No vista install disk??

TrevTrev California
edited January 2009 in Science & Tech
I just bought a new toshiba laptop. Runs Vista. Any other computer I have bought in the past comes with the operating system install disk like XP. I was searching in the box and there isnt one there. I called the computer store I bought it from and they said computers dont come with install disks anymore they are built into the hard drice. Well I didnt want to make myself sound more stupid than I probably already sounded so I just said ok thank you. But if this is true. what if I get a virus and or my system crashes. How do I reformat??? My computer also came with alot of features like a webcam. where do i get the software for those things??

Im sorry if I sound really stupid but i didnt know who else to ask.

Comments

  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    The install image is located on a separate partition of your hard drive that should be untouchable to the rest of the system. On most laptops, you can press a key during boot (usually something like F12) that will bring you to a low-level GUI where you can choose to re-image the computer, which will wipe everything on the rest of the hard drive and restore it to exactly how it was configured when you purchased it.

    Most of the time, they'll allow you to create some restore media (such as a restore CD or DVD) so that you can restore that way as well after a crash or infection, but you'll have to check the laptop documentation for that. There should be a section in the manuals about restoring it or creating restore media.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited December 2008
    My Tosh has it all on a second partition but it can with a Tosh bootable CD which just initiates the copy. It was called somthing like Toshiba recovery CD... or something like that.
  • TrevTrev California
    edited January 2009
    RichD wrote:
    My Tosh has it all on a second partition.
    How do you get to that second partition.
    I did try f12 and it just brought me the choice of memory i want to use to boot my laptop.
    still not sure how to do it. Do you even need to reformat computers any more?
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited January 2009
    Try F2 or F10 as well. Most companies are doing the restore image this way now. Do you have the documentation with you? It should really tell you how to restore if that partition is present.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited January 2009
    Trev wrote:
    How do you get to that second partition.
    I did try f12 and it just brought me the choice of memory i want to use to boot my laptop.
    still not sure how to do it. Do you even need to reformat computers any more?

    You cant get to the second partition. You either need the recovery CD or you need to work out how to access your system recovery menu. You can order a new CD from Toshiba Website.
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