Is there a way to get another factory image for recovery?

[ikester7579]

I worked on a friends computer that has vista 64 bit and is an HP computer. I took on the chore because I thought his PC just had a disk error because it would reboot during start up. Once I got it to boot I realized his PC was infected. After scan I found between 400-500 viruses, trojans, adaware etc. His PC had zero protection and his firewall had been disabled by one of the infections.

After removal using every scanner I could down load to make sure all was gone. The system became unstable and eventually would no longer load. So I told the guy that format and reinstall to factory was his only option because it would never run right after all that was wrong with it from the infections.

Unknown to me is that he recently had his bios flashed. The flash deleted his build ID number which made his factory restore number not match the ID number. Which means restore to factory condition would not work (configuration error code purple).

After a while the restore would no longer boot and that was the end of that. I suspect that a virus got into the factory image. And I know HP will charge for this. So I told him that either i get one online download and tattoo it to make the numbers match. or buy window 7 and install from scratch. So are there any factory images to download or am I out of luck?

[bdh]

Where is his DVD? He should have received one if he bought a legal copy of Windows.

Otherwise, he can get it on torrent. You can get just about anything on torrent. So long as he has a legal OEM key for his copy of Windows.

[bob]

I've never heard of them being available for download, but I've never looked either. I think bdh has given you the best option.

As long as he got a new one, he should have been given the DVD. I know on my Compaq laptop the license key was on a sticker on the bottom, I don't know if they do the same thing on tower systems, HP owns Compaq now so I assume they would have a sticker with the key also. If there is anyway he can boot to Windows, the OS will give you it's key, it is listed somewhere, can get it from the control panel.

[ikester7579]

Where is his DVD? He should have received one if he bought a legal copy of Windows.

Otherwise, he can get it on torrent. You can get just about anything on torrent. So long as he has a legal OEM key for his copy of Windows.

The HP came with the system already installed and the factory image recovery on the hard drive. No dvds cam with it.

Added: I went and checked and they do have downloads of vista. So if I install and change the key to the HP one on the sticker it will work?

[ikester7579]

I've never heard of them being available for download, but I've never looked either. I think bdh has given you the best option.

As long as he got a new one, he should have been given the DVD. I know on my Compaq laptop the license key was on a sticker on the bottom, I don't know if they do the same thing on tower systems, HP owns Compaq now so I assume they would have a sticker with the key also. If there is anyway he can boot to Windows, the OS will give you it's key, it is listed somewhere, can get it from the control panel.

So if I install a Vista OS back on his system using another DVD, and then change product key to the one on the sticker it will work?

And by the way, there is nothing illegal going on. he just lost all data on hard drive which includes the restore to factory condition files which was on the HD as well. But I will check torrent and see.

[bob]

So if I install a Vista OS back on his system using another DVD, and then change product key to the one on the sticker it will work?

And by the way, there is nothing illegal going on. he just lost all data on hard drive which includes the restore to factory condition files which was on the HD as well. But I will check torrent and see.

It doesn't matter where the DVD came from, the DVD doesn't have the license key. When you do the installation, you have a period of like 30 or 90 days before you need to activate, it isn't already activated. You will need to use the key he already has. He might have a sticker with it on the computer, or, if you can boot into windows, in the the control panel, maybe the system information page, it will give you your product key you used to activate and tell you if you are running a genuine copy.

[Beckrl]

So if I install a Vista OS back on his system using another DVD, and then change product key to the one on the sticker it will work?

Yes, But there is a site to reorder the recovery dvd for that model of HP. Here. It's shows the steps on the HP site to go through to reorder.

I've order I think two for people that have no media to do a recovery. It was easier to order the dvd than go through changing the key since I might some day see this same pc at my door. You know This reply is a little late, but I hope it helps someone.