Windows 7 Clean Install Download site has changed! Why is that?

Hi,

A while ago I've done a Win7 clean install following the instructions in:
Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Under point 1) there is the link from which one can download the Win7 ISO file, put it on a DVD/USB medium, and perform a clean install. That way one can get rid of all the OEM's bloatware which sits on the HDD after having bought a new computer.

A few months ago the link in 1) took me to:
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life
where I could download the SP1-U version.

However, currently the link under 1) takes me to a completely different site:
Dell Community
and that site doesn't offer the SP1-U version anymore!

Why was the download site changed in the link?

Regards, Johan

The Clean Install Win7 ISO files are suppose to come from a company called Digital River. Assuming the company still exists, isn't there any direct link to the website of Digital River where users can download the ISO files from directly?? As it is now, it looks like the ISO files are being put on blogs and discussion forums; I'm not all too sure how safe that is in terms of malware. I'd prefer to download the ISO files from Digital River directly, or even better, from Microsoft's website directly---in the assumption MS provides any links to clean install Win7 ISO files. But the question is, what are the links to those ISO files?

johan

Both places still direct you to Digital River, the official site, I'm guessing it was replaced with Dell since it is a more easily recognized site.

I got my doubts that Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life would be a site from Digital River.

In the mean time I've found the following interesting link:
Windows 7 Digital River direct links: Multiple Languages; X86 & X64 - Page 60

The links that point to a list of ISO files are on the site http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net and that site---although I am not 100% sure---is probably from Digital River itself.

Nonetheless X17-58997.iso which I need seems to be on both websites.

Just for your info, different ISO files with the same name, does not necessarily mean that the underlying ISO content is 100% the same. Therefore I prefer to download from a site which is as close as possible to Microsoft.

j

The forum's Admin expressed a preference for the Dell Downloads as a more legit site than MDL, as an addendum to the decision to allow the ISO's to be linked here.

We need to watch the link however since Dell links tend to change frequently while MDL has stayed stable.

I believe the Dell downloads are mirrored from DR directly too.

I'm not sure what you are trying to confirm, Digital River Digital River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is the official e-commerce source for Microsoft among other companies,

Have a look at the very bottom of this page here,

Microsoft Store Online

You will see it says, "This site is hosted by Digital River"

All those ISO's previously linked for you are on Digital River servers.

If you are looking for some kind of store front on Digital River, you won't find it.

Those links have been provided for convenience downloads since most OEM's do not come with install discs.