Reinstallation + Product CD Key

HI ALL :)!

Just one question : Is it possible to reinstall an Operating System like Vista or 7 with an image DVD downloaded from internet and activated with the CD Key from the computer that was bought with that license.

Ex : Windows Vista Home Premium (english) - Image downloaded from Internet

Windows Vista Home Premium (english) - License, product CD key bought with the computer.

Thanks!

PS : I know that they are'nt selling Windows 7 for the moment ^^.

For Vista if preinstalled you would use the product key found on the sticker when simply using the restore system option if needed. For a download of 7 an entirely different version still in beta at the moment you would the appropiate key provided for 32bit or 64bit at the download page. You can't activate the 7000 build with any other key.

For anything leaked at a torrent site you are on your own there! The builds that can be activated are those downloads coming from MS direct and go through their own verification process there.

Being downloaded from a torrent site you have to figure it would fail anyways since it will likely be halted by the WGA verification process. For 7 only the 32bit and 64bit 7000 builds see product keys for those downloaded from those pages at the time.

I also have tp agree with johmgalt about which OEM or retail download for Vista you end up with not working with the wrong type of key. Don't count on running any for longer then the 30 grace period when getting anything off of those sites.

Don't forget you can extend the 30 day period 3 more times by running the command in eleveted mode (open command prompt in accessories and run as admininstrator)

type this in

slmgr -rearm

Works legally 3 times after the initial license --so you can run for 120 days.

Extend of course before the 30 day period expires.

Cheers
jimbo

Thanks people for infos, but I would like, when Windows 7 comes on the market, to buy an HP computer with Windows 7 Home Premium x64 license and to have a disk that I could use to reinstall the OS. I just don't like to make recovery DVDs. Want a clean OS if You know what I mean. If just it was possible to buy an HP computer without a license...

Hmm I don't think that HP does that . Btw do You know at what price Windows 7 H.P. will be sold at?

Hi All

There IS a defect in the Windows Licensing system -- you can update to WINDOWS 7 from ANY version of VISTA (although it would have to be 32 bit ==> 32 bit or 64 bit ==> 64 bit.

So even an OEM VISTA disk would work -- Just DON'T ACTIVATE the OEM VISTA before upgrading Windows -- Windows upgrade doesn't check that the installed version of Windows has been activated.

I "Borrowed" from the office a copy of VISTA ULTIMATE X-64 so I could the do a Windows upgrade to Windows 7. The copy of Windows I used also had OFFICE enterprise installed on it so when I did my upgrade I had a legal copy of Enterprise office 2007 as well which passed the Windows Genuine Advantage test.

By all means do the relevant updates from the Windows site before the upgrade but DON'T ACTIVATE.

This way you can also purchase the Upgrade version of Windows 7 (when it's released rather than pay the full price -- it will be cheaper.

(Being an icelander living in the UK we don't have any money left in our Banks so we have to save the pennies at the moment. I don't think the UK will have much monney left either after TRILLIONS of USD / EUR or whatever are being paid into BANKS so hopefully this advice will save a load of you money -- and IT's 100% legal.)

Cheers
jimbo

Falco77 said:

Hmm I don't think that HP does that . Btw do You know at what price Windows 7 H.P. will be sold at?

I can imagine that the price range for retail and OEM alike will be very close with the retail 32bit seeing the 64bit disk included with the same product key used there for both disks. That's why the originaly retail tag in US dollars was so high for the full version seeing $399.95 Ultimate, $259.95 Home Premium over XP's $180-$225($199.95) - Home or Pro and depending on where you buy from online, retail, office supply store, etc..

The upgrade disk combos were selling about $129.95 for Vista more or less depending on which edition you picked out. But a look at the Vista comparing editions page is actually the best way to get some idea of what those will be for 7 giving or taking a few when finally out. Windows Vista: Compare editions