It can install both ways, windows running and not, but both dont work.

Its an old compaq and i wouldnt have a clue where (if) any recovery disks are.

Im not too fussed about the data on it.
So would putting the lappy HDD on the Desktop, formatting it, then putting it back into the lappy blank to try to install work?

The disk looks fine, but like mentioned above, maybe the original was stuffed. I got it off a lad on rexnet.

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Balls.