OEMs usually activate Windows at install time when you use their recovery mechanisms. If biturbo can resurrect the Recovery manager (download from OEM?) there shouldn't be an issue. Once the machine is restored to factory condition, the key can be retrieved and written on the COA.
lll be honest, Ive also no ideas on how to use Disk management either?
Can someone point me in the right direction? Bit of a noobs step by step on how to go about this?
Go about what?
You need the product key and don't have it.
Disk Management isn't going to help you with reinstalling from recovery.
If F10 doesn't bring it up, I'd look in my list of programs or Control Panel for anything related to recovery or reinstallation. There may be a way to access it by a menu.
Consult your documentation or download the manual from Sony if you don't have it.
I've never even owned an OEM PC with a recovery partition, so I don't know the finer points.
You may have rendered it permanently useless when you did the new install. The fact that one program shows it as nearly full and the other as nearly empty likely means something.
Someone else with Sony-specific knowledge may be able to help you.
Ok, thank you.
Do you think a product key from the sticker of another spares/repair OEM laptop I have will work?
To be honest, I don't know, now that you've done the install in post 1. If you could still hit the f10 recovery or launch the machine mfr's recovery mgr, then I think you'd be alright. Check on the PC manufacturer site for their utility or call and ask how to get it.
anyway, I think I'm saying the same thing you were think in post 4 -get it back to factory condition. The discussion is will the Sony recovery mgr plug in the key for you or is your half torn COA sticker going to cause problems even using the Sony Recovery.
Do you have a bookmark for the Sony support site. I can't seem to locate your machine using Sony Vaio VPCEC4SOE
I actually reinstalled originally using the VAIO recovery centre via F10 on startup and after seeing how much crap it was bundled with made me want a totally fresh install - which is what I did, and where I am stuck now.
I have phoned Sony, and they have told me that I will need to buy recovery discs at the cost of £50! A new copy of windows isn't much more.
Model number is: vpcec4s0e/WI
It is a UK model, which may be why you cant find it?
Thanks again for all of your help :)
It might, if those spare laptop installations were not activated with the sticker Product Key.
But:
1: The versions would have to match (Home Premium, Pro, whatever)
and more importantly
2: Even if it did work, I doubt if it would be in accordance with Microsoft's EULA, which is basically one license for one machine.
I think you can get Windows 8 for less than 50 pounds. I think it's $40 in the US.
Quote