Stutopia

The usual sticker is nowhere visible on my mate's, looked under battery, inside case, etc. It's probably in the info that came with his laptop, but his Mrs has tidied that up and "put it somewhere safe". However, you can easily pull the product key from some freeware like Belarc (get it from download.com), it shows up the key after a quick scan. However, once I got the key and tried to download the iso from Microdicks to burn a disk, it's then that it spat out the above error about not being a retail version (which Acer tech support confirmed on the phone). After the USB pen drive didn't work (it demands a minimimum 16GB by the way) I tried a USB hard drive, which it copied the recovery partition to in no time at all, but I'd be blowed if I could get it to boot from it and "restore" to the new SSD after countless attempts inside the BIOS to shuffle the boot order and switch off the ever irritating secure boot. Last resort will be a straightforward disk to disk clone, but I'm not convinced this will give him the best performance results (which is the whole point of a SSD!). I'm staying Mac for now, and telling everyone I meet to do the same! Good luck if you need to recover a fully broken HDD, the Acer tech support guy was actually quite friendly and helpful, once we got through the natural language barrier.

They do look awesome, and there was me just about to refurb my rays....

In closure, acer recovery partition failed to write a boot/recovery disc to pen drive after numerous formats, error checks. Off to buy a retail code for Windows 8 and sort it properly, then whinge about it to acer PC world and get some sort of cash back. All for the want of 50p proper boot cd thrown into the box!

Nice looking Zed, if you're looking for something a bit more sensible I'll do a swap for my 2004 GT. It's more or less stock, which is sensible, and in GM grey, which is also sensible, and cheaper road tax, sensible! Deal? Great price, I'd have been throwing pebbles at your window at night if this had been up when I bought mine. GL.

I think the reality of foreign nationals claiming benefits is a little different to position adopted in some quarters by, particularly the press, who love to peddle the "coming over here, raping our horses, eating our women" etc. Statistically migrants are less likely to claim benefits than UK nationals. I'm not saying they don't put additional strain on resources such as schools, housing and education but in terms of the "gravy train benefits" angle, IMHO, I'm not convinced. From The Independent, who I assume fact check before publication. "The DWP's analysis puts the same point another way. "As of February 2011, 16.6 per cent of working-age UK nationals were claiming a DWP working-age benefit compared to 6.6 per cent of working-age non-UK nationals." I'm sure plenty will argue you can prove anything with statistics, but I look around and listen when I get a cab, go to the shop, go to McDonalds, the petrol station and there are plenty of immigrants earning a crust and contributing PAYE and NI like many UK nationals. When I walk past the cash point on the way to 24 hour Tesco and see the queue forming, ready for the money drop at 1 minute past midnight, the accents I hear aren't European, they're broad Lancashire.

You asked for it. Sadly it's too dark outside for my iPhone, so I googled for some greasy knob photos all I got was loads like this:

I literally spat my cig out and blew smoke out my nose laughing at that. I can still barely type from shaking with laughter.

That's well Tron, like the blue.

I think I need something more aggressive SMD, maybe with exfoliating beads.

I've always wanted special driving gloves, reminds me of karting as a youth. Great suggestion, well Partridge. I may get some and drive to Dundee in my bare feet.

Having enhanced it just over a month ago, I've noticed it's now developing a slightly dulling layer of fine grease and natural skin discharge, up and down the shaft but mainly around the tip (which is high traffic to be fair). I've tried wipes, microfibres and a damp cloth but can't get it to really zing. I'm concerned it looks a little unsightly to anyone looking through my window, or worse still, if I'm giving someone a ride. I wonder if there's anything stronger I could use to try to restore it, but I'm reticent to just start applying creams and lotions willy-nilly, without knowing if they'll do any lasting damage. Anyone got any suggestions? Oh, nearly forgot. I've got a Evo-R Burnt Titanium knob.

My god, that's the greatest thing I ever saw. I literally want to rip my own eyes out so I never have to see women like free NHS boob job girl ever again. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Sorry, was this something about Portsmouth??? BTW always loved your avatar, but doesn't work on the new forum! I spent about an hour watching it over and over when i first saw it! Here's a memory refresher then....

Love it. Just used the Lucas Oil Slick Mist, very good, but not as good as the Angel Wax QED in the welcome pack I don't think. The best bit is another awesome smelling air freshener, got one for my pants drawer now. Bargain at twice the price.

This is amazeballz, just washed her after work, gonna Slick Mist and Hellshine before the sun goes. Anyone else get a little piano black pot of lip balm? Tasty!

It's been alleged by Acer tech support that you can burn a recovery DVD or pen drive from the "secret" partition, should be a nice solution and means my mate will have emergency bootable media lying around somewhere safe(ish) in case it all falls to pieces in future. Shame I had to go through extended discussions with their Support Drone 2.0 and being advised to go and buy a retail version as my only choice. I particularly enjoyed being told that it's impossible to get the windows 8 product key from the laptop. What, this one in front of me written down on an old envelope that I just gave you over the phone? I still don't know why they can't give you a 50p DVD copy. Thanks for the suggestions, got a few contingencies which is nice when monkeying about with laptops.

I've seen them on your build thread Dave, they look really good. That front lip is extremely nice too BTW.

It wasn't meant as an attack on the Irish, or indeed their venacular. I am genuinely sorry if it came across that way.

I had no idea. All these years I've been saying and writing it incorrectly, how embarrassing. I'll just pretend it was a simple typo for now.

Good shout Kyle, I'll start there I think.

+1 for Kayla like. Whilst we're pulling it apart with Kayla. If you want to swear say like a gown up do it with an u, not an e. I fu(£!ng hate feck, it's swearing for people who are too pathetic to use proper cuss words. I imagine they'd pass out all flustered if you drop a C bomb anywhere near them. Don't even get me started on Mrs Brown's Boys. It's like a sitcom was sh!t out through a time warp back to the 70s when a man in a dress was edgy and worth a laugh on its own. "Ooh, they break the 4th wall, it's so amazing." No, no it isn't. Sorry, rant over.

It does have windows 8 installed. I got the product key from Belarc, went to Microsoft to download the image and burn ISO to DVD, however, I got a rude message saying, "your product key can't be used to install a retail version of windows 8", please **** off and buy a new one. Thanks Bill. Naturally I'm not impressed, my mate has bought legit windows 8 laptop and they give you no install disc and no recourse to download and make your own, plus an entirely useless recovery process. If I was a total novice, this would be an even bigger nightmare. As you said, it will probably have to be a clone job, then reinstall from partition. I don't like to clone partitioned drives in case of any misalignment. I'm sending him off to PC World tomorrow to try and blag a retail disc, unlikely as that may be, failing that call Microshaft and have a whinge on the phone and see what they'll do. If that doesn't work, I'll install Mountain Lion whilst he's not looking and run off. I can burn a install disk from that in about 15 minutes, with zero dicking about with product keys. I get that digital downloads are the future of all software but there's no need to not give out a £1 DVD with the OS on when you buy a laptop/pc, or allow you to make one. Clonezilla here I come.

Nice one Madhatter. I ordered the rubber tape before seeing this, but if that fails ill try the sticky back foam. Ta

I'm swapping out the HDD on a mate's ACER Aspire V5 for an SSD this weekend. Done this before on my old Dell, simples. The only question I have is about creating a Windows 8 install ISO. I'd rather not clone the HDD straight onto the SSD, I prefer a clean Windows 8 install. However, in the olden days, this used to be easy as they threw in a CD/DVD copy of the OS when you spent £1000 on a new laptop. Clearly manufacturers can't afford to do that these days and you get a recovery partition instead. (Can anyone explain what use they are if your HDD catastrophically fails? sorry off topic already!) Anyone know if you can burn a Windows 8 CD/DVD from within dirty Windows 8 like you can on my beautiful OSX Moutain Lion iMac? Ta.

I quite like those helimeddaz, the lip especially. I'll have a think tonight and see what I fancy. Thanks for the pics, they look good.

Yeah you're right Wasso, the photo was for my original enquiry for one of the 50 Shades of Shadow Chrome, he had those in so gave me a bell to have a look. Didn't see the anthracite or bronze in there today. I'm a little concerned something too dark will make the wheels look tiny. I quite liked that finish but I'm not paying that price.