Insert it, restart the computer, and let it boot from the DVD. (If the hard drive is toast, the PC may know to look at the DVD drive next. If it doesn’t seem to, restart the PC again and start the built-in BIOS program. You should find something like “boot order” as a selection. Set the DVD drive before the hard drive, and that will let you boot from your Vista DVD.) You should see a message that says something like "Press any key to boot from DVD or CD."
On the next screen, select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard layout. Click Next and then select "Repair your computer."
The next screen will offer "Windows Complete PC Restore." Select your backup location (external hard drive or DVD drive), and you will be able to complete a restoration from your previous backup.
And a suggestion: if you do elect to use an external hard drive for your backups, use one that's larger than the hard drive in your PC. Then you can select the settings for automated backup in the Backup Center.
Update: Windows Recovery (the screen you see when you select "Repair your computer") will show the date of the last full backup, not the incremental backups since. So if the date is shows is days or weeks old, don't worry. It's the date you last did a full backup, and that same set contains all the changes made since.
Now back in the real world, if your PC did not come with the Vista DVD and your drive has failed so badly that you can’t get to the recovery partition, you certainly don’t want to buy Vista again – you already bought and paid for it with the PC, right? Our friends at Microsoft tech support can probably help you out, or maybe you can borrow an associate’s or buddy’s boxed copy of Vista to install temporarily on your new hard drive.
Not so hot in your opinion? The best option is to use the Rescue or Recovery software provided by your PC’s manufacturer.
Another option is to use some third-party utilities to create a Vista-bootable DVD or CD with a very small version of Vista capable of recovering the most recent external backup.
Further Reading
Setting Up Hands-free Incremental Backups in Vista - How to use Task Scheduler to set up automatic incremental backups for your Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate versions on your PC. Detailed instructions to schedule daily or weekly full incremental backups. We assume you have created a full backup on your internal or external drive.
How to Create a Bootable CD or DVD in Vista - Need a backup method to start a Vista PC? Creating a bootable disc in Vista is not as easy as in previous versions of Windows, but it can be done. This article tells you how.
How to Recover Lost or Damaged Files Using Volume Snapshot Services in Vista - You have the power - In Vista you can recover lost and damaged files using Shadow Copy, ShadowExplorer, or Previous Versions. It's fast and powerful, and this article tells you how to recover your files using the tools already in Windows Vista. (All Vista versions).
Bright Hub Review of Acronis True image 2009 - Long revered for its ability to provide perfect disk images for cloning laptop drives, Acronis True Image also includes a powerful and fast backup feature that can provide entire drive backup as well as incremental backups. In this illustrated review, we take True Image Home 2009 through its paces. (Windows XP and Vista.)
How to Clone a Hard Drive with Acronis True Image - Hard drive filling up and declining hard drive prices getting your attention? If you're ready to move up to a bigger hard drive for your laptop, this tutorial will show you step-by-step in pictures how it's done in Acronis True Image Home 2009.
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