Windows 7 - Win 7 clean install

Hi all,

I'm frustrated. I'd like to do a clean install of Win 7, but my system did not ship with any installation discs. So how do I do it? Every guide I look at talks about inserting "you installation DVD". Well I don't have one. So now what? I'd like to wipe my harddrive clean and istall just Win 7. thanks

Borrow a disk from a friend or download a clean copy off the web (dont ask me where). If required unlock all versions.

Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create

To activate, call MS.

Activate Windows 7 by Phone

Your PC has a sticker on it somewhere with the Product Key you need to install. As was said above, see if you can borrow a disk from a friend (make sure it is the same Win 7 version as what is on your disk). Install it and use your Key to activate it, not the friends. This will make things Legal.

Thanks for the feedback. Is it possible to get my own disk somehow? It's something I'd like to have for the future. Any way to do this without paying $199 at Best Buy, and without having to download some funky file form some site other than microsoft? thanks

You would be wasting money to pay for a new license when you already bought one with the computer which you own for life, with the clear rights to reinstall as often as you want to that machine.

Surely you have a friend you can borrow any Windows 7 retail installer version from to extract the ISO using ImgBurn, unlock all versions and burn to DVD using Bill's link?

If not and you do download it, be sure to rightclick scan with your AV after download and check the HASH and comments to make sure nothing was added.

If your goal is a clean reinstall to overcome factory bloatware you are where many of us have been before and need to use resoursefulness right now. Otherwise you can reinstall by making your Recovery DIsks in the Recovery Manager or run the Recovery Partition.

Is there a 800 phone number for your HP computer in your documentation. I got a set of discs from them for $14.95 shipping charge for a laptop recently.

Ya HP gives out those recovery disks but they would come loaded with all kinds of OEM crapware. Theoretically, one can extract the Windows 7 installer but its tedious and iffy.

It's easier to extract HP apps you want to keep which is all I use them for: HP 3rd Party Software After Clean Win 7 Install

My HP pavilion (DV9000) has the operating system disk separate from the drivers, crapware, and recovery disks. I don't know if they still do this, though.

Alas! those days are long gone. Dell was the last torch bearer but they also discontinued restore disks in May this year.