[Timeline] How to extract a bootable Vista DVD

I have an Acer Timeline 4810TZ. With Windows XP you were (usually) able to just take the "i386" folder which most companies put on the laptop's drive and use that to produce a full bootable Windows XP CD that you could use to completely reformat the drive with the Windows license key that came with your laptop.

Is this possible with Vista? More specifically, is this possible with the way Acer sets up their laptop?

I know I can use their erecovery tools, but I'd rather setup my own partition structure. I have already backed up all the files in the secret partition and do know how to recover it even if I delete the hidden partition so another option is to just delete it and then combine the partition with the other one and then repartition the drive. All this should be doable with gparted (or a bunch of other programs) and shouldn't harm my files, but it seems like a dumb roundabout way to go about it if I can produce a Vista DVD.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

The easiest way

1) Look in the Sony Section here, there is a Guide how to install A Clean copy using a tool called ABR. "No Activation required"
2) Use the Driver CD you created to install the Drivers.
3) Install SP2
4) Smile

 

Cool thanks I'll look into that.

 

Hey I assume you're referring to this thread right? My only question as to that procedure is about the Vista DVD. I actually have a Vista DVD that lets me install Vista without entering a key at first (i.e. I can install the system and probably buy a key afterwards). Is this an "anytime upgrade DVD"? (I got the DVD in a contest like two years ago and never used it then which is why I'm not really sure what it is exactly.)

The issue with that DVD is that it didn't accept my licence key when I entered it (I tried to use it to reformat my system earlier). I assumed this was because my version is an OEM key and that this DVD is a different type. Am I incorrect? If I'm not incorrect, how do I get an original Windows Vista DVD OEM which works with an Acer key?

 

if you use the ABR ( Activation Backup & Restore) method in the thread, you don't need to enter a key it carries over the "Activation" from the factory installed version... Just make sure you select at install time the version which you have pre-installed, as the thread states all Vista Disks contain All Vista builds... to Stream Line the process on my Sony I also used vlite... but that's another story

 

Oh cool...so I actually could have already done this I just didn't realize it. Thanks a lot for the info.