Solved Re-install Vista without a recovery disc on Sony Vaio

S

seranno

Member
Hi,

I have a queston/problem please.

I am using Vista SP1, 32 bits on a Sony Vayo VGN. After 1 year I want to reinstall Vista to the factory settings so I have a clean OS. I do not have any recovery disc or original Vista DVD - none came with the laptop.

The problems starts now: I didn't create a recovery disc and more my DVD drive is not reading anymore any CD/DVD (on short is not working).

My question: is there any possibility to reinstall Vista without a recovery disc or with an original Vista CD/DVD? Can I reinstall Vista from the recovery partition somehow?

Couldn't Microsoft make it easier to be able to reinstall Vista from the recovery partition without a recovery disc, but just with a click? Or am I missing something here :) ?

What I tried: to go to Bios to see if I can boot from the recovery partition, but there is no option like this there, only the usual ones: local HDD, local drive, USB optical drive etc. And is strange I can not see this recovery partition in Computer-Manage-Storage-DiskManagement.

Any ideas? Any help is very appreciated.

Thanks,
Seranno
 
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My Computer

System One

VAIO Recovery Center has the ability to restore to factory settings. It should be pre-installed on your computer.
If you want to boot to VAIO Recovery Center, not Windows. Then press f10 when the VAIO logo appears at the start of booting your computer.

Make sure you had backup your files and programs. Because it deletes EVERYTHING, including other partitions, except the recovery partition.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Nirv Pro SLI (shipped to NZ)
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 Extreme 980X (Six-Core) 3.33GHz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte X58A-UD5 - SLI, Crossfire, SATA 6Gbps & USB 3.0
    Memory
    12GB G.Skill Ripjaws High Performance Low-Latency DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 3GB GGDR5
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Samsung XL2370 Monitor and 23" Benq V2410 Monitor (extended monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1,920 x 1,080 (on both monitors)
    Hard Drives
    2TB Western Digital Caviar SATA (7200rpm) 600GB VelociRaptor SATA (10000rpm)
    PSU
    Silverstone Strider Plus Modular 750-Watt SLI
    Case
    Corsair Obsidian 800D System Chassis
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2
    Mouse
    Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse
    Keyboard
    Logitech G19 Gaming USB Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    Max - 1.8MB/Sec (DSL) provided by Telecom NZ
    Other Info
    iPhone 4 Black 16GB, iPad 32GB WiFi+3G, iPod Touch 2nd generation
Okay can I ask a question as well to make sure you do have a Recovery partition is in the Disk management, Is there a Space reserved area... etc could you please upload a Snip of your Partition Map

Many Thanks,
Josh
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 2400 @ 3.10GHz
    Motherboard
    Foxconn H67MP-S/-V/H67MP
    Memory
    8.0GB DDR3 @ 665MHz (2GBx4)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD HD Radeon 6870
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    SMB1930NW (1440x900@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    977GB Seagate ST31000524AS ATA Device (SATA) + 250GB WD iSCSI attached Drive
    Case
    Novatech Night
    Mouse
    Dell HID-compliant mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
Okay can I ask a question as well to make sure you do have a Recovery partition is in the Disk management, Is there a Space reserved area... etc could you please upload a Snip of your Partition Map

Many Thanks,
Josh
Click to expand...

It's easier if you just go to VAIO Recovery Center and from there click restore from factory settings.
I've been using a VAIO laptop for about nearly 3 years - moved to a different PC because Sony VAIO performance isn't good enough.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Nirv Pro SLI (shipped to NZ)
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 Extreme 980X (Six-Core) 3.33GHz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte X58A-UD5 - SLI, Crossfire, SATA 6Gbps & USB 3.0
    Memory
    12GB G.Skill Ripjaws High Performance Low-Latency DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 3GB GGDR5
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Samsung XL2370 Monitor and 23" Benq V2410 Monitor (extended monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1,920 x 1,080 (on both monitors)
    Hard Drives
    2TB Western Digital Caviar SATA (7200rpm) 600GB VelociRaptor SATA (10000rpm)
    PSU
    Silverstone Strider Plus Modular 750-Watt SLI
    Case
    Corsair Obsidian 800D System Chassis
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2
    Mouse
    Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse
    Keyboard
    Logitech G19 Gaming USB Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    Max - 1.8MB/Sec (DSL) provided by Telecom NZ
    Other Info
    iPhone 4 Black 16GB, iPad 32GB WiFi+3G, iPod Touch 2nd generation
We need to know wether there is a Recovery partition is there or not for seranno Doesn't know ;)

Josh
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 2400 @ 3.10GHz
    Motherboard
    Foxconn H67MP-S/-V/H67MP
    Memory
    8.0GB DDR3 @ 665MHz (2GBx4)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD HD Radeon 6870
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    SMB1930NW (1440x900@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    977GB Seagate ST31000524AS ATA Device (SATA) + 250GB WD iSCSI attached Drive
    Case
    Novatech Night
    Mouse
    Dell HID-compliant mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
Hi,

Thanks for your quick replies and sorry for my delayed answer.

It is strange why I do not see the C drive in Computer-Manage-Storage-DiskManagement. I checked my girlfriend's laptop (also a Sony Vaio) and there is the C drive, just as in your attached image Shadowjk.

I attach 2 images, one from Computer-Manage-Storage-DiskManagement and one from C drive-Properties-Hardware where I can see 4 drives: 2 on Flashmedia 2 and 3 and 2 as DVD. Any idea why?

It might be I have or not the recovery partition, but I do not know why I can not see the distribution of my HDD.

If I go to Vaio Recovery Center-Restore Complete System-Restore C Drive is asking for the recovery discs, but I can not continue because of what I described above.
Do you know if this means I have a recovery partition or not? Is there some other way to check for the recovery partition or the HDD distribution?

Thanks,
Seranno

P.S. How can I add the pictures from my desktop :D. Sorry but I am new to the forum...and I can give only a URL to the picture...
 

My Computer

System One

Pictures:
picture.php


picture.php
 

My Computer

System One

It's likely that the recover partition is gone, damaged or corrupted.
My best choice would be going to the Sony Website or go to one of the Sony Stores and request a VAIO Recovery Discs. They are quite expensive - but worth the price, as you can use them in the future.

EDIT: Also, it might be best to use Remote Assistance (Remote Desktop). Josh might able to check where there is a recovery partition or not.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Nirv Pro SLI (shipped to NZ)
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 Extreme 980X (Six-Core) 3.33GHz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte X58A-UD5 - SLI, Crossfire, SATA 6Gbps & USB 3.0
    Memory
    12GB G.Skill Ripjaws High Performance Low-Latency DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 3GB GGDR5
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Samsung XL2370 Monitor and 23" Benq V2410 Monitor (extended monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1,920 x 1,080 (on both monitors)
    Hard Drives
    2TB Western Digital Caviar SATA (7200rpm) 600GB VelociRaptor SATA (10000rpm)
    PSU
    Silverstone Strider Plus Modular 750-Watt SLI
    Case
    Corsair Obsidian 800D System Chassis
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2
    Mouse
    Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse
    Keyboard
    Logitech G19 Gaming USB Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    Max - 1.8MB/Sec (DSL) provided by Telecom NZ
    Other Info
    iPhone 4 Black 16GB, iPad 32GB WiFi+3G, iPod Touch 2nd generation
seranno said:
Hi,

Thanks for your quick replies and sorry for my delayed answer.

It is strange why I do not see the C drive in Computer-Manage-Storage-DiskManagement. I checked my girlfriend's laptop (also a Sony Vaio) and there is the C drive, just as in your attached image Shadowjk.

I attach 2 images, one from Computer-Manage-Storage-DiskManagement and one from C drive-Properties-Hardware where I can see 4 drives: 2 on Flashmedia 2 and 3 and 2 as DVD. Any idea why?

It might be I have or not the recovery partition, but I do not know why I can not see the distribution of my HDD.

If I go to Vaio Recovery Center-Restore Complete System-Restore C Drive is asking for the recovery discs, but I can not continue because of what I described above.
Do you know if this means I have a recovery partition or not? Is there some other way to check for the recovery partition or the HDD distribution?

Thanks,
Seranno

P.S. How can I add the pictures from my desktop :D. Sorry but I am new to the forum...and I can give only a URL to the picture...
Click to expand...

Hi Seranno,


By the looks of your Disk management pictures you do not have any HDD on your computer or attached to your Computer :confused: So My guess is now as good as yours,

An indication maybe from were you brought the laptop?


Many Thanks,
Josh
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 2400 @ 3.10GHz
    Motherboard
    Foxconn H67MP-S/-V/H67MP
    Memory
    8.0GB DDR3 @ 665MHz (2GBx4)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD HD Radeon 6870
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    SMB1930NW (1440x900@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    977GB Seagate ST31000524AS ATA Device (SATA) + 250GB WD iSCSI attached Drive
    Case
    Novatech Night
    Mouse
    Dell HID-compliant mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
If there is no HDD, then how did we get an image from Disk Management and that other image (which you'll note says in the header local drive C:\? I mean, it appears he can boot normally and do normal functions - and yet, I agree that Disk Management (and that other image) show no HDD (and I would have considered this situation impossible).

I recommend you download and install and run the free EASEUS Partition Manager Best FREE Partition Manager Freeware for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7. EASEUS free Partition Manager Software Home Edition. and see if you can get it to give you a picture of or information about your hard drive and its partitions and send us a screenshot (or several) of what it shows. Hopefully it will provide HDD details that for some reason are not showing up in Vista's Disk Managment.

I hope this helps at least clarify the situation.

Good luck!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc. MP061 Inspiron E1705
    CPU
    2.00 gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory
    Motherboard
    Board: Dell Inc. 0YD479 Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
    Memory
    2046 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) [Di
    Sound Card
    SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (17.2"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n SB2411SJGLLRMB, rev SB4OC74P, SMART Status: Healthy
    Case
    Chassis Serial Number: 5YK95C1
    Mouse
    Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1958 Kbps download ; 754.8 Kbps upload
    Other Info
    Optiarc DVD+-RW AD-5540A ATA Device [CD-ROM drive] Dell AIO Printer A940 Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 Modem 6TO4 Adapter Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Router Linksys / WRT54G -01
Hi again,

Sorry it took long for a reply but today was a crazy day :).

I managed to re-install Vista - I pressed F11 when Vista sign appeared and then followed the instructions. In 1 hour I was ready. It seems it was something wrong with the Disk Management as I was able to do everything on my laptop before the re-installation.

I bought my laptop in UK (actually a friend bought it for me) as back then, there I got the best price.

So...I am happy everything worked well and it is quite easy to use the recovery partition. BTW, I checked Disk Management now and I can see the recovery partition and the C one.

Another question: why should I do 4 recovery discs when it is so easy to re-install Vista with the recovery partition? Is there a good reason or just another option?

Thanks so much to all for the good advices!

Cheers,
Seranno
 

My Computer

System One

Don't worry about your reply - you did it when you had the time and after you had resolved the problem (and had no need to ask further questions while doing that), so it was perfectly fine. In fact, it was probably the right thing to do. There's never any rush for you to reply to us - that's up to you and how fast you want to proceed - but we do try to respond as timely as possible since we understand that you may be stuck and/or without a fully functional computer until we do reply (and it may take several posts back and forth before we even find the cause let alone a solution). The only reason for you to ever need to rush is if you want to catch specific people online before they logoff for the day (or for other reasons) and then you have to wait until the next day or the next time they logon for them to see your message and reply to it (and they may have others as well ahead of yours so that could cause you a delay) - but there's still a good chance someone else will see your post and reply with just as good an answer in the meantime. And, BTW, "today" (whatever that means with my lunatic schedule) was pretty crazy for me too! LOL!

To answer your question, what happens if your entire hard drive fails - I mean the whole thing (not just the one partition)? Then your recovery partition is hosed as well and you can't recover with it. Or maybe the recovery partition only will become corrupt for some reason and become unusable - then where will you be if you need it? The only solution in those cases is to use disks. That's at least one very good reason you need to make the disks as a backup. Personally, I have two copies of my disk (I have a genuine Vista Installation Disk rather than Recovery Disks as I always insist on a genuine OS installation disk when buying a computer - and also a copy I made of it) in case one of the disks gets scratched or smudged or goes bad - then I have a backup of it as well (I don't have a recovery partition on my laptop). You can't create recovery partitions from disks (or get downloads of them from the manufacturer) or I would and create a partition and install it in case something goes bad with the DVD-drive (but again, that isn't possible so I must live with only the disks). I could purchase Recovery Disks as well for my laptop from Dell I suppose, but the genuine Vista Installation Disks are just as good and better in some ways so I've not done that. The sad truth is that you can never be too prepared. This is especially true where you got your computer in a foreign country so service might prove to be more of a problem than normal - so being able to do so on your own (or with help - say from us - as we did in this incident) is doubly important.

I'm happy to hear that the problem is resolved and that you can now see the hard drive in Disk Management. Keep the link for that Partition Manager software I provided handy (add it to your favorites or even download it if you want) as it may come in handy some day and is quite superior to Disk Manager in many respects. I don't mind saying you really had me going there with what seemed to be something impossible. LOL! I'm also pleased that we were able to assist you in some way and we appreciate the feedback and knowing what happened - it was nice of you to let us know so we could stop wondering and know it was resolved.

Don't forget to close out the thread by clicking the far right triangular icon at the top of your post (any post) and typing "solved" in the box and submitting it. The moderators will notice and put a green check next to the thread title. That way others seeking answers by searching the forums will know that this thread contains a solution to the issue identified in the title - and people seeking to help will not waste time checking out this thread since it has been resolved.

And welcome to Vista Forums! Now that you know where we are, bookmark the site and post anytime you have further questions or problems or if you just want to browse and learn (especially the Tutorial section offers some excellent advice on a wide variety of topics) or even if you want to try to help answer a question if you happen to see one where you know the answer and it hasn't already been posted. While it most likely won't be us the next time (though it might), there are many very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly people here who, like us, volunteer their time to help others and one or maybe even several will respond to your post to assist you. While there are other forums on the web that do this sort of thing, you've now found what I think is the best (and I've posted in and/or checked out quite a few) so don't lose this link - you never know when it might come in handy again.

Good luck and best wishes.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc. MP061 Inspiron E1705
    CPU
    2.00 gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory
    Motherboard
    Board: Dell Inc. 0YD479 Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
    Memory
    2046 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) [Di
    Sound Card
    SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (17.2"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n SB2411SJGLLRMB, rev SB4OC74P, SMART Status: Healthy
    Case
    Chassis Serial Number: 5YK95C1
    Mouse
    Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1958 Kbps download ; 754.8 Kbps upload
    Other Info
    Optiarc DVD+-RW AD-5540A ATA Device [CD-ROM drive] Dell AIO Printer A940 Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 Modem 6TO4 Adapter Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Router Linksys / WRT54G -01

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
Thanks, SIW2, for the better partition software link and the comments. Thankfully, the situation is already resolved (though thorugh different means) - but if such software is ever again needed, the proper software to get will now be recommended.

Best wishes!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc. MP061 Inspiron E1705
    CPU
    2.00 gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory
    Motherboard
    Board: Dell Inc. 0YD479 Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
    Memory
    2046 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) [Di
    Sound Card
    SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (17.2"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n SB2411SJGLLRMB, rev SB4OC74P, SMART Status: Healthy
    Case
    Chassis Serial Number: 5YK95C1
    Mouse
    Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1958 Kbps download ; 754.8 Kbps upload
    Other Info
    Optiarc DVD+-RW AD-5540A ATA Device [CD-ROM drive] Dell AIO Printer A940 Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 Modem 6TO4 Adapter Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Router Linksys / WRT54G -01
Like the OP I have a Vaio but mistakenly did not use the Vaio recovery utility but thought I had the recovery disc that came with the machine.

Due to tiredness I wasn't thinking and downgraded the machine to WinXP and wiped the partition at the same time. Idiotic I know but there are mitigating factors.

I am now left without the preloaded Vista package and the various drivers. Trying to contact Sony is a nightmare (- wasted 4 hours to date).

Are there any available downloads / recovery discs that one can purchase to restore the machine to its original state?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio VGN BX61MN
Welcome
Several ideas
If you have the key number, you can borrow a Vista DVD and install it using your key
or
You can purcase the upgrade version of Windows Seven and install it
or
It is suggested that you buy Vista (at cost of about $25.00) but that involves contacting your computer manufacturer and you are having problems in that area.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Hello Everyone.,

I must say..I'm excited to work with you all!
I'm new here and definitely looking forward to help others and be helped as well. :D

I'm an I.T administrator currently working here in Singapore for the past..well..5 years.
Sorry lost track already due to the "Crazy busy mode" kinda work of lifestyle over here.
everyone's rushing and flying all over the place, if you know what I mean.
I had previously worked as a "Senior Technical support specialist" with Verizon Broadband services. In which back then...we are based in the Philippines (BPO). But its been awhile since I had practiced all my know how and skill set with regards to TB-shooting.
So now, i need to gain my ground and be back in shape. The feeling is like.. you've been a professional runner/athlete before and all of a sudden your legs are rusty and motor is as bad as hell...well an 'oldie'...catch my drift.?

So much of an introduction.
Apologize if I need to write over, on what has been considered as
CLOSE/RESOLVED Thread.
Reason being is, this is exactly what I'm looking for, over the weekends.
Thanks #Lorien!
your posting was of BIG help. As I'm currently TB-shooting a SONY VAIO.
*my friend's laptop that is. She asked me to re-install everything.
*and st*pid me, forgot which F button to press to booth up from partition and begin re installing from the get go!

I'll be doing it tonight once I reached home.

Peace!
xf22Razgriz out! ;)
 

My Computer

System One

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