:
  • 64-bit Macrium Reflect Free v8.0
  • Karen's Replicator v3.7.6
  • Windows System Restore [disabled by default in Win 10, I've turned this feature back on as instructed in the Windows Central article How to Use System Restore on Windows 10 so I have system restore points I can use to fix minor problems with my Windows system files or registry that can't be repaired with the built-in System File Checker tool (sfc /scannow)].
On my 32-bit Vista SP2 machine (which is rarely booted up and no longer stores any personal data) I use:
  • 32-bit Macrium Reflect Free v7.3
  • Microsoft SyncToy v2.1 (although I would likely use the Karen's Replicator now if this machine still had personal data that required regular backup since Karen's Replicator has more advanced features ; I set up SyncToy using the "Echo" option so any changes in my C:\Users\<myusername> folder are replicated exactly in my backup folder, but if I accidentally delete a file in my backup folder that delete won't be replicated in C:\Users\<myusername>)
  • Windows System Restore (enable by default in Vista)
Note that 64-bit Vista SP2 can only use Macrium Reflect v7.3. This product will stop receiving product updates in May 2022 but will continue to function normally per the Nov 2021 support article Reflect 8 Free is Now Out!. According to the Macrium Reflect information <here> on deprecation of SHA-1 support, 32-bit Vista SP2 users can upgrade from v7.3 to v8.0 but will see "an unknown publisher warning in the UAC prompt for Windows Vista". I plan to continue using v7.3 on my 32-bit Vista SP2 machine after May 2022 since it's unlikely that I will ever need to use Macrium Reflect Free to create a new disk image again.

Macrium Reflect Free for Home Consumers
Microsoft SyncToy v2.1 (Win XP / Vista)
Karen's Replicator v3.7.6 (Win XP to Win 10)
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365 * Macrium Reflect Free 7.3.6391 * SyncToy 2.1.0 * 32-bit iTunes v12.1.3.6
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo [email protected] GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 GB Western Digital SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1415 * Firefox v95.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v.4.18.2111.5-1.1.18800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.0.152-1.0.1538 * Macrium Reflect Free 8.0.6392 * Karen's Replicator 3.7.6 * 64-bit iTunes v12.12.2.2
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
I just found and installed the graphics drivers that I needed. I'm all good, except for the backup side of things.

... and be sure to let us know if you have problems finding download links for your hardware drivers or third-party software or would like suggestions for an alternate antivirus, web browser, etc. that is still compatible with Vista SP2.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    32-bit Vista SP2 Home Premium
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion dv6835ca
    CPU
    Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz
    Motherboard
    Quanta 30D2 (U2E1)
    Memory
    3 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Western Digital Scorpio WD2500BEVS 5400 rpm
    Other Info
    Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0
  • Operating System
    64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 15 5584
    CPU
    Intel i5-8265U @1.60/1.80 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 07R8NW
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256 GB KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD
    Other Info
    Microsoft Defender * Malwarebytes Premium * Firefox
... and be sure to let us know if you have problems finding download links for your hardware drivers or third-party software or would like suggestions for an alternate antivirus, web browser, etc. that is still compatible with Vista SP2.
Ok, I'll let you know if I need anything.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 10, Chrome OS
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