Will HP Recovery Kit re-install Vista if hard drive has been replaced?

[bean56]

Hello everyone, this is my first post so I hope i get it right.

I've bought a second hand HP Pavilion s3050uk compact desktop, product number RY930AA.

The only OS on it is a trial version of Windows 7 Ultimate, shortly to expire.  I knew this when I bought it but thought I would just be able to reinstall Vista Home Premium using the HP Recovery Kit and the Product Key number from the COA sticker on the PC.

However, I now suspect that the HDD has been replaced at some point - my machine has a 200gb (Seagate ST3200822AS ATA) and I believe these machines only shipped with a 250gb?  I'm now worried that I'll spend out on the Recovery Kit but that it won't reinstall Vista because the hardware has been changed.  If that's likely to be the case from other's experience then I may as well save my money (which is very tight at the moment, hence the 2nd hand PC) and put it towards buying a full OS package.

Hope someone is able to advise me.

thanks

Stephen

[erico · Accepted solution]

If you purchase a recovery disk set and do a factory image recovery, the original operating system and partition scheme will be installed on the new hard disk.

Is the Microsoft Windows OEM certificate of authenticity (w\ license key) still visible on the bottom of the notebook? 

[bean56]

Hello Erico, thank you very much for the quick reply.  Yes I still have the OEM certificate of authenticity sticker with the license key number on it.

thanks again!

Stephen