Yes, that's why I didn't get OS specific with you. How old is the computer? If it's not too old it can be updated to Vista. When I built mine I did the hardware capability test & had to update my sound drivers. 2 days after I put it all together. (No!-Still on 'ol trusty XP)
Either way, you are going to loose whatever you had on the PC, I think.
You might be able to look up your make and model on the makers website & they should tell you if you could update to Vista or not, too. Or give them a call?
If it's an older PC you might even consider getting a cheapie new one. They are pretty good now out of the box but check on the RAM, you might want to get more than offered. (But then again, RAM might have gone up with the earthquake in China, we haven't had to order any so I don''t know about any price increases yet) XP & Vista are memory eaters/hogs.
Ok here's the deal. Best thing for you to do would be to cut your losses and start from scratch. Hopefully you have your important docs and everything backed up. Reinstall from scratch. I personally would still stick with XP unless you have a PC capable of handling Vista (i.e. you are well above minimum specs). Install XP from scratch and go that route.
Also, and this is reference for everyone, upgrading the OS from one version to another is almost always a BAD idea. If there is ANYTHING wrong with your current OS load it will magnify problems with the upgraded OS. Best thing to always do is start from scratch with a new OS.
P.S.
Just so you know I'm a Senior Systems Engineer for a IT solutions provider in the Chicagoland area.
recovery partition....shiiiip....i don't need that. Just keep important data backed up in TWO places, and don't keep important data on the hd where the os and proprietary software is kept.....
polips are a pain in the butt.....(never had to deal with it, but so I hear, 24 here, lol)
Actually when I got my dell the first thing I did was blow away the recovery partition. To me it just eats up hard drive space that I paid for. But then again I know how to rebuild the OS and install all the drivers from scratch.
To the person who doesn't have a recovery CD. It is possible that you can contact your manufacturer and get one that way. They'll usually be happy to send you out one though sometimes there is a nominal cost (about $15) to cover the media and shipping cost). Even if the system is not in warranty they should be able to send you recovery media (or at the very least the OS media).