Im getting a laptop already preinstalled with vista, does this need to be backed up on disc.?

Question

The one im looking at dus not hav a dvd rewriter, that is y i ask. however, my brothers comp can rewrite dvds.wud i still be able to backup vista from my laptop using my bros comp? The first question is more important, so plz answer that first if u can

the laptop has dvd rewriter, and also offers an option monthly cover for £8.99 a month which includes data backup and data recovery. is this still necesary

Answer 1

Yes, Vista needs to be backed up, as the disk you get with it does not include the programs extra that you get pre-installed with your computer.

I didn't know this, and LOST EVERYTHING!

Vista isn't all that bad, it has it's quirks, but some of their programs and advances are way better, and some tweaks you can do are really cool. I guess it all depends on if you learn how to run it right. Sure it has it's problems, and mine p!sses me off sometimes, but what computer doesn't?

EDIT: Yes it is still necessary, you will not regret it in the long run, somewhere down the road you will need it for something, and it will be there. trust us, it's there for a reason!

Answer 2

In an ideal world your laptop would be supplied with a Windows disk and a second disk of hardware drivers. Some manufacturer's combine the two onto a recovery disk and some manufacturers don't give you a disk at all but put everything on a recovery partition on your hard drive.

Hard drives fail quite frequently, particularly on laptops where they tend to overheat or suffer from mechanical shock. If your hard drive fails and you need to replace it you cannot recover your computer unless you have used disks to create a backup of the recovery partition. No laptop these days cannot write to disks; you may have to write a lot of CDs if you can't write DVDs.

Your brother's laptop will be of no use.

Answer 3

First, check and see if your computer came with either a Vista install disk or a Recovery disk for reinstalling the original software. If it did, you are good.

It is also possible that if you look at your hard drive, you will find that it has a second, small, partition on it that already has a backup of your hard drive. If that is the case, you may want to back up that "backup". Usually it is designed as a series of files that will each fit on a CD. Simple burn a copy of each file.

If there is no recovery disk or second partition, then check to see if they gave you a copy of a backup program such as Norton Ghost. That can be used to back up the hard drive onto CDs.

Check the documentation that came with your computer. Usually they will have information on how to back up your computer. It is different for each system....

Answer 4

No - if it's a new laptop you will get a re-installation disc.

By copying the files already installed on you laptop will not work as an installation disc.

There are loads of pirate copies of Vista going around so if it's a second hand laptop with no re-installation disc, don't worry - Vista is available if you look hard enough in many, many places ;-)

Answer 5

You can order back up disks through the manufacturer; however, it would be easier and quicker, not to mention better in the long run, to buy one with an optical drive.

Even if you networked with your brother, I don't think it would be possible to make back up disks. Even if you could, I don't think I would trust my investment to these.

Answer 6

Nope, but Vista does suck! You can use a program called ghost to back up all of that info to an external HD.

Answer 7

Dont get a vista o/s
Or any pc without a DVD writer
or you are just being ripped off

Answer 8

You should get a system disc with it - if you don't, dont touch it!

Answer 9

you can if you like its upo to yourself whether to do it or not

Answer 10

always back up no matter what you do back up .BACK UP