Acer laptop with no win cd

COLGeek

Cybernaut
Moderator

+1^

Many OEMS do this very thing. However, you can still get media directly from the vendor for a fee (usually). Just be prepared to provide proof of ownership when you contact them.
 

aylafan

Distinguished
Feb 24, 2006
540
1
19,165
Sorry to break your bubble, but almost no laptops these days come with a Wndows CD. Manufacturers usually create a recovery partition on your hard drive for restoration purposes and they usually provide preinstalled backup software to create restore discs.
 
If your install is trashed, hit ALT-F10 when you switch your laptop on and see the Acer logo.

This will start the recovery process and reset the laptop back to the factory default sate. You will lose all your personal files.

Once you have a working Windows, look for the Acer Recovery Manager and create a set of rescue DVD's, incase the recovery partition or the hdd fails.
 

GarrettSilent

Distinguished
Sep 1, 2011
1
0
18,510


do i understand this corrctly? when you start the laptop ther's no OS on it? where did you get that laptop from? certainly not retail;

if that's the case you'll need to buy the OS discs; my tip: unknown to many (and of course not advertised by M$ for obvious reasons), you CAN install windows fresh from upgrade media!
buy an UPGRADE disc (if you're a student your uni will usually offer those for a few $) and then install windows from that - do NOT enter the product key during the install; after the installation you will have 30 days to activate the OS, and during that time try entering the product key and try to activate online - if that does not work, then there is a (legal) way to change the registry entry (worked for me; see link below); or alternatively, call M$ hotline and they can activate it

see:
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media