Reload Vista.

[Stivino]

I have a PC with Vista on it. It's started playing up, i.e. recycle bin, my computer etc have disappeared from the desktop and the shut down option has gone from the menu. It takes ages to do anythin too.
I'd like to re-format but it has an OEM version of Vista on. I have a Vista disc from another PC. Can I get the number from the ailing PC and use my Vista disc to re-format?

 

[dave.m]

What is the make and model of your computer? Because there is usually the facility to 'revert to factory settings' hidden on the hard drive.
It normally involves holding down a key, (the Ctrl or Alt key) and tapping one of the F keys at boot up.

With make and model it should be easy to find if it has this facility and what keys to use.

You will, ofcourse, wipe EVERYTHING from the hard drive except the original system, so back up ALL your documents and pictures etc.

dave

Edit.
If you can do it by reverting to factory settings, when you restart, the option should be there to burn recovery disks as soon as you start. Get yourself 3 or 4 DVDs and burn the recovery program to them so that you can reinstall the OS anytime.

 

[Stivino]

Thanks for the reply, you made me google it and I found this. http://tinyurl.com/2cz7snz
I should get some help there too.

 

[dave.m]

Some instructions here:

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080704103907AAo4fZZ

dave

 

[joinerjohn]

If you do a factory reset, you won't lose any information already on your computer. Rather it will create a completely new startup account.
If you go to C/ documents. you'll find all of your old files still there. Transfer them over to the new account , then delete them from the old one.
At least that what it does on Win XP.

 

[Stivino]

Thanks for the advice guys. I did the F8 thing and chose the Full Destructive Recovery option. Result, I now have a nice new computer with no guff on it. It's working great, thanks.

 

[disinfo]

Thanks for the advice guys. I did the F8 thing and chose the Full Destructive Recovery option. Result, I now have a nice new computer with no guff on it. It's working great, thanks.

Apart from Vista itself