How to Fresh Install Vista without a Recovery Disc?

Back then, there used to be a nice article entitled "How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD".

It was an amazingly well written, step-by-step guide oriented towards IBM ThinkPad T series but it worked on Lenovo laptops as well. It used to appear on a web site named 4saad.com, but it can no longer be found.

In the procedure, not only installation instructions were given, but also (and most importantly) how to create (extract) a clean install CD from what's installed on the hard drive. All what was required was that:

1. You have a folder called i386 on your HDD or a recovery CD from where you can extract that folder.
2. You have the WXPP product key for your computer. Most manufacturers place a sticker on the back of the machine with this number.

Now I am looking for something similar for Vista.

Is there a way to create a CD/DVD backup from the pre-installed Vista?

In my case it is Vista Business that came pre-installed with my brand new Lenovo 3000 N100.

Thanks,
Victor

 

I can help you with the XP side of your conversation, but not the vista side.

First of all the guide you are looking for still exists on an archive site here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051001052737/www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_Install/Step1.htm

Second, this whole process is made easier by using nlite.

Here's what I did for XP

1. Copied the files from a retail version of XP to a folder.
2. Used nlite to slipstream sp2
3. AFTER the first 2 steps were done I copied my i386 folder from my preinstall folder OVER the one in the file being modified by nlite.
4. Added the Key from the unattend.txt to the nlite entry page.
5. Make other selections in nlite.
6. Burn iso and install.

Much easier than 4saad's instructions.

 

4saad never covered getting the files from your preinstall. He had you download the XP files from a Website, although I think I've seen how to get them from your own computer but don't remember where.

 

You are correct in that 4saad never covered getting the hotfixes and service packs from the preinstall, but he did provide a step-by-step instructions which made it easy to understand what I was doing.

Thanks for the nostalgic link.

Since I received with my brand new Lenovo a disc entitled "Vista Anytime Upgrade", I wonder whether there would be no need for me to copy the i386 folder etc. - and just follow the instructions here:

http://directedge.us/node/24

What do you think? Are these instructions good enough?

Thanks,
Victor

 

if you have an anytime upgrade dvd, you can use that for a clean install no problem.