Vista Came Installed on my laptop...

but after I sent it out to be repaired it wasn't installed anymore, according
to the sticker on the bottom of my laptop it was Windows Vista Business
OEMAct, is there anyway I can get a trial version to install so I can use the
product key I already have? Or something like that...

I don't want to spend a bunch of money I don't have on a new OS when my
laptop has already cost me fortune.

Please advise! Thanks!

You should have got a product CD (DVD in the case of Vista) for all the
software installed on your computer. Some of the real tightwad
manufacturers are just putting it on the hard disk now. Look in the box the
laptop came in for product media. If you don't find any, call the
manufacturer's customer support line. If you can find someone locally with
a copy of Vista Business, you can legitimately borrow their install DVD and
use it with your product key.

If the above fails, you can call Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-us

Earle

"jussy" <> wrote in message
news:BD6A4014-A466-41BF-9597-...
> but after I sent it out to be repaired it wasn't installed anymore,
> according
> to the sticker on the bottom of my laptop it was Windows Vista Business
> OEMAct, is there anyway I can get a trial version to install so I can use
> the
> product key I already have? Or something like that...
>
> I don't want to spend a bunch of money I don't have on a new OS when my
> laptop has already cost me fortune.
>
> Please advise! Thanks!
>

Hi,

Sorry to hear about that - maybe they formatted the hdd during the
repair.

What happens, exactly, when you start up your machine ? There might be
a recovery partition still intact.

If Vista is no longer installed and you can't find a recovery
partition ,the first thing is to ring the manufacturer - HP, for
example, will send out free copies of the recovery dvd.

I have no idea what is on the recovery dvd , or whether you can use it
for a full install - you need to ask when you speak to them.

Alternatively, you could borrow a dvd - it needs to be an OEM dvd and
it needs to be the same bit version you had before, i.e. 32bit or 64bit.
If you do manage to borrow one, you can use it to make your own bootable
install dvd to keep for future use.

Microsoft used to make it available for download, and through their
website for $10 shipping.

In a masterstroke of customer relations, they have stopped doing it.

Let me know how you get on

SIW2


--
SIW2

On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:05:03 -0500, SIW2 <>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Sorry to hear about that

[snip]

It's obvious that you're going to be around for some time to come.
Would it be too much to ask that you learn to quote what you are
replying too??

Those of us listed as "guest" on the forum you are using - you'll
notice there are significantly more than those registered users - do
not keep old messages in our newsreaders. Our messages are leeched
from Microsoft servers by your forum.

It's very annoying reading posts from Vista Forums, Techarena,
Vistaheads, VistaClub, etc. from those who refuse to quote in their
replies.

Colin Bancroft has explained that it does not matter if you reinstall with a
Retail or OEM disk. All that is needed is the correct Product Key
--
Mick Murphy - Qld (Sunshine State) - Australia


"SIW2" wrote:

>
> Hi,
>
> Sorry to hear about that - maybe they formatted the hdd during the
> repair.
>
> What happens, exactly, when you start up your machine ? There might be
> a recovery partition still intact.
>
> If Vista is no longer installed and you can't find a recovery
> partition ,the first thing is to ring the manufacturer - HP, for
> example, will send out free copies of the recovery dvd.
>
> I have no idea what is on the recovery dvd , or whether you can use it
> for a full install - you need to ask when you speak to them.
>
> Alternatively, you could borrow a dvd - it needs to be an OEM dvd and
> it needs to be the same bit version you had before, i.e. 32bit or 64bit.
> If you do manage to borrow one, you can use it to make your own bootable
> install dvd to keep for future use.
>
> Microsoft used to make it available for download, and through their
> website for $10 shipping.
>
> In a masterstroke of customer relations, they have stopped doing it.
>
> Let me know how you get on
>
> SIW2
>
>
> --
> SIW2
>

I meant Colin Barnhorst... lol
--
Mick Murphy - Qld (Sunshine State) - Australia

I wrote:
>Colin Bancroft has explained that it does not matter if you reinstall with a
>Retail or OEM disk. All that is needed is the correct Product Key