Windows installation DVD

[Komagain]

Hi All,
I am wondering what is the procedure for receiving the windows 7 DVD (the one I paid while I bought my vaio).

Any link would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Blencogo]

Hi Komagain and welcome.

The version of Windows 7 you have bought with your Vaio is the Sony OEM Version and not the standard retail version.

In common with most notebook manufacturers, Sony do not provide a DVD but they provide all the software (including the Windows 7 operating system) in a hidden partition on the hard disc.

If you need to reinstall your system, this can be done by opening 'Vaio Recovery Center' and choosing to reinstall the original software. To protect against a hard disc failure, you can make a set of 3 bootable DVDs to reinstall the system. This can also be started within the Vaio Recovery Center.

You will not get a commercial copy of Windows 7 on disc.

[BlindSummit]

So what you are saying is that this prevents a dual boot? Because the recovery partition is designed to restore the hard-drive to it's original state - this will include wiping my MAC OSX partition in order to do so? Even if I put these onto disks, essentially the DVDs will only do the same thing? I am not pleased if this is the case and I will be ridding myself of Windows - and Sony for that matter - in the near future due to this. I could have bought a Dell or Lenovo Laptop at half the price and received Home Premium Installation DVDS with them.

[Blencogo]

All computer manufacturers are legally obliged to provide at least one method of recovering the OEM operating system and preinstalled software. Almost every manufacturer (including Lenovo and Dell) supply this on a recovery partition. They also provide a method of burning recovery DVDs if you wish to recover the space occupied by the recovery partition.

The Vaio Recoverey Center program includes the option to burn the Recovery Partition to 3 DVDs. It also provides a method to remove the recovery partition.

It also provides an option to recover drive C:\ ONLY. It should be possible to recover the Windows installation on drive C:\ without removing your OSX installation on another drive partition like drive D:\.

Like you and most other users, I would prefer to be provided with prerecorded recovery discs but the manufacturers will not listen.