download windows 7 home premium

if you have purchased the new laptop with home premim so there would be definatley the recovery partition.

if that is having the recovery partition then you can recover that to defualt factory setting. can you please mention what model laptop is. and also can you check if the recovery partition is there.

right click on my computer and then manage and then find disk managment and see if the recovery partition is there.

As the laptop vendor if you can purchase an "OEM" version of Windows 7 Home from them.

The partition is there, but I dont want to have a 125GB recovery partition, also I want to rebuild it because the factory default has loads of software installed that I dont want.

The make/model is Acer 5742Z

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160546887067&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Call Acer and ask them if you can purchase an OEM Windows 7 DVD.

Otherwise you'll have to purchase Windows 7 home from a reseller.

Use Ghost to copy partition to external USB.
Re-partition then 'recover' from the external drive.

I do not think so that recovery partition would be 125 GB. the Maximum size would be around 20GB. if you do not like the recovery partition then write them in DVDS. and after that  re partition your Drive and restore to default factory setting from the wirtten DVDs and remove any extra loaded softwares if not acceptible then you contact Acer if you can purchase an OEM home from them or purchase from reseller.

First I don't recommend getting a 2nd OEM version in your case. If you get a non OEM version you can use it on another PC if you decide to get rid of this one. With an OEM version you are bound to the PC it was activated on and you can't use it anymore, particularly as you already have a Manufacturer's OEM License for this laptop.

If you don't want to retain the recovery partition (don't know why yours is 125GB large though, usually they are between 10 and 20 GB), you should first make a set of recovery DVD's for your laptop. PC's that come with no installation or recovery DVD's but with recovery partitions typically include a utility that allows you to make your set of recovery DVD's (these are also needed to restore from if the HD with the recovery partitions break). Make those DVD's so you are in the position to restore the PC to factory defaults if you ever want to sell the PC.

Then buy a retail, not OEM Windows 7 version and install that.

I have a friend with Visual Studion 2010 that comes with MSDN.  So he'll download it for me.


Thanks everyone.

visual studio is not in technet but it is in msdn. the difference is msdn has 5 licences per os wheras thechnet has 10. Also technet licences are meant for testing where as msdn licences are for basically normal production enviroments

detox1978: technically what "your friend" has done is in breach of the Licensing Agreement with Microsoft. As MSDN licenses are for use with the Business Registered, not "for your friends".