How do I get the Vista Installation Backup Disc?

[AmandaHatesVista]

My Lenovo T61 with Vista Ultimate just bit the dust yesterday (3 week
out of warranty, I might add) and after many calls with Lenovo Custome
Support it looks like there is probably a simple fix if only I can ge
my hands on the Vista Installation Backup Disc to run the Window
repair process. Some files must be corrupted or missing and th
Windows diagnostics will be able to try to repair them. This disc i
available through Microsoft for a small fee of $15 or so, but only i
you purchased the retail version from Microsoft directly. Who doe
that? Not to mention, if one had purchased it from Microsoft directl
there would be no need for this disc unless you lost the first one, bu
I digress. Because I have an OEM version installed by Lenovo, I neve
got a disc with the computer and now they claim they cannot provide m
with this disc because they don't have it, or a license from Microsof
to provide it to users. I guess I was mistaken when I assumed that
was actually purchasing a copy of the operating system becaus
apparently I do not "own" anything. I know that Dell has a disc lik
this for sale but I am not sure if it will work for me. I was told by
Lenovo rep that any Vista installation CD will do (it could belong t
anyone) because it will identify my product key when I put it in. Wha
really gets me is that Microsoft won't sell it to OEM version customers



I know I can reimage my computer entirely and go back to square one bu
I would prefer to atleast try this first to save my personal data an
programs, if possible. And if I need to reimage, I might as well g
back to XP because I never had any hassles like this before Vist
entered my life.

Any other thoughts? I appreciate any feedback

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Your Lenovo ThinkPad has a Windows Vista recovery partition.
Find your User's Guide that came with your ThinkPad and read
the instructions on how to perform a system recovery.

If you cannot locate your User's Guide, download one from here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/s...nePublicationsLandingPage.vm&sitestyle=lenovo

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------


My Lenovo T61 with Vista Ultimate just bit the dust yesterday (3 weeks
out of warranty, I might add) and after many calls with Lenovo Customer
Support it looks like there is probably a simple fix if only I can get
my hands on the Vista Installation Backup Disc to run the Windows
repair process. Some files must be corrupted or missing and the
Windows diagnostics will be able to try to repair them. This disc is
available through Microsoft for a small fee of $15 or so, but only if
you purchased the retail version from Microsoft directly. Who does
that? Not to mention, if one had purchased it from Microsoft directly
there would be no need for this disc unless you lost the first one, but
I digress. Because I have an OEM version installed by Lenovo, I never
got a disc with the computer and now they claim they cannot provide me
with this disc because they don't have it, or a license from Microsoft
to provide it to users. I guess I was mistaken when I assumed that I
was actually purchasing a copy of the operating system because
apparently I do not "own" anything. I know that Dell has a disc like
this for sale but I am not sure if it will work for me. I was told by a
Lenovo rep that any Vista installation CD will do (it could belong to
anyone) because it will identify my product key when I put it in. What
really gets me is that Microsoft won't sell it to OEM version customers.



I know I can reimage my computer entirely and go back to square one but
I would prefer to atleast try this first to save my personal data and
programs, if possible. And if I need to reimage, I might as well go
back to XP because I never had any hassles like this before Vista
entered my life.

Any other thoughts? I appreciate any feedback.

 

[LVTravel]

My Lenovo T61 with Vista Ultimate just bit the dust yesterday (3 weeks
out of warranty, I might add) and after many calls with Lenovo Customer
Support it looks like there is probably a simple fix if only I can get
my hands on the Vista Installation Backup Disc to run the Windows
repair process. Some files must be corrupted or missing and the
Windows diagnostics will be able to try to repair them. This disc is
available through Microsoft for a small fee of $15 or so, but only if
you purchased the retail version from Microsoft directly. Who does
that? Not to mention, if one had purchased it from Microsoft directly
there would be no need for this disc unless you lost the first one, but
I digress. Because I have an OEM version installed by Lenovo, I never
got a disc with the computer and now they claim they cannot provide me
with this disc because they don't have it, or a license from Microsoft
to provide it to users. I guess I was mistaken when I assumed that I
was actually purchasing a copy of the operating system because
apparently I do not "own" anything. I know that Dell has a disc like
this for sale but I am not sure if it will work for me. I was told by a
Lenovo rep that any Vista installation CD will do (it could belong to
anyone) because it will identify my product key when I put it in. What
really gets me is that Microsoft won't sell it to OEM version customers.



I know I can reimage my computer entirely and go back to square one but
I would prefer to atleast try this first to save my personal data and
programs, if possible. And if I need to reimage, I might as well go
back to XP because I never had any hassles like this before Vista
entered my life.

Any other thoughts? I appreciate any feedback.

If the drive can be accessed at all (you indicate that you could possibly
"repair" the installation) you need to take the drive out of the laptop, put
it into a USB enclosure and copy the data files off the hard drive onto
another system. Once that is done, put the drive back into the laptop and
use the system that Lenovo has given you to restore your system to its
factory specifications. Once that is done, copy the data back again.

The laptop manufacturer is only required to provide some way to return the
machine to the "as originally shipped" status when they provide you with a
MS operating system. This may be OEM install disk, an install disk that is
basically a drive image as it was shipped or a rebuild partition on the
drive. Apparently this third method is what you have. Unless Lenovo
decides to provide a separate OEM disk (which apparently they won't do) you
can only recover this way easily. They have also provided you a method to
create a image DVD for your system as originally shipped. This will all be
spelled out in your operating manual.

If you decide to go to XP, make sure you download all the drivers necessary
for your laptop onto either a thumb (USB flash) drive or a CD before
attempting. Apparently there are drivers for this laptop on their web site.
Also back up the data on your drive using the method first shown above.

 

[Richard Urban]

See here!

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...ndows-vista-repair-disk-if-you-dont-have-one/

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My Lenovo T61 with Vista Ultimate just bit the dust yesterday (3 weeks
out of warranty, I might add) and after many calls with Lenovo Customer
Support it looks like there is probably a simple fix if only I can get
my hands on the Vista Installation Backup Disc to run the Windows
repair process. Some files must be corrupted or missing and the
Windows diagnostics will be able to try to repair them. This disc is
available through Microsoft for a small fee of $15 or so, but only if
you purchased the retail version from Microsoft directly. Who does
that?

Pretty much everyone who knows what sort of lousy support and limited
options come with a pre-installed OEM version.

Not to mention, if one had purchased it from Microsoft directly
there would be no need for this disc unless you lost the first one, but
I digress. Because I have an OEM version installed by Lenovo, I never
got a disc with the computer and now they claim they cannot provide me
with this disc because they don't have it, or a license from Microsoft
to provide it to users.

That's not at all true. 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.
However, Microsoft cannot dictate the specific means by which this is
done; that is left to each OEM to decide for itself. They are not
legally obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, 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."

In all likelihood, the real reason Lenovo won't now provide you the
disk is that you waited until after the warranty expired. Be that as it
may, you still have the option of using whatever restoration method
Lenovo originally provided. Consult the manual that came with the computer.

I guess I was mistaken when I assumed that I
was actually purchasing a copy of the operating system because
apparently I do not "own" anything.

You own the hardware, and a *license* to use the OS under the terms of
the EULA. This certainly isn't anything new.

I know that Dell has a disc like
this for sale but I am not sure if it will work for me.

It won't.

I was told by a
Lenovo rep that any Vista installation CD will do (it could belong to
anyone) because it will identify my product key when I put it in.

That has been reported to be true by reputable sources, although I've
had no occasion to test it, personally.

What
really gets me is that Microsoft won't sell it to OEM version customers.

But Microsoft *isn't* the OEM. Why would you expect them to support
someone else's product? You saved a great deal of money by purchasing
an OEM license; now you think you're entitled to the same level of
support as people who paid much more for a retail license? Life just
doesn't work that way, I'm afraid.

I know I can reimage my computer entirely and go back to square one but
I would prefer to atleast try this first to save my personal data and
programs, if possible.

You mean you haven't been backing up your data regularly? I'm afraid
you may have just learned an expensive lesson. However, you can probably
use any one of the freely available Live Linux distros to recover your
data, assuming that your problem isn't actually hardware-related. (You
never have said what the problem is, you know.) The programs don't
matter nearly so much, as they can be reinstalled from their original
media; you lose only time.

And if I need to reimage, I might as well go
back to XP because I never had any hassles like this before Vista
entered my life.

How does the specific OS change Lenovo's chosen business practices?



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot