Trying to format a laptop

[captain jack]

Hi, firstly before anyone says I am infringing on copyright and so on ... I am trying to reformat a Laptop for someone. It has all the legal and genuine keys and product codes, however as per all new machines it has no CD's for updating.

The question invariably is then ... can you legally download a copy of Vista to use to reformat, using a genuine Windows key?

Help would be appreciated.

 

[Memphis]

Legally, no.

You may also find you need a specific disk from the manufacturer anyway before it'll activate the product key attached to the machine.

 

[SiriusB]

Every laptop I have set up in the last few years has always had a restore partition - hence why you normally dont get an actual Windows disc. Have you explored this possibility? In many case the partition is hidden from Windows - but it should show up in Disk Management under Admin Tools.

Alternatively call the manufacturer and see if they can send you a disc.

 

[reflux]

Yup, should be a restore partition on there.

 

[captain jack]

Every laptop I have set up in the last few years has always had a restore partition - hence why you normally dont get an actual Windows disc. Have you explored this possibility? In many case the partition is hidden from Windows - but it should show up in Disk Management under Admin Tools.

Alternatively call the manufacturer and see if they can send you a disc.

Yup, i agree, every one i have done too has had the partition. However in this case, the partition or HD seems goosed so nothing i do works. The system needs a complete format.

I will see if I can get some help from the makers, no doubt will have to fork out for a couple of discs though :|

cheers for the help

 

[cavonia]

How about borrowing a Vista disc off of someone and then formatting / loading vista that way with the genuine key you have? It is the number that is the most important thing surely?