I own premium, recovered basic

[a Tim Holt]

I have a license for Windows Vista Home premium. The recovery disks sent with
my computer were faulty, so I had to send for new ones. They sent me the
wrong version: Home Basic.
It'd be more convenient for me if I didn't have to send out for new disks
again and go through the entire recovery process once more. Surely there's
some place I can simply plug in my Vista Home Premium product key to correct
this error?

 

[DL]

Most unlikely with recovery disks, produced by your OEM and not MS

Presumably you are sure that your origonal recovery disks were faulty &
there wasnt some other problem?

 

[a Tim Holt]

Let me make myself more clear: I bought my laptop about a year ago. It came
with the correct recovery disks in the box. Recently I decided to the clean
slate route with my system (who *knows* what was really filling my hard disk
to capacity).
I began the recovery process with the included disks. While in the process
of copying files from the first disk to the harddrive, an error window
informed me that a particular file ("PREINST3.SWM") could not read. After
pressing the 'try again' button a couple times, getting the same error
message upon each attempt, I attempted the 'skip' option. Needless to say,
the attempt did not succeed, the recovery process failed, and at this point,
the hard disk was already reformatted.
Toshiba (my laptop's manufacturer) did all they could to help, up to sending
me new recovery disks. It wasn't until I was near completion of my reinstall
that I found the version of the recovery disks was correct in hardware, but
incorrect in included Windows Vista version. Payment for Windows Vista Home
Premium was included in the price at the time of original purchase, but the
only working recovery disks I have on hand are for Windows Vista Home Basic.
My hope is that I will not have to wait for another set of recovery disks and
undergo, once again, the lengthy recovery process. The sticker with a product
key for Home Premium is set squarely on the underside of my laptop right now.
I hope this over-long, sesquipedalian reply has served to make my situation
that much clearer.

 

[Nonny]

My hope is that I will not have to wait for another set of recovery disks and
undergo, once again, the lengthy recovery process.

Guess what?

 

[Mike Brannigan]

I have a license for Windows Vista Home premium. The recovery disks sent
with
my computer were faulty, so I had to send for new ones. They sent me the
wrong version: Home Basic.
It'd be more convenient for me if I didn't have to send out for new disks
again and go through the entire recovery process once more. Surely there's
some place I can simply plug in my Vista Home Premium product key to
correct
this error?

As the recovery media was (probably) an image based recover - in that it is
an image of the hard drive fully configured etc, then you will have to get
the correct Home Premium image disks from the OEM and then run the recovery
from those.
It is not a case of just rekeying - the image you now have is Home Basic.

 

[a Tim Holt]

Okay, I believe you, but I just would have thought, having an 'upgrade now'
disk would help. Apparently that's not secure, or something. Typical. Very
typical.
Incidentally, I've been using Ubuntu for the last week or two. It's been a
breeze, and is extremely awesome except for the fact that it doesn't run most
of the software I use (I haven't looked at WINE in detail yet).
But seriously, just to make sure, the upgrade now disk doesn't help? The
same mechanism used to pay for and install an upgrade won't let current
owners of higher versions upgrade? Typical, very typical (all the same, I'm
still hoping for an answer.)

 

[Nonny]

But seriously, just to make sure, the upgrade now disk doesn't help?

It doesn't. Your license is for an OEM version of Windows that is
bios-locked to your computer, not for a version that can be installed
on any computer.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Your situation is quite clear, and the response remains the same. There's
no way for us to know what Toshiba sent you but it's almost certainly NOT
the type of disc where you can put in the proper product key and get the
proper version out the other side. It's almost surely a simple
image-restore set where it installs one version, the one they created the
image of, and nothing you can do will change that. But if it IS possible,
only Toshiba will know how it's possible to fix it. You'll need to contact
them to proceed, either way.

 

[Mike Brannigan]

Okay, I believe you, but I just would have thought, having an 'upgrade
now'
disk would help. Apparently that's not secure, or something. Typical. Very
typical.
Incidentally, I've been using Ubuntu for the last week or two. It's been a
breeze, and is extremely awesome except for the fact that it doesn't run
most
of the software I use (I haven't looked at WINE in detail yet).
But seriously, just to make sure, the upgrade now disk doesn't help? The
same mechanism used to pay for and install an upgrade won't let current
owners of higher versions upgrade? Typical, very typical (all the same,
I'm
still hoping for an answer.)

What "upgrade now" disk ? Is this something you have not told us about ?

Not sure what you think is "not secure"

Basically your problem has been caused by your OEM sending you the wrong
disks and you not realizing that they were wrong until too late.
Either way you just need to get the right disk of your OEM and install them.

As regards your use of any other OS - that is of no concern to this peer to
peer support group for Vista installations. Of course as you have fond
already you cannot use the vast majority of your Microsoft software on it
(emulation products will only go so far and will always have a performance
hit and you will receive zero support from Microsoft or any other commercial
vendor when running their application on a none supported platform).

As regards your new repeated mention of "upgrade disks" - if you have an
upgrade disk there is an unsupported method of performing a double clean
install where you do not enter a product key the first time then upgrade
over this and enter you key the second time that you could try. Of course
this will render your machine out of support with your OEM and this include
OS issues, as the OEM supports the OS on their box and you will also find
yourself in an unsupported state with Microsoft as you have not properly
upgraded from a valid OS. Also you will need to esnure you have all the
necessary drivers etc for your system prior to install.

Simplest solution - stop messing around with other OS's and get the right
disks form your OEM to get a supported and working system.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It doesn't. Your license is for an OEM version of Windows that is
bios-locked to your computer, not for a version that can be installed
on any computer.

No, he could use the product key on the label on the bottom of the laptop
with any standard Vista dvd (x86). It is not the same pk used by the
recovery media. It requires phone activation but the purpose of the pk on
the label is for such a scenario. I suspect that MS requires the mfg
provide a fallback. He would have to download and install the drivers and
utilities.

 

[Nonny]

No, he could use the product key on the label on the bottom of the laptop
with any standard Vista dvd (x86). It is not the same pk used by the
recovery media. It requires phone activation but the purpose of the pk on
the label is for such a scenario. I suspect that MS requires the mfg
provide a fallback. He would have to download and install the drivers and
utilities.

YOU ARE the UNDISPUTED Product Key and EULA Expert here!!

I bow before you, Your Lordship! <g>

Thanks.

 

[a Tim Holt]

Okay, I managed to just use the 'anytime upgrade' disk to upgrade. My product
key seems to have worked. I'm having Toshiba send me the correct disks, but
luckily it seems I won't need them till next time.
I was going to try using the anytime upgrade disk before, but the
instructions said to not insert it until I'd gone through a purchasing
rigmarole. Finally, though, I looked up 'anytime upgrade' on Wikipedia, and
it listed upgrades without product keys as a problem some users were having.
Not me! By this, I knew people had used the disks as I now have, (i.e. by
just sticking it in), and I went for it.
Thank you guys for your help.