BleepingComputer.com: how to install Vista from product key om bottom of laptop

My Acer laptop did NOT come with a VISTA CD. but the laptop does have a product key on the bottom.

I think I need to wipe everything and re-install VISTA.

But how do you re-install Vista without a CD?
Ihave been told I can do it as long as I have that little lable on the bottom.

Thanks
L

Your laptop may have come with a boot partition that allows you to perform a reinstallation of Vista just by booting into it. To check if this is the case, you could either open My Computer and check the partitions listed there. It may be called something along the lines of ACERRECOVERY or something.

Another way would be to restart your computer and at bootup screen, it will ask you something like "Press F12 to view boot menu". Press F12 (or whatever key) and check there.

hello LollieOllie

for the recovery of an acer as aommaster stated: start your machine as soon as you press the start button.....hold the alt key and the f10 key at the same time.
you should enter a screen that says something along the lines of "return to factory settings" if this is what you want to do.......good luck and let us know how it turns out!!


WARNING: you will lose all data you don't have backed up!! as well as all installed programs!!! but you will have a machine as if you just pulled it out of the box...

PS: I did it about 2 months ago. (on an acer) worked like a dream.....