They will offer the basic support for their market. Support costs money.

In your case, if they didn't want repeat business by at least trying to SELL you a recovery disk, yes, they are not looking for repeat business. Maybe your request got lost or forgotten-about. If the possibility is there to "take advantage" of your circumstance after the warranty runs out, expect a dent in your credit card. Even while the system is still under warranty they would ask you to send your system back...wait...wait...wait, then you will have a new system (a new HDD and your data is gone, they don't rescue data).

At least you have tried to rescue your data, but as mentioned, you need backup. Imagine that your HDD is going to fail tomorrow. Me, I only try to recover data for other people, if my system fails I have my data backed-up. I reinstall Windows and (any) software I want and start again with a fresh system. I don't mind starting again, the system is as fast or faster than the old one (if it is slower, you're in trouble, see below).

If you install a retail version of Windows, will you have the correct drivers? Where could you get the correct drivers? Suggestions of pirated Windows wouldn't get you any further, you will still be running Windows basic installation drivers.

Matt

Every stinking laptop you buy either comes with a recovery partition, recovery CD's or Windows CD. PERIOD! If your laptop comes with a CD then thats your copy of Windows, otherwise if you have a recovery partition, the laptop has proprietary software to help you create recovery media.

You COULD read the manual. You COULD refuse to ignore THAT BIG BLOODY MESSAGE THAT TELLS YOU TO CREATE THE RECOVERY MEDIA WHEN YOU FIRST BOOT IT UP...But you are too much of an ignorant sack of bones to do that and you blame every single person on God's green Earth except for yourself.

Every single person that puts themselves in this situation needs to be king-slapped Marshall-style like in How I Met Your Mother.

And to C Smith (hope youre not my mate Cameron!), I have opened at least one laptop from just about every manufacturer and have never come across this issue that you mention. So unless your friend is buying dodgy laptops from residential backyards in the saddest parts of China, then what you are saying is total bull.