Installing Windows with no disc drive/retain bundled software

doodah · 13 Aug 2014 at 10:04

This may be a rather noob question. A friend of mine in SK has just bought an SSD for his Sony laptop that has no CD drive. I told him just to download a digital copy of Windows HP 7 x64 and use the Windows USB tool to install via a memory stick (he has his current product key). However he wants all of the bundled Sony software which we presume can't all be downloaded separately and would probably take an age finding the correct ones if possible? Is there a legitimate way to do this? Perphaps with the recovery disk?

xb8browney · 13 Aug 2014 at 10:07

He'll have to create his recovery media using a 16-32gb memory stick.

linktoinsanity · 13 Aug 2014 at 11:06

xibinim said:
This may be a rather noob question. A friend of mine in SK has just bought an SSD for his Sony laptop that has no CD drive. I told him just to download a digital copy of Windows HP 7 x64 and use the Windows USB tool to install via a memory stick (he has his current product key). However he wants all of the bundled Sony software which we presume can't all be downloaded separately and would probably take an age finding the correct ones if possible? Is there a legitimate way to do this? Perphaps with the recovery disk?

Clonezilla, an external hard drive and a Linux USB tool?

KIA · 13 Aug 2014 at 11:31

xibinim said:
However he wants all of the bundled Sony software which we presume can't all be downloaded separately and would probably take an age finding the correct ones if possible?

It'll be on the Sony website, as long as the laptop isn't ancient.

inogen · 13 Aug 2014 at 11:35

Yeah, I use some of the Lenovo software on my laptop and have reinstalled a few times, put new discs in etc.

Only tricky bit can be if there's a recovery partition. Sony will probably sell him an install disc with the full kit and caboodle. I know Lenovo do.

Sasahara · 13 Aug 2014 at 13:08

KIA said:
It'll be on the Sony website, as long as the laptop isn't ancient.

Even if it's ancient there's a fair chance it will be there, they still have Windows 98 drivers up.

Lethagized · 13 Aug 2014 at 14:05

Never tried clonezilla, but acronis will clone a drive. Only problem is, he will only have one sata interface for the HDD, so he will have to try and stick the ssd into a usb caddy and try it that way, or put both drives into a pc and clone one to the other.