How do I reinstall windows vista without the CD (just the factory image)?

Question

I bought a computer from a guy around town and all I need to do is reinstall the operating system (vista home premium). I don't have the disk because he said it came preinstalled. It has a factory image though. How can I initialize the computer and reinstall vista from that.

I have the serial.

Answer 1

Is it a factory computer? HP - DELL - COMPAQ? Or did the guy make it?

If its a factory machine, you should have an option when you boot up the machine that says FACTORY RESTORE usually controlled by F10 or F11.

If you have that option and the drive its still the one it first came with then you might be able to do the factory restore without the machine asking for any restore discs. Nowadays machines have all the information they need on a second partition of the drive.

If you dont have that, then the only other thing you can do is find a copy of vista from someone and install it that way.

Answer 2

On start up try F8.