no installation CD

[Guest]

I bought a laptop at a computer store, it was delivered with installed vista
ultimate and a cd-key, but no install cd's. when i asked about this, they
claimed i am supposed to make an install cd myself, through the microsoft
home pages, or on the computer. how do i do this?

 

[Malke]

I bought a laptop at a computer store, it was delivered with installed vista
ultimate and a cd-key, but no install cd's. when i asked about this, they
claimed i am supposed to make an install cd myself, through the microsoft
home pages, or on the computer. how do i do this?

It is common for laptops to not come with restore disks. However, the
laptop mftr. is required to give you some way of returning the computer
to factory condition. Most laptops have a utility to do this. Look in
the manual, on the computer mftr.'s website (HP, for instance), or look
in your Start Menu for the restore disk creation utility.

If this is not a laptop from a major OEM (HP, Dell, Sony, etc.) but a
generic store-brand laptop, take it back to where you bought it and get
your money back or insist on reinstallation media.

You will not do this through "the microsoft home pages [sic]".


Malke

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I bought a laptop at a computer store, it was delivered with installed vista
ultimate and a cd-key, but no install cd's. when i asked about this, they
claimed i am supposed to make an install cd myself, through the microsoft
home pages, or on the computer. how do i do this?

Contact the computer's manufacturer (not Microsoft) for assistance.

Microsoft requires its licensed OEM computer manufacturers to
provide a means of returning the computer to its original, ex-factory
state. The particular method of recovery, however, is left entirely to
the discretion of each individual computer manufacturer.

Legally, the OEM has met it's contractual obligation to Microsoft
by providing a means of returning the PC to its ex-factory state,
whether it's a Recovery CD or a Recovery Partition. They are not
legally obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like Dell and Gateway, do
provide a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom
installations and repairs. However, many uncaring OEMs, such as
eMachines, Compaq, HP, and Sony, in an effort to save pennies and reduce
their support costs by having to hire support people that need only say
"Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to its original condition,"
provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the hard drive as it left the
factory.

Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

The computer's manufacturer will have provided you some means of
returning the computer to it's original, ex-factory state. Read the
documentation that came with the computer, or check the manufacturer's
support web site, and follow the instructions/procedures provided.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Paul Randall]

I bought a laptop at a computer store, it was delivered with installed
vista
ultimate and a cd-key, but no install cd's. when i asked about this, they
claimed i am supposed to make an install cd myself, through the microsoft
home pages, or on the computer. how do i do this?

Hi
On my Compaq, in Vista, I run Help & Support, and search for create recovery
disc. This gives me a number of hits, one of which explains the process and
gives me a link to click that starts the process to create the recovery
disc. The process goes through a number of screens, which tell me how many
discs it will take (7 CDs or 2 DVDs or one DVD-DL), and gives options for
things like verifying the discs after writing them (a good idea).

Do you have anything like that on your machine?

-Paul Randall