Re-installation of my windows operating system.

Just wondering if somebody would be so kind as to help me here please.

I do NOT have a windows installation disk as it never came with my laptop.

Unfortunately my built in recovery partition from toshiba was for some odd reason changed to a state of RAW and i couldnt recover the partittion,basically at this moment in time im relying on external HDD images in case of a disaster.

My question is,Is there anyway at all im able to reinstall or reset my computer back to factory settings without the aforementioned partition or installation disk.

Thank You.

 

Have you tried pressing power and the number zero at the same time
Some don't come with a recovery disk, they come with a hidden recovery "partition". Something along those lines

hold down power and zero when turning the pc on.

Worth a try anyway...good luck

 

Hello and thank you for your reply.

The "hidden" recovery partition you speak of is the one that mysteriously changed to a raw state.

My laptop does not see any recovery partition at all.

So in that respect i dont think your method would work for me.
But thank you kindly for your suggestion.

 

1. Backup your activation using these tools (any 1 would do but redundancy is good)

Advanced Tokens Manager
http://www.joshcellsoftwares.com/2011/09/AdvancedTokensManager.html

ABR (Activation Backup and Restore)
http://directedge.us/content/abr-activation-backup-and-restore

2. Grab a Windows Installation ISO file. I believe you're running Windows 7 so you can get the necessary file from this link:

http://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/14-windows-7-direct-download-links

You would want the SP1 U (media refresh) as that's the "latest" ISO from MS.

The size is huge so if you're on a slow network, it'll take quite a long time but it's worth it.

 

@Safeguy.

You are a true gentleman sir.Thank you kindly.
I assume i just burn the ISO to a cd etc.?

Again thank you.

 

The short answer... no. Even a "standard" Windows installation disk won't do it for you. It will do a clean install of Windows but nothing else... no OEM supplied applications, etc., and you won't have the OEM activation code required to get the clean install activated properly.

Many OEMs will make a recovery CD set (or DVD) available to you at a small cost, depends on the manufacturer/model of your laptop. Best to call Customer Service.

 

@The rollback frog.

Okay thank you for your response.
Please forgive my ignorance here but what exactly does a "clean install" entail.
Does this not surmount to the same thing as re-installing.?

Sorry i have only used the built in recovery partition to go back to a factory state.

Unfortunately i am unable to even do this.

The OEM number is underneath my laptop.
Are you saying that safeguy,s suggestion to download an iso is perhaps a wasted exercise.?

Thank You.

 

You're welcome. Btw, it won't fit on a CD but a DVD will do. However, I'd recommend using a bootable flash drive instead as they're more reliable (at least in my experience).

You can use Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool for that.

Usually when you buy a laptop from an OEM, Toshiba for e.g. they have already "pre-activated" your Windows installation beforehand to make it a seamless experience for the buyer. Doing a "clean install" means your installation of Windows will not consist of this prior activation status and OEM apps.

This is why it's important to backup the activation tokens beforehand (so that you can restore it). As for the OEM apps, personally I think most are bloatware so I see it as a good riddance. If you need those OEM apps though, you might want to check your manufacturer's website to see if they make it available for download.

 

I completely agree. First thing I do with a brand-new computer is to backup drivers and licensing data and then wipe the whole HDD and do a fresh OS installation. Most of the OEM software is actually adware/bloatware and the drivers are most of the times outdated.

TheRollbackFrog and Safeguy are both correct. It really depends on what you want to do:

1) Startup fresh with a clean OS (without any other 3rd party software) and build it from scratch to fit your needs with up-to-date drivers. (My personal choice)

2) Rely on the manufacturer and request an OEM DVD with the factory configuration.

 

If you're talking about pure Windows and nothing else, yes, CLEAN INSTALL and re-INSTALL usually mean the same thing.

But that is not the same as a factory reINSTALL using their RECOVERY MEDIA (CD/DVD or Recovery partition). As I mentioned, all you get is Windows and its support software (IE, some sort of email, Media Player, etc.)... not OEM bloatware.

 

If your going to do a "clean install" your going to have to go to the manufacturers website first and download all the required drivers specific for your laptop. At the very least you'll need the drivers for your laptops network card. W7 sometimes wont recognise hardware correctly, if at all, and should this include your network card then you wont be able to access the internet (wirelessly or otherwise).

A couple of years ago i bought an Acer laptop that had Vista installed and I performed a clean install of W7. As i expected, most of the hardware was not recognised, including my network card. Luckily i was well prepared for this with the correct drivers obtained from their website.

In case drivers for W7 are not listed, it's usually ok to use the equivalent Vista drivers.

Good luck



PS. If you decide to order an OEM DVD with the factory configuration from the manufacturer then all of the above wont be necessary as the drivers that you require will already be there.

 

Thank you kindly.