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Windows 7 install cds no longer included?!

H

happyguy155

Member
I recently purchased a Sony laptop and forgot to make a backup. I would like to reinstall windows, but I realized that windows don't even include install discs anymore.

What can I do? Am I stuck with this cluttered install that I've made for myself? Is there a way I can have the discs sent to me, even at the cost of shipping?? I still have the windows product key...
 
comapnies stopped including the restore cds by default a couple of years ago. *usually* pcs/laptops have a restore partition you can boot into to restore the machine to its factory state.

as an option at time of purchase (and yes, usually after) you can pay extra for a recovery cd...which will pretty much do just what the recovery partition does.

look into finding out about the recovery partition. googling shows that hitting f-10 during bootup should start the recovery process. remember, this will erase the entire drive and start it from scratch....back yer shit up.
 
I know with HP you can order the setup disks for a small cost. Not sure about Sony. If you have a restore partition, during the boot process, it usually flashes the option. Sometimes this option is not on the screen for very long. You can use the "pause" key, next to the scroll lock key, to pause the computer during bootup to read the screen. Nothing personal, but lets be honest, I don't think you "forgot" to make backup disks, I think you took the lazy way out and chose not to spend the time making them.
 
There are four ways commonly used to restore name-brand PCs:

1) A "bare" Windows operating system install disk, provided by the PC maker. This will install only the original OS.

2) A factory-made "System Restore" disk or disks. This will restore the system as it was sent from the factory. This disk may not include all applications pre-installed on the PC.

3) A self-made "System Restore" disk or disks. Same as 2) but is made by running a utility installed in Windows by the computer maker. You run the utility and feed it disks, creating the restore disks yourself.

4) A "System Recovery Partition" on the hard disk. This will do the same thing as 2) or 3) and might not include all applications pre-installed on the PC.

You'd want to read your PCs manual and/or talk to the PC maker to see what your options are. PC maker policies range from, "We'd be happy to send you a disk set for free" to "Send us $xx and we'll send you a disk set" to "Sorry, but your PC is out of warranty and we don't support it anymore".
 
xSauronx said:
comapnies stopped including the restore cds by default a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...
Several years ago. The bigger OEMs usually include the OS media with their business models, but not their home/consumer models. This was at the behest of Microsoft, BTW. Its not a coincidence that all of them pretty much stopped around the same time.
 
tcsenter said:
Several years ago. The bigger OEMs usually include the OS media with their business models, but not their home/consumer models. This was at the behest of Microsoft, BTW. Its not a coincidence that all of them pretty much stopped around the same time.
Click to expand...
I ordered a Dell Vostro box from Dell Business in December, with XP Professional pre-installed. It came with full XP Professional AND Win7 Professional install disks. So not everybody has abandoned shipping OS install disks.

It's likely true that Microsoft would like to limit the number of name-brand Install disk floating out there, since if you have a Dell XP Install CD, for instance, it'll let you install XP on ANY Dell (at least the 2001 and later PCs) with no need for Activation.

Name-brand Windows 7 Install DVDs look for a code in the BIOS that indicates the PC was originally shipped with Windows 7, so the Dell Win7 Install disks won't necessarily work with just any old Dell. Not without phone-in Activation, anyway.
 
FoxFifth said:
My Dell Studio came with "Reinstallation DVD" for Windows 7 Home Premium. This was 4 months ago.
Click to expand...
Dell used to offer "Purchase with Reinstallation Disk" as a zero-cost option, but don't seem to ask anymore and don't seem to publish this information in their ordering process. So it's tough to know whether disks are included or not without asking them. Or buying one.
 
Instead of using the notebook's restore partition, will I encounter activation problems if I use a retail Win 7 DVD to clean install with the OEM key?
 
TJCS said:
Instead of using the notebook's restore partition, will I encounter activation problems if I use a retail Win 7 DVD to clean install with the OEM key?
Click to expand...

Just make sure it's the same version of windows ... i.e. XP Pro to XP Pro, not home. Same with Windows7 ... if the license key was for Windows 7 Pro, it won't work with another version of Win7.
 
I doubt you'll have serious "problems". I used a Vista disc to re-install Vista Business on a virtual machine (on the same computer) this week. It wouldn't activate it correctly since it was a "pre activated" license. But it activated fine when I used the phone and entered the codes.

Edit: And it should work with any version. Windows Vista and 7 stopped using the "Different CDs for different people" model, both contain everything for all versions. The windows 7 CD defaults to a certain type however, based on one small text file.
 
Geofram said:
I doubt you'll have serious "problems". I used a Vista disc to re-install Vista Business on a virtual machine (on the same computer) this week. It wouldn't activate it correctly since it was a "pre activated" license. But it activated fine when I used the phone and entered the codes.

Edit: And it should work with any version. Windows Vista and 7 stopped using the "Different CDs for different people" model, both contain everything for all versions. The windows 7 CD defaults to a certain type however, based on one small text file.
Click to expand...

Thanks GeoFram. I believe the certain text file you are referring to is the serial key entered. I actually tested it out on Vista; Installation chooses OS versions based on which version your key belongs to. However, a friend of mine has a copy of Win 7 from digital river, and it identifies itself as W7 pro at startup even without putting in any keys.

Apologies to the OP for Hijacking his thread...
 
tcsenter said:
Send by explicit request, you mean?
Click to expand...

No. I mean when you order a consumer PC it comes with a Dell Branded OEM OS installation DVD / CD.

I ordered a new Dell last month for a customer and it included a Windows 7 DVD without all the crap. They also included disk for other programs that were installed and a drivers and utilities disk. Without any special request.
 
pcgeek11 said:
No. I mean when you order a consumer PC it comes with a Dell Branded OEM OS installation DVD / CD.
Click to expand...
Good to know. I had a friend order an XP MSI "NetTop" box a while back and there was ZERO information on any sort of recovery option other than a built-in system recovery partition on the hard drive. Sucks.
 
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