Windows Vista Re-install Vista with no recovery disc

jeffjewitt

New Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Ok – Here is the situation.

I was given an HP Compaq notebook 6820s by a non-mechanically inclined friend
When the HD died. He didn’t make recovery discs and none are available.
It has Vista Business OEM from HP. I can replace the HD no sweat and I have some XP
OS install discs, but don’t want to do this. I’m pretty good with XP and re-installs of HD’s and OS on desktops, but not notebooks.

Options?

  • Friend bought new notebook with Vista Home. Can I make recovery discs from that and use to install a new OS on the old 6820s? (after a new HD install)
  • Get the upgrade or new Windows 7 and install that?

HP has driver support for Vista and the 6820s on the site but not 7.
 
Bottom line is no. You do have a couple of options available. The cheapest way is to order a set of recovery disc's form HP then you'll have to go to HP's web site and download the drivers for said laptop. My set cost me less than $20. Make and model may make a difference. With this option you wont have all the preloaded software that came with the orginal PC. Your other option is to buy a copy of vista from your local retailer. You will need the full version, not the upgrade version. Amazon has a few copies for $170. My recomendation is; get the full version Vista to go with your new hard drive. This way you will have your backup disc all ready. Next you should max out your RAM (memory) for the laptop as well and it would only cost you about $20 or $30 a stick. Then you would end up w/a nice and speedy almost brand new laptop.
 
You can re-insatll by using the recovery disks you were supposed to create on install.

This will rebuild the factory partition.
 
You can re-insatll by using the recovery disks you were supposed to create on install.

This will rebuild the factory partition.

In his post it states that the previous owner did not make the recovery disc's before the hard drive crashed. That's why he posted for options.
 
Sorry

If the computer is not that old, if you bitch enough, they will send them for free.

I did it successfully.
 
Ok – Here is the situation.

I was given an HP Compaq notebook 6820s by a non-mechanically inclined friend
When the HD died. He didn’t make recovery discs and none are available.
It has Vista Business OEM from HP. I can replace the HD no sweat and I have some XP
OS install discs, but don’t want to do this. I’m pretty good with XP and re-installs of HD’s and OS on desktops, but not notebooks.

Options?

  • Friend bought new notebook with Vista Home. Can I make recovery discs from that and use to install a new OS on the old 6820s? (after a new HD install)
  • Get the upgrade or new Windows 7 and install that?
HP has driver support for Vista and the 6820s on the site but not 7.
Hi Jeff,
You can download vista recovery disks here: Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download — The NeoSmart Files
 
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