reinstall vista home premium without cd

My desktop(zoostorm)keeps shutting itself off, scans reveal no virus, after
running memory diagnostic windows will not load, I want to a full
reinstallation but I dont have a cd as it was pre-installed, i'm told to
click f8 repeatedly at start up but unsure where to go from there to restore
the factory settings, something about advanced boot, command prompt, repair
restore etc, I have my license key(product key), a step by step walk through
would be appreciated greatly, it is a 32 bit vista running vista home premium.

lollerbongo wrote:

> My desktop(zoostorm)keeps shutting itself off, scans reveal no virus,
> after running memory diagnostic windows will not load, I want to a full
> reinstallation but I dont have a cd as it was pre-installed, i'm told to
> click f8 repeatedly at start up but unsure where to go from there to
> restore the factory settings, something about advanced boot, command
> prompt, repair restore etc, I have my license key(product key), a step by
> step walk through would be appreciated greatly, it is a 32 bit vista
> running vista home premium.

Since Windows came preinstalled and you apparently didn't make physical
recovery disks, contact the computer mftr. to get replacement recovery
disks. You'll be contacting them anyway because what you're describing is
most probably caused by failing hardware, not software. Reinstalling
Windows onto faulty hardware is futile.

Here are some general hardware troubleshooting steps:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot

Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out suspected parts with
known-good parts. If you can't do the testing yourself and/or are
uncomfortable opening your computer, take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop (not your local equivalent of
BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). If possible, have all your data backed up
before you take the machine into a shop.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

This does not sound like a software problem. It sounds like hardware. In
any case, F8 does not sound like the right key. F8 brings up the Advanced
Boot Options. On my wife's HP laptop the option to restore to factory
condition is the F11 key.

"lollerbongo" <lollerbongo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0F48C94D-6095-4577-96FC-D1CE6F88F077@microsoft.com...
> My desktop(zoostorm)keeps shutting itself off, scans reveal no virus,
> after
> running memory diagnostic windows will not load, I want to a full
> reinstallation but I dont have a cd as it was pre-installed, i'm told to
> click f8 repeatedly at start up but unsure where to go from there to
> restore
> the factory settings, something about advanced boot, command prompt,
> repair
> restore etc, I have my license key(product key), a step by step walk
> through
> would be appreciated greatly, it is a 32 bit vista running vista home
> premium.

Colin's response is 100% spot on. Pre-installed systems without discs
are often factory-installed in a hidden partition on the hard disk.
Your documentation will possibly tell you which " f* " key to press on
initial boot (it may also be displayed on the pre-windows screen on
boot, just after memory test).
Be aware this will do exactly what it says - restore Vista to EXACTLY
as it was when delivered. It will re-format the C: drive, thus wiping
ALL the data, drivers and updates installed since you originally got the
pc.
In my experience (with ACER pc) this re-install process is relatively
simple, requiring minimal user input. However, it's the subsequent
updates that are the pain - you will need to download/install all the
Vista updates, PLUS re-install all your applications (and their updates
too) plus drivers for your peripherals. Look forward to at least 2 days
work!

A tip - if not already done, partition your hard disk drive C;/into at
least two (do NOT attempt to change/format the existing hidden partition
else you will lose your "factory settings", i.e the entire factory
installed recovery system)

When you have recovered your system, use the D: drive to store ALL your
data files/drivers etc
Reason? If/when you have to "restore" again (and thus reformat/wipe the
C: drive, again) it's only the C: drive that's wiped - data stored on
D: is still there!


--
Masterbowl

Even the updates may not be a big deal if Vista SP1 was preinstalled.

"Masterbowl" <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote in message
news:25a826f6022dcd5593a2005ebfee9fd2@nntp-gateway.com...
>
> Colin's response is 100% spot on. Pre-installed systems without discs
> are often factory-installed in a hidden partition on the hard disk.
> Your documentation will possibly tell you which " f* " key to press on
> initial boot (it may also be displayed on the pre-windows screen on
> boot, just after memory test).
> Be aware this will do exactly what it says - restore Vista to EXACTLY
> as it was when delivered. It will re-format the C: drive, thus wiping
> ALL the data, drivers and updates installed since you originally got the
> pc.
> In my experience (with ACER pc) this re-install process is relatively
> simple, requiring minimal user input. However, it's the subsequent
> updates that are the pain - you will need to download/install all the
> Vista updates, PLUS re-install all your applications (and their updates
> too) plus drivers for your peripherals. Look forward to at least 2 days
> work!
>
> A tip - if not already done, partition your hard disk drive C;/into at
> least two (do NOT attempt to change/format the existing hidden partition
> else you will lose your "factory settings", i.e the entire factory
> installed recovery system)
>
> When you have recovered your system, use the D: drive to store ALL your
> data files/drivers etc
> Reason? If/when you have to "restore" again (and thus reformat/wipe the
> C: drive, again) it's only the C: drive that's wiped - data stored on
> D: is still there!
>
>
> --
> Masterbowl