"Jamie Collins" <jamieuka@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:75617de2-915c-485c-94f2-2b8fa404daa8@s16g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
> I'm trying to sort out a notebook someone gave me.
>
> The manufacturer's support site suggests it shipped with Vista pre-
> installed. It currently boots to XP.
>
> The folder C:\Windows.old (size = 9GB) is present. I have the disks
> for neither Vista nor XP 
>
> Is it possible to restore Vista using C:\Windows.old? Is it advisable
> to try considering I have no OS disks?
>
> Thanks.
Is there no Microsoft authenticity sticker on the computer, with OEM OS
serial number? That would be mandatory for a pre-installed OS supplied
without re-installation discs. You didn't mention what brand computer but
the common practice is to put the original OS and software in a recovery
partition on the harddrive. The partition is sometimes hidden, sometimes
not, but if it exists and hasn't been damaged by the previous owners it is
usually accessible via key-strokes during boot-up. If there isn't a notice
on-screen during boot for which key(s) to press then the manufacturer's
support site should have manuals or other documents outlining the correct
method to perform a recovery. Failing that, you might be able to purchase
recovery discs with the original OS and software from the computer
manufacturer. Can be a lot cheaper than buying the OS at retail.
Linear Mode
