Shit, just got a new laptop yesterday. So, I reformat and re-install, only to find out, they don't come with a recovery CD....it is built onty the harddrive. Now I am needing a couple of the drivers, but don't have the CD and don't think I have a way of getting it. Unfortunately, the only way to get it is to pay $20 to sony (and they don't have it in stock anyway) or to get it from another s150.

I don't know anyone with an S150 though. So, if any of you have this little 13" widescreen notebook, PLEASE help me out. If you could make a CD image of it and let me download it, or mail it to me (i'd cover costs no problem!), please help me out. I can still USE the laptop, but few features work. I can't get the screen to dim at all using the function keys (and I thought that was part of the bios and system, but it doesn't work, only thing that works with the funtion key is scroll lock, and all it does is turn the light on).

So, I'm kind of screwed on some stuff unless I get this cd. If anyone can help, thanks a BUNCH! Damn sony...they've got to save that extra 3 cents to not include the cd.

Why can't you just download the drivers off of Sony's website?

I would refer to the sledgehammer personally. Because if I was dumb enough to automatically re do a brand new computer without putting the recovery files onto a disk first... i would probaly take the sledgehammer to my head.

Except for the part where Compaq, HP, Sony, etc. are stupid for putting the only factory backup source ON THE PHYSICAL DISK THEY'RE TRYING TO BACK UP! I have never understood that. Unless of course they're trying to avoid copying software...and exactly what good would that do? The average end user isn't savvy enough to copy a hidden partition, and the fact that it's on a hard disk isn't going to stop anybody with the know-how from pulling it off into .iso's and doing it anyway.

So really, what's it for?

To save them 50 cents on each computer.

I just went to bestbuy and spent an hour and some change there using their vaio.

So, when was it that they started NOT shipping recovery CD's? Last laptop I got shipped with them. Dumb me assuming that it would COME with recovery CD's.

I actually got the drivers I needed, but I need 3 of the pieces of software it came with too.

Even dumber than you think.

I bought a Compaq Presario about 3 years ago (when they were still Compaq Presarios), and it shipped with a Recovery CD.

The first time I used it, I found out that it was simply a front-end program that started the computer in DOS and accessed a drive image off a hidden 2-gig partition. I was pissed. I was more pissed when I tried to do an image backup of C: to the partition, it failed, and the partition grew to 22 GB, 20 of which I knew held useless data.

Oh, and the stupid thing shipped with WinME. Needless to say, I now have a wide-open 60 gig drive running an OEM copy of XP Home.