# Windows reformat without oem disk. Please help. **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [April 27, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536 "2012-04-27T08:37:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rdandy5875](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rdandy5875/32/7511_2.png) [@rdandy5875](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rdandy5875)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/1 "2012-04-27T08:37:25Z")
Hi all. I’m working on a friends computer, it’s a gateway fx desktop model 7026. Vista x64 home premium. seems like a good machine, bought new in 2008. I have helped a lot of friends/family over the years, but I’m no technician. The hard drive went bad, unreadable, physically clicking. So I got him a new hard drive, but his factory recovery dvd does not work. He burned 3 of them on different media and none of them will boot. Gateway says the recovery dvd is not available for this model, so getting one from them is not an option. They suggest buying a retail copy of the OS., The guy doesn’t have a lot of money. He’s already spent money on the new hdd, and can’t really afford to buy a retail version of windows. Besides he can’t just buy vista anymore and I’m not sure the computer is fully win7 compatible. He and I would really like to put vista back on, and legit, but I’m having trouble finding a gateway oem disk to use, and any retail dvds I try will of course not accept his OEM key. I’m going to try a suggestion I read to use a retail disk and skip entering the key, then try phone activation. But I’m skeptical this will work. I’ve been searching on this issue and perhaps I can use a system builder dvd? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![itsJim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@itsJim](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/itsJim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/2 "2012-04-27T08:46:36Z")
You need a Vista OEM dvd… I’m sure someone on here can help you out. ---
**Author:** ![vander3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vander3/32/6210_2.png) [@vander3](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/vander3)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/3 "2012-04-27T08:49:34Z")
Check out [http://www.myrecoverycds.com/](http://www.myrecoverycds.com/) I’ve used them in a pinch. I want to say I spent less than $30 for the recovery set I bought last time. ---------- Post added at 11:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ---------- On a side note i have almost every dell oem cd/DVD available, but ever since vista they only seem to activate on dell brand pcs. Your welcome to try a copy of you want. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 10:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/4 "2012-04-27T10:06:36Z")
You can use a retail copy of Windows Vista, and use the keycode on the bottom of the laptop. If windows says that it’s “not genuine” or “activated” use the automated phone support method. I’m almost positive that Gateway has to provide Windows to you. There should be a way to get the recovery cds even if it came with a recovery partition. ---
**Author:** ![rdandy5875](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rdandy5875/32/7511_2.png) [@rdandy5875](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rdandy5875)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 10:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/5 "2012-04-27T10:41:40Z")
Thanks for the replies guys. No luck finding a oem vista dvd to work with this gateway. As you suggested Vander, I do have a couple OEM vista dvd’s for dell, and for an acer, but as you mentioned, they do not work. Thanks for the offer, though. Also, the recovery site is a good idea but they do not support this computer. Progrocker, it’s a desktop, the OEM key is on the back. It is not allowing me to use that key, saying invalid key. I’ve run into this before with retail dvds and oem keys. I’ll attempt the phone activation when I get home. If that doesn’t work, I think I’m going to need a gateway OEM install disk (Emachine OEM might work too.), that system builder disk perhaps, or to get a legit vista retail key. It’s messed up the way they support this machine. Because it’s an FX model (higher end), it doesn’t have an 11 or 22 digit serial number, and you need 11 or 22 digits to search gateways recovery disk availability. So even though their OEM disk may work just fine, as soon as one of their support agents find nothing against the serial number, I get no help. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/6 "2012-04-27T12:31:02Z")
If all else fails tell them you are reinstalling vista and it’s not taking the key. I’ve actually had this happen where I tried a VLK and the actually COA key, niether would take so they gave me one. I had to actually call them, but it wasn’t as bad as some other support calls. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/7 "2012-04-27T12:48:48Z")
MS Support has always been pretty lenient when I’ve called with various key issues before. ---
**Author:** ![itsJim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@itsJim](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/itsJim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/8 "2012-04-27T12:50:38Z")
I have a Vista OEM cd that should work with any model. Honestly though, just install Windows 7 and use the Windows 7 Daz Loader to activate it. It works on Vista too if you’re sick of all the reinstalls lol. ---
**Author:** ![rdandy5875](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rdandy5875/32/7511_2.png) [@rdandy5875](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rdandy5875)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/9 "2012-04-27T13:58:39Z")
Thanks for all the advice guys. I’m going to try the phone activation as planned. If that fails. Maybe I can hit u up Itsjim for that disk, or some more info about that daz loader if I need it. ---
**Author:** ![Hortanica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Hortanica](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hortanica)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/10 "2012-04-27T15:20:44Z")
its probably not working because you need the vista64 bit cd not the 32bit. im pretty sure all gateway fx models were 64bit (or any vista pc with 4+gb ram is 64bit) on that - you could torrent a vista 64bit oem cd…the keys on the bottom will work, i do this for all computers - even when i worked for geeksquad where we used this method probably 3-4 times minimum a day for the 5+ years i was there. Edit: the other thing you could try to get the factory disc is to call Acer. During that time right after Acer bought out gateway, a lot of gateway models were just rebranded acer with acer serials…thats another weve had to do in teh past. ---
**Author:** ![rdandy5875](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rdandy5875/32/7511_2.png) [@rdandy5875](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rdandy5875)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/11 "2012-04-27T16:02:22Z")
I guess you’re right. I had a vista 64bit disk, torrented. Not sure if it’s retail or OEM or what. After it was installed I activated online and used the oem key and it took. It says it’s activated, guess I’m in the clear… Thanks again everyone… ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/12 "2012-04-27T16:23:00Z")
I assumed you had the right bitness. Glad you got it working though. ---
**Author:** ![Hortanica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Hortanica](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hortanica)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/windows-reformat-without-oem-disk-please-help/222536/13 "2012-04-27T18:11:50Z")
> [@rdandy5875](#): > > I guess you’re right. I had a vista 64bit disk, torrented. Not sure if it’s retail or OEM or what. After it was installed I activated online and used the oem key and it took. It says it’s activated, guess I’m in the clear… > > Thanks again everyone… Vista (and 7) retail and oem are no where near as anal as xp was with activation, and ive yet to have any issue using either with both types of keys. Hell - with vista and 7 you can even use the upgrade discs as full version (install once with no key, then do a clean install with that installed…works perfect) the big things they check for are your using the correct bit, and ‘version’ (home premium, business, ultimate, etc)… Glad to hear that was it though! and if it says its activated then it should be good with no issues forever! again we did that all the time and never had anyone come back with issues.