Looking to reinstall Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit

[Tim Barrett]

So I got this laptop awhile back that came with Windows Vista 64 bit. From changing OS' like Linux and trying Windows 7, I'm at a point where I want to reinstall Windows Vista. I have the product key sticker, but no Vista disk or .iso.

Is there a way to download Vista and install it legally without hacks because I already have the product key, or do I have to buy a new disk?

Thanks!

 

[MC_K7]

Unfortunately, I don't think you can legally download Vista. The downloads you're likely to find are pirated versions and could contain viruses sometimes so I wouldn't recommend you to go this way. There could also be a problem with the distribution version, different OEM or retail, etc... So your product key is not guaranteed to work with any Vista version (even if you find a Home Premium 64-bit, if it's from retail distribution, your product key is likely not to work with it).

Anyways, your laptop was supposed to come with a recovery disk. If they didn't give you one with the laptop, when you first open it on first boot they ask you to insert a blank DVD to create the recovery disk, did you do it? There might also be a hidden recovery partition on the hard disk, but I don't know if you deleted it when you installed Linux and Windows 7, did you erase all partitions? If you think the hidden recovery partition is still there, check your laptop manual to see how to access it.

You could also contact your laptop manufacturer, and ask them to ship you the recovery disks, but most companies will charge you between 30$ and 50$ for it. This is why it's important not to loose the recovery cds.

If you have a Dell you might be more lucky, when you contact them you can request a real Windows CD (better than a recovery disk IMHO) and they ship it for free. But as far as I know, it's the only company that does it.

 

[Tim Barrett]

Thanks MC, yeah I deleted the recovery partition when i installed linux, and the system didn't come with recovery disks, only a program to make one that's too late now.

I think I can get a recovery disk set from HP for $14, so it's not too bad. I don't want to pirate anything, it just gets too complicated