Disk Partitioning Problem | Student Union

Sreekant
The Badminton Freak & Computer Geek

Hi Friends,
I've A TOSHIBA Satellite L40-A511D Laptop Pre-Loaded With Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic Edition. It Has Only One Partition C: Drive Which Shows Only 68 GB Out Of The Total 80 GB, The Remaining Space Is Occupied By The Recovery Partition Which Is Not Visible. I Want To Install Windows Server 2008 On This Laptop, But If I Partition My C: Drive I'm Afraid That It Will Tamper With The Recovery Partition & I Wouldn't Be Able To Install Vista Again As TOSHIBA Has Given Me Only Recovery Discs. I Contacted TOSHIBA & Microsoft For Genuine Windows Vista® Installation Disk, But They Said They Can't Provide Me With One.

Is It Possible (& Legal) That I Get A Genuine Windows Vista® Installation Disk Fom My Friend & Install Vista With The Product Key Stuck On My Laptop. This Would Help Me Partition The Entire 80 GB As I Want & Help Me Install Both Windows Vista & Windows Server 2008.

If There Is Any Other Way Please Do Tell.

Thanks

Cupiditas
Chris Hawkins

I'm pretty sure that's legal if you're using their media but not their product key. You'll lose the drivers for the hardware though, although Toshiba's support web site should have them. I'd check that first though.

Jered

I would make sure the install disk that you want to use is first not vendor specific nor is your product key. Most companies do this, Dell for example so that the key only works with a valid dell build of the OS.

Other than that you are well within your rights to install from any media you wish with your key. You could also by something like Norton Ghost to manipulate your partition and of course I would always suggest something like Acronis to make a complete back up image of your system just to be safe. With the cost of External HDD buying 1TB is cheap today, also I would suggest a new laptop HDD due to the limited size of yours is really not the place for a dual boot and the hidden recovery partition.

Sreekant
The Badminton Freak & Computer Geek

In reply to Jered

#Jan 4th @ 2:56 PM

But,
Is There Any Way That I Can Check Whether My Product Key Can Work With The Vista DVD That My Friend Has Got, Coz I Don't Want To Start The Entire Formatting Process & Come To Know That My Key Doesn't Work On That DVD.
Also, There's No Ultimate Steal Offer From Microsoft In India, Which Means I Would Have To Shell Out My Whole Pocket Money To Buy A Vista Retail Pack.
I've Downloaded All The Drivers From TOSHIBA Support Website & Even Have A External HDD So That I Can Backup All My Data.

Cupiditas
Chris Hawkins

In reply to Sreekant

#Jan 4th @ 9:26 PM

Unfortunately there's no way to check, but I can't think of any reason of any reason why the Toshiba key wouldn't work with a retail copy of Vista. If it's also OEM I wouldn't count on it, though.

GoddersUK
I CAN has cheezburger and you CAN'T has stop me!

In reply to Sreekant

#Jan 4th @ 9:26 PM

Does Toshiba not provide utilities to burn the recovery partition to DVD?

I have an Acer Laptop with Vista HP on it and the Acer software allowed me to copy the recovery partition to DVD (about the only useful function of the Acer software though).

Jered

In reply to Cupiditas

#Jan 5th @ 12:11 AM

I would bet $100 dollars that any major PC builder is buying OEM versions. Also the reason they force keys not to work is economics...you buy a cheap desktop the OS cost retail is at least $100 dollars retail. Now yes you are buying in bulk but that does not drop the price much at all. So I would think microsoft would sell builder specific keys (and they do) so that you cannot upgrade to another new pc and install the windows version you bought for basically nothing to that new machine.

Just do a google search for the following "windows reinstall toshiba key with retail vista"

Here is something that explains it all quite well

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/genuinevista/thread/2bf79ade-1334-4565-90ad-3b9447f7c6f0/

Figure this YOU BUY CHEAP THERE ARE LIMITATIONS. If you think there should not be you should have paid a bit more, remember the better the deal the more restricted the item in general.

Honestly Retail Vista keys are cheap like less than $99 zipzoomfly.com. Just save yourself the hassel and buy a retail key.

Lastely your in India, I bet you can get a really cheap Vista copy anywhere (not legal of course)...JUST KIDDING

Sreekant
The Badminton Freak & Computer Geek

In reply to Jered

#Jan 6th @ 8:16 PM

Looking @ Da Link Provided By U, I Think I Should Better Install Windows Server 2008 On My PC Rather Than Trying To Format My Laptop. Wink

GoddersUK
I CAN has cheezburger and you CAN'T has stop me!

In reply to Jered

#Jan 6th @ 8:16 PM

PC manufacturers do buy their OS cheaper than consumers but that is not down to buying OEM copies, but consumers can still buy OEM copies (cheaper than retail) that have OEM serial keys (+ restrictions).They get discounts because they are selling in the thousands or even millions.

And once again, can you not create a toshiba restore disc that should work with your toshiba key?

(or may be preactivated and not even need a key - in this case the key would probably not work with any other windows disc)