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#21
This has been discussed before also. By owning an OEM product key, you are legally entitled to own the matching disk media. Now the problem is that OEM manufacturers are required to provide you with a disk should you request one, but actually getting them to send you one is a different story. They usually try to get out of it by telling you to use the restore disks that you can make within the OS (which is not the same as the installation media, but they somehow justify that is all they need to provide their customers)Now, John either a) never got the Windows re-install DVD; b) never got a manufacturer's restore DVD or c) never made a restore DVD from the image delivered on the original PC disk drive.
Bottom Line If you can get the OEM's to send you the disk then great. If not then get it somewhere else. Download it or clone your neighbors or whatever. Remember that this is totally legal because owning a valid product key means you are allowed to have the matching installation media for the product key. If you do not feel comfortable with that then contact Microsoft and they will send you a replacement disk for a small fee.
Noteremember that product keys are SP sensitive meaning that if you have a Vista SP1 key, it must be paired up with a Vista SP1 installation disk. It will not work with Vista SP0 or SP2 disks.