My system: Dell XPS m1710 T2500 2.0GHz, 4GB Motherboard: Dell A07 (RSDT: Dell M09) Win 7: 32 bit Ultimate x86 7600 6.1 History: Originally got a copy off a friend's multi-install DVD at a Win7 party. Used RemoveWAT to kill reminder/countdown. Had auto-updates on (stupid) and got nailed by the security update. Tried RemoveWAT again, nothing happened. Installed a Loader (could have been earlier DAZ but I don't remember) and nothing happened. Installed Shutdown Guard and that keeps the 2 hour thing from happening, and I have tried uninstalling the security update, using Daz's new Loader, tried 'restoring' with RemoveWAT and nothing works. The Loader sits there and says 'please wait' and RemoveWAT has no active button for restoration. Ran the m1710 exe BIOS SLI and I'm pretty sure it worked (SLIC Toolkit says SLIC status is validated). Problem is, I can't use the Dell Cert because slmgr won't run. I keep getting the 'not recognized' error, even when running Command Prompt as Admin and CD to windows/system32. Something must have been toasted by my dumb Loader/WAT mistakes, except I don't know what did what. To top the whole mess off, I can't burn a Win 7 DVD because the 4yo NEC DVD-R in my XPS is fried. All I can burn is a CD. Any help would be awesome, thanks. Please excuse my sloppy terminology, I've been trying to wrap my head around all the different methods and programs, instructions and such -- it's giving me a major headache.
Get an authentic iso from somewhere. Get any bootable USB ISO creator program and make a bootable USB to boot from - the program "A Bootable USB" works and is freeware.
I will try the USB boot tonight. I only have a 4GB flash drive (so much for my 'authentic' Chinese 32GB) but I can probably use my flash card reader and 8GB SD. At least, I hope so.