Am I lost?

[JNorris57]

My Acer Aspire 5920 came with Windows Vista Home Edition

HATED Windows Vista Home Edition... HATED it!

So I installed Ubuntu, LOVED it... but a game I wanted to play didn't run very well in WinE and the VM wouldn't support the graphical requirements of the game despite my 4 days of effort to make it do so.

Anyway!

My laptop DID NOT come with a disc for Windows Vista! (But I do have the product key from the sticker on the bottom)

Don't know where it was bought from because it was a gift from a now deceased relative.

I have no idea what to do at this point to Re-Install windows vista from my now completely blank harddrive.

Anyone have any ideas?

I already tried installing VIA a .ISO I torrented (I realize this is illegal and not permitted as a suggestion, but it is information you may need to know to help me fix my problems.) and I actually tried the same for XP before I did Vista and when attempting to install it it said that it couldn't locate my harddrive (apparently acer aspire 5920 isn't made for XP) so then I googled some stuff and it told me to change something in the F2 menu (something about SATA) to ACHI, which I did.. and then XP installed fine... except there were no drivers installed.. and I couldn't get on the internet to get them... so I just reformatted and used my recently burnt copy of the ISO file I downloaded (once again I realize its illegal... but it happened and I need help) and I attempted to install VISTA (it worked fine up until it was time to restart (It appeared to have completed installation fine... however it had never asked for my Product Key.... so I think I accidentally downloaded some kind of hacked version of Vista that was pre-activated... (not intentionally))) Either way when it restarted it just sat there in what looked like the vista start up screen (minus any logo just the green bar that moves around and the black screen) and then it said in white text at the top "Starting Windows blah blah blah for the first time" or something along those lines. And then, it stopped working, and now whenever I start up it just stays at the black screen for forever (I left it running for over 24 hours sitting on that screen) and when I boot from the DVD it reinstalls windows again and gets stuck at the end of step 2 (where it previously made you restart, it just never finishes [also left this for over 24 hours to attempt to let it work its magic]) and I don't know if it is because I downloaded some bad version of Windows Vista or if it has something to do with the manipulation I made to the SATA thing.

Before I go buy a new copy of vista... I'd love for you to answer the two questions I have (but understand if you don't or can't)

1) Is there any legal way to just get the ISO or the disc of vista without having to pay the full price considering I already have a product key.
2) Why won't vista install, is it something wrong with my laptop and its configuration, or is it just the fact that I'm a bad person and karma hates me (or maybe its that I downloaded a bad version of vista).

Thanks, also... if you know any way to check and see if my stuff is messed up, or need to know anything to answer my question just ask.

I am currently using the laptop via a Kubuntu disc I had laying around

 

[carnageX]

Torrent the appropriate version of Vista you need. So since you have a Vista Basic key...go torrent a Vista Basic OEM disc (yes, this IS legal, as long as you have a legal product key). Or borrow one from a friend or shop.

And unless you deleted the recovery partition of the drive, tehre should still be that. Refer to Acer to find out how to get into the recovery partition to restore your laptop.

 

[JNorris57]

Okay few questions (thanks for the quick answer)

Windows Vista Home Premium OEM

is what my sticker says, is their any way you could direct me to a torrent (just a suggestion, its not like I'm holding you liable for its destruction of my Kubuntu setup LOL) for the LEGAL version of that?

Also... WTH is a recovery partition? lol

And if it was a partition.. I'm sure I deleted it... unless it would be hard to do... when I installed windows XP i selected all the partitions on the list and deleted them and remade one just for XP...

IDK if the recovery partition would have been there.. and im going to google it either way.. but I figured id include that information in my follow up question

 

[carnageX]

If you deleted all the partitions shown during XP install, then yes you deleted the recovery partition.

Recovery partition is something that the company puts on there so you don't necessarily need discs (although you should be able to make a set of recovery discs as well, with the company-included software; obviously its too late to do that now though .

Just go onto a torrent tracker (we're limited to talk about torrents here, so I can't go into details), and search for a Vista Home Premium OEM disc. I've seen quite a few out there; a lot say "untouched" on them as well. That means that they just ripped the ISO of the disc, without modifications at all and uploaded the ISO.

Can also try calling M$ and get them to snail mail you one (I think all you'll have to do is pay the price of shipping).

 

[JNorris57]

Wrong about the MS thing, they wanted me to pay just to talk to them about it, and I only ask you because I've already done this once and it didn't work... and I don't know if that is something I messed up and vista just wont work at all or if the particular version doesn't work. So I was asking if you knew of one that worked so that I could feel more certain during the installation process. Do you know of a better place to discuss this?

Either way, thanks for the help.

And like you said, it should be fine seeing as I am doing this in the most legal fashion possible without getting swindled by microsoft and their incessant need to make things difficult.

 

[carnageX]

I know several people off of the forums that have gotten a repalcement disc from M$ for free.

You probably just either had a bad download or even a bad burn. Not the first time I've seen it happen. Find an OEM/Untouched copy on the torrents and use that. I've done it with XP several times.

 

[JNorris57]

Okay thanks, I'll do that... and I'll be back to cry if it doesn't work

Here goes another good 7-10 hours of my life trying to fix this BS!