Toshiba Reinstall / No media / no key?

[Velvis]

I have a Toshiba laptop that ran Vista, it required a reinstall of Windows. (It blue screened at boot up.) The COA, while still on the laptop is missing the product key. It looks like it was rubbed off from being on someones lap.

It has a recovery partition but following Toshiba's directions (hold 0 while booting) only brings me back to the current Windows install (which cant be activated because I dont have the product key).

I have looked on the torrent sites and cant find a OEM Vista home disc, and technet doesnt have OEM discs.

Is there a way around this issue?

What a PITA!

 

[DCGPX]

Did you follow procedure exactly?

1) Hold down the power button for 10 (ten) seconds to switch off your machine.

Please note: Holding down the power button on the machine forces it to switch off. Any unsaved data will be lost.

2) Press and hold the 0 (zero) key and at the same time, tap the power button once to switch on your notebook.

3) When the machine Starts beeping; release the 0 key.

4) When prompted by the warning screen; select Yes to continue with the system recovery.

5) Select Recovery of Factory Default Software; click Next.

6) Select Recover to out-of-box state. Click Next again.

7) Click Next to Start recovery.

 

[PC Ops]

There are a lot of threads on this topic (unreadable COA). If I were behind a pc I'd put in some links but I'm not and doing this from Tapatalk.... now that's a PITA
I wouldn't recommend loading a torrented copy of Windows onto a customers pc btw

 

[Velvis]

Hey Thanks! The directions I was following were a bit different. Your directions seem to have done the trick. Thank you.


As far as torrented data for clients, I make every effort not too. A lot of times it's simply easier, or the last and only resort. This particular laptop was for a friend anyways.

But to be honest, I have downloaded pirated software since 1982 or so and while certainly illegal, I have never once got a virus or anything other than copy of what I downloaded. IMO the risks of downloading and having a problem with it are pretty slim and is propaganda put out my the rightful owners.

With that said, nowadays I stay on the up and up with regards to software and nobody makes music I like anymore!

But again thank you for the replies, it looks like the laptop will be up and running soon.

 

[Brand]

I have looked on the torrent sites and cant find a OEM Vista home disc, and technet doesnt have OEM discs.

nowadays I stay on the up and up with regards to software

Kinda contradicting yourself.

As far as torrented data for clients, I make every effort not too. A lot of times it's simply easier, or the last and only resort.

Amazed that it is even an option.

 

[Velvis]

Kinda contradicting yourself.

Not sure how I am contradicting myself. Downloading an OEM copy of an operating system that has been paid for and licensed for the machine it is being installed on, because I couldn't get into the recovery area of the PC, to me doesn't seem like a big deal. Technically a violation of some law, realistically a viable alternative to a paperweight of a laptop. A big difference from downloading every game available for the C64 and sharing them with friends when I was 13.

Amazed that it is even an option.

My technet subscription doesnt have OEM versions, the computer didn't have discs, and the recovery process from the recovery partition wasn't working. A torrent is an option for me at that point.

 

[Brand]

My technet subscription doesnt have OEM versions, the computer didn't have discs, and the recovery process from the recovery partition wasn't working. A torrent is an option for me at that point.

The ethical thing to do would be to obtain the OEM OS/restore discs from the manufacture or purchase a new license and installation media. You can not say that you are "on the up and up with regards to software" when you are downloading pirated torrents. Also that is not the intended use of TechNet and you are breaking the terms you agreed to when you signed up.

 

[rsarceno]

My technet subscription doesnt have OEM versions, the computer didn't have discs, and the recovery process from the recovery partition wasn't working. A torrent is an option for me at that point.

Another option which is legal is to pay $25 and order the recovery CD/DVD.

 

[Velvis]

Well, I disagree. I dont see anything unethecal about obtaining the discs via torrent.

As far as purchasing a new license thats not going to happen. I already own a copy of the operating system. Im not going to drop $100+ dollars for a copy of Vista home, that again I already own.

Obtaining the recovery discs is a reasonable alternative, but in some cases waiting for them would not be an option.

Realistically for me, it comes down to the spirit and the letter of the law. I believe the spirit of it in this case, is not to take something I didn't pay for. I don't believe getting a torrent or something from Technet violates the spirit of the law.

For example: what if Toshiba no longer offered the discs? but your neighbor had a copy of them. Would you go buy a brand new copy of the 4-5 year old OS (assuming you could) or just borrow his discs? If you did borrow his discs, would that keep you up at night?

 

[Brand]

I don't believe getting a torrent or something from Technet violates the spirit of the law.

You can choose to believe what you want but you would still be wrong. You can try to blame it on the spirit of the law vs letter of the law but this still comes down to ethics. Installing illegally obtained software on a clients computer is unethical. I couldn't care less what you do to your own personal computer but doing what you are doing to client computers should never be done.

 

[andcorptech]

Another option which is legal is to pay $25 and order the recovery CD/DVD.

Whilst I agree with you the price is way off where I am . The last discs i ordered were HP and were $66AU or the Samsung prior to that $80AU.

Personally I think any manfacturer who doesnt provide physical CD/DVD when purchased should have to provide them later for free.

 

[Tech_Triage]

Isn't there a program to extract and display the product key for the operating system?

 

[16k_zx81]

No. No such system has ever been invented

 

[seedubya]

You can choose to believe what you want but you would still be wrong.

Right back atcha.............

Ethics is not a science it's a philosophy and as such is open to intrepretation. It would be just as valid to say that the OEM and MS are acting unethically in creating a situation where their customer must pay twice for something they already own a licence for. I certainly would not consider it unethical to assist a client in obtaining the necessary disk by any means necessary, regardless of the civil law aspects.

You seem to me to be interspersing civil law with ethics.

 

[PC Ops]

Isn't there a program to extract and display the product key for the operating system?

Yes of course But the thing is that the laptop is likely to be activated with the SLP key and that won't work with an unbranded Vista dvd. It needs a cert file.

Chances are someone already did a reinstall on the machine using the COA and then the key wíll work with a generic dvd. A quick Google on the result provides the answer: no match: it's probably the COA key. Multiple matches: it's the SLP key. (Could still also be a pirated install).

Anyways, the OP's original issue at hand has already been solved.

 

[bertie40]

I had a Toshiba job a couple of years back. Similar situation. The sticker had been removed, but I was as to obtain the key "via other means".

That missing sticker rang alarm bells, so I questioned the machines origin, which didn't go down well.

The OS was in a bad way, recovery partition corrupted, so a nuke pave was required. I had an "generic" OS disk at hand so I used that, together with the key.

It installed ok. Activated and I was able to get suitable drivers. Reloaded the customers data. Job done.

3 days later, I was called back. The OS needed reactivating again, but this time it wouldn't take.

I phoned Toshiba, who said it needed an official Recovery disk. Price £60 ($95). I explained this to the customer, who had by this time had roped in the guy who supplied the machine, a family expert "with 30 years experience"

He was an arse.

Cutting a longer story, I was threatened with court action regarding my charges up to that time. I myself took legal advice and although I had a good case, was advised to swallow my pride, cough up the required money and move on.

That's what I did.

In the end. They took it to PC World, who miraculously had a suitable disk and reloaded the OS. Cost : £40 inc labour. Did they purchase that disk ?

My point is, that it is rare you need a specific disk for a machine.

I believe this.
1. You purchase the software, the medium it is stored on is irrelevant. You pay for the key. If that key is for that machine, so be it.

2. Yes, you should create recovery disks, but for many reasons, that doesn't happen.

3. In the past, due to time constraints, I have used torrented iso's. well scanned obviously, without problem.

4. How many of you, when paving a machine, dig out a well worn installation disk ? Ie a Dell OEM. ?

5. Zalman owners, does that make us all law breakers ?

 

[CLC]

I would just order the recovery disks, if they don't want to pay then wash your hands of it. No reason to go through the headache.

 

[katz]

I would just order the recovery disks, if they don't want to pay then wash your hands of it. No reason to go through the headache.

Sounds like a good idea. A shop close in my area got in legal hot water recently with a story very similar to that of bertie40's. I am very cautious now when installing/reinstalling without the proper software, especially if it looks like a "questionable" job.

 

[Velvis]

Short of a generic "beige" box computer, can't one assume 99% of computers we deal with have a legal Windows license? Other than a couple of netbooks I saw a few years ago running Linux, I have never seen a PC being sold without Windows. I believe any major manufacturer has an OEM identifier in BIOS that will prevent a different version of Windows from activating than then the originally supplied version.

Again from my reasonable perspective, if Microsoft was paid I see no ethical issue obtaining a copy of the same version of Windows that was originally paid for regardless of technical fine print. From the manufacturers original discs that came with it, discs you made, discs you borrowed, recovery partition, discs you get from your neighbor, technet, or torrents.

If I bought two exact same laptops (laptop A, and laptop B) and only made a set of recovery discs for and from laptop A, two years later I shouldn't use those discs for laptop B? Technically the letter of the law forbids that. Personally that I find that ridiculous.

 

[CLC]

Velvis you make a good point about the recovery cd's, but I see that as a grey area. I do not see downloading iso's from places like torrent bay a good way to operate your business though.