Download a copy of vista?

I have a laptop, which came with vista x86 home premium. However, the laptop didn't come with a copy of the OS. It came with an imaging program from which I made an image of the bloatware infested drive. That backup...is damaged. There is a legitimate home premium x86 license associated with the comp, but I do not have a way to reinstall my OS. What I read on a different forum, was that any copy of x86 home premium would do...But I need to download a copy of it to install. I'm not interested in a cracked version of the OS...just an ISO image of a legitimate copy of hp x86. I don't want to buy a new version of the OS...a nominal fee would be ok, but not a whole OEM edition. If any of you know any solutions, I would appreciate it. (I've tried lots of recovery options...right now there is nothing on the hdd to boot from)

I don't think there is such a thing on the web. But you can always reinstall Vista from the recovery partition.
What you can also do is ask your PC manufacturer to send you an installation disk. They usually do that for a small fee. Tell them that the imaging from the recovery partition did not work and that you ended up with DVDs that don't work. And since you can do that only once, you are stuck.
With that disk you can slipstream the system with vLite and take out whatever you like.

as far as i have always understood if you have a LEGIT KEY you can download it, and use your key to install it (AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT INSTALLING ON MULTIPLE COMPUTERS).

now onto where you can download it from that is up to you to find it, as microsoft does not have a direct download link unless you buy vista from them (as far as i know).

what about the possibility of buying a vista disk...The other forum on which this was discussed had told me copies were available at digital river (no longer available) and in windows marketplace. I haven't been able to find a copy in windows marketplace however...

you can buy vista HP from microsoft for $238, not sure if you can have them send you a disc or not.

i have heard that microsoft will send it to you if you have legit key but not sure how to do it, maybe contact microsoft support and tell them what is going on and see if they will send you a copy of vista for free, and than you could use your key.

I believe that is correct. If you can give Microsoft a valid key, they will send you the OS for a nominal fee.