My laptop desperately needs to be formatted, BUT I don't have the disks for Windows or Photoshop since I bought it from an old co-worker and they didn't include the disks. Is there a way to wipe everything clean and retain those programs? Or a way to make a back up copy of those programs so I don't end up with a blank computer?

If you registered the software with Adobe, it can be found using their web site.

If you did not register it on the Adobe web site, it is possible you may find it with Belarc advisor, but that may not work due to your updating of the laptop.

https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor

go into your bios settings and look for the set passwords settings you should be able to turn off this setting with one click and be back to having no password to sign in this should work if not you will need to find some one who has a program that resets passwords

Most times the Recovery from cd's don't work. You'll be better served by doing a Reinstall of Windows.

System Recovery (sometimes referred to as Factory Restore) will set your system back to when you first purchased it. It Deletes Everything. Most times the System Recovery does not work unless there is a recovery partition on your hard drive created by the manufacturer. If you are trying to recover from a set of cd's most times it does not work.

Instead of doing a System Recovery it's much easier to just Reinstall Windows. Look on your computer for the Certificate of Authentication (COA) Sticker. It will tell you what operating system is on your computer and it will give you the Product Key Code (a series of 5 letters and numbers) that you will need to activate windows. If you don't have an operating system disk, borrow one from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker. Just make sure it is the same as your COA Sticker's operating system or it will never activate. Also make sure you get the COA Product Key Code for the disk you borrow because sometimes the system will ask for the one that is on your system and sometimes it will ask for the one from the installation disk.

You'd be better served by just reinstalling the operating system because most times those recovery discs don't work.

Look at the bottom of your laptop or inside the battery case for the Certificate of Authentication (COA) Sticker. It will have what version of windows is installed on your laptop and it will give you the Product Key Code (a series of 5 letters and numbers). Borrow an Operating System Disk of that save version of windows from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker and reinstall windows. It has to be the exact same version of windows or you will have problems activating it.

Also make sure you get the Product Key Code from the person you borrowed the disk from because when the system asks for it, sometimes it wants the one from the disk rather than the one that is on your laptop to activate the product.

It's best to just reinstall windows. Look at the side of your computer for the Certificate of Authentication (COA) sticker. It will tell you which operating system you have and it will show you the Product Key Code (a series of 5 letters and numbers). Borrow an Operating System Disc from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker that is the same as what is listed on your COA Sticker and install it. Make sure you get the Product Key Code from their computer if it is not listed on the Disk. Sometimes when it comes to activation it will want the key code from your sticker and sometimes it wants the one from the disk that is being installed.

You'll be much better off with a clean install of windows than having a factory restore and all the bloated software you don't want.

Then try just reinstalling Windows.

It's best to just reinstall windows. Look at the side of your computer for the Certificate of Authentication (COA) sticker. It will tell you which operating system you have and it will show you the Product Key Code (a series of 5 letters and numbers). Borrow an Operating System Disc from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker that is the same as what is listed on your COA Sticker and install it. Make sure you get the Product Key Code from their computer if it is not listed on the Disk. Sometimes when it comes to activation it will want the key code from your sticker and sometimes it wants the one from the disk that is being installed.

You'll be much better off with a clean install of windows than having a factory restore and all the bloated software you don't want.

Borrow a reinstallation operating system disk or an operating system disk from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker. Just make sure it is the same as the operating system that your Certificate of Authentication (COA) sticker on the bottom of the laptop or inside the battery case or you will have problems activating it. Make sure you can read your series of 5 letters and numbers on your COA sticker and also get them for the disk you are using on the install. Sometimes when it asks for the product key it wants the one from your sticker, sometimes it wants the one from the cd used to install.

If you COA Sticker says Windows Vista Home Premium, you can't use a Windows Vista Home Basic operating system disc to do the install.

If it tries to boot up, Borrow a Repair disk or Operating System Disc from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker.

Run the Check Disk Utility.

To run the check disk utility you will need a repair disc or a operating system disc. Put the disc in the cd drive and boot from it. You want to get to the Dos Command Prompt (Black screen with white letters) and type the following command: chkdsk /r
Check disk will run well over an hour or two and you will notice the percentages going from high to low, this is normal. Let it run to completion. Then reboot machine.

If check disk fails to solve your problem you might have to reinstall windows. Try doing a Repair Install that way you don't loose your data, documents, music, pictures, videos or programs.

In windows xp you get to the dos command prompt by selecting R for repair when the options appear.

In Vista and Windows 7 you want to get to the recovery console and look down at the bottom of the window for the Dos Command.

You don't need it, most times it don't work if you are talking about a Recovery Disc.

Look on the bottom of your laptop or inside the battery case for a Certificate of Authentication (COA) Sticker. It will tell you what version of windows you have and it will have a series of 5 letters and numbers (keycode for activation) on it.

Borrow that same version of the operating system disc that is on the COA from a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker and reinstall windows. When it asks for the Activation Code use the one that is on you COA Sticker. The disk you use has to match your COA Sticker. For example if your COA says Windows 7 Home Premium, you can't use a Windows 7 Home Basic to do the install.

You can always take it to a computer shop to reinstall because as long as the COA is there they can do it and it should not cost more than $60.

i formated it but idont have any installer for the video of presario 2100