Need help installing factory image

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop that originally came with Windows Vista on which I reformatted and installed Windows 7. I never touched the recovery partition, but now that I want to go back to Windows Vista (using the W7 license on a different PC), when I try to run the recovery from the recovery partition (D drive) > tools it starts to reformat the hard drive but after a couple of seconds I get a window that says "error" and that's it. Then I tried to go into safe mode, repair computer and run it from there but there is a message that says no recovery image is found.

How is this possible if I never touched the recovery partition? Unfortunately I don't have any discs, so is there any way to get the recovery image installed?

 

if you can during boot up hit F8 and go to the recovery options and you should get to a screen where you can choose restore from dell image or something like that find it explained here

if that doesn't do it have a look here

also lots of info in this guide here

 

You can try F8 and Repair My Computer and Dell Restore or Data Safe and restore to factory image.

The only other way is to call up Dell and order the discs.

 

NO the recovery partition is gone when you reformatted with Win7 you erased the recovery partition. you have to reload with the vista op disk and install the drivers.. and thats a fact

 

I dont think you can go from Win7 to Vista through recovery only a new install