Complete Crash

[scoobydooby]

I need some help please. Despite having anti virus, it would appear (I'm assuming) that a virus has completely wiped my laptop. One moment it was working okay and then it simply crashed. On trying to start up the computer now, it says 'windows failed to start' and shows the black windows boot manager. We purchased the laptop with Vista already loaded and stupidly didn't copy it to disc (have only just discovered that we should have done). Have been advised to buy a recovery disc online but I also have another laptop with Vista on. So, my question is - could I copy Vista from one laptop and load on the other? Sorry if I sound a bit vague but it's pretty much all alien to me.

[ChuckFickens]

you can't copy vista from one computer to another, but if the other laptop came with either a recovery CD or a way to create one you might be able to use that, only way to know for sure though is try it.

I assume you have a windows COA sticker on the bottom of the laptop with the windows license key on it? if you do then see if you can borrow a vista CD from anywhere, as long as it's the same version as written on the sticker and you use the key from the sticker it's perfectly legal to install from a borrowed CD.

[HillyHugger]

You can download a recovery disc here

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-re covery-disc-download/

[ACtheTROLL]

then again - torrenting a recovery disc is a bit of an oxymoron - if you only think it was a virus (I doubt it - unless you've been somewhere bad!)
follow hilly's link and you'll be certain it was

[vascop]

There are lots and lots of things you could do before you do what people here are proposing. However it's too complicated and long to describe here. Get somebody who understands these things to do it for you.

[scoobydooby]

Thank you all.

[HillyHugger]

Actually Ace I used successfully the recovery disc I posted the link to when I had a startup problem . Regularly use torrents and my anti-virus warns me about the bad guys , none of my Firefox security add-ons warn me about that site either