My son's vista computer got virus and tanked. Then Best Buy said computer needed new hard disk because old disk destroyed. Then Best Buy said they needed vista install disk to get on new disk. The only disk he has is the original upgrade disk. Now Best
Buy says he must buy a new vista or win 7 original system disk because they can't install on a new hard disk with an upgrade vista disk. They also forced him to buy $200 of virus protection software before they would do anything.
Something's wrong here. There has to be a way to get back your destroyed disk doesn't there?
You can download a copy of Windows Vista from the following link and use the product key located on the COA sticker attached to your computer to reinstall and reactivate it.
You must download the .exe, the boot.wim and the install.wim in the same place. Run the .exe file and it will extract all the files into a folder called
Vista. Windows installer will now start (cancel the installer).
To create a bootable .iso extract the files to the Vista folder and download
Imgburn. Launch imgburn and select "Create Image file from files/folders"
Select the browse folder button and select your Vista folder. Next select Advanced.
To the left will be your Vista folder, to the right make sure, you have checked Make Image Bootable,
changed the Developer ID: Microsoft Corporation, load segment:
07C0 and Sectors to load: 4.
Select the browse folder button and then navigate to your Vista folder and then select the boot folder and finally select the file called
etfsboot.
Select the build button.
Save your .iso
Select yes when the prompt for the Volume Label comes up and then select ok. Finally wait for it to make the .iso file.
Once one has the .iso file they may wish to use the
Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool to create a bootable DVD or USB (requires a blank DVD or USB flash stick of at least 4 GB).