My laptop came with Vista already installed but I would like to make a recovery copy should anything go wrong. How can I do this?

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...-vista-repair-disk-if-you-dont-have-one/

Vista was not a good windows package apparently- I have just bought a laptop with windows 7 and if you go to help and type in recovery disk then it guides you through- I am no expert but I have been told to make x 2 discs to be sure.
Hope this helps.

Nothing wrong with Vista at all, so long as you have it updated. Whoever says otherwise, is talking through their arse; it was dodgy upon release, for a number of reasons, but Microsoft addressed most of the criticisms.

7 is also fine, but personally I prefer Vista in a few area's, though as my newest laptop shipped with 7, I've tweaked it to look and feel more like Vista, and just continue to run 7.

Back to the original question, can you confirm the manufacturer and model number of the laptop please? Also, it's worth making a note of the COA key (Windows Serial number) and Vista version which is usually on a sticker on the bottom of the machine as these tend to wear and become unreadable (if it hasn't already). This way, even without a recovery disc, you can restore Windows with a generic Vista CD of the same version and re-activate it without hassle through Microsoft, giving you a fully legal system.

Hi guys, thanks for your replies but my query is now solved.
Anyone else needing this info', see this link:
http://aps2.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/HTD7C02140000R01.htm

Fantastic stuff

Still make a note of your Windows serial number if you can still see it.

If you can't still see your windows key, try downloading a keyfinder.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Will do the job, watch the installer thou, wants you to install other stuff you don't really need..

Good Luck.

Matt