First off, I wasn't sure if this belonged in hardware or software as it involves both, so I apologize in advance if this is the wrong place. My hard drive has been making odd grinding noises lately and finally started operating slowly and crashing on me. I'm assuming I need to replace it. The problem is, when I bought my computer (a VAIO VGN-FS730/W notebook) it did not come with any installation disks for the pre-installed software including windows xp. This means that if I buy a new hard drive, I will not only lose my pre-installed programs, but I will have no way to install the operating system. Is there any way to do this without the CD or do I have to buy a new copy of the operating system?
PS please don't suggest upgrading to Vista, there is no way my computer can handle it.
