Solved Reinstalling Windows 7 with product key sticker

So I got a laptop around a year ago or so, maybe a bit longer, and replaced Windows 7 with Ubuntu fairly quickly. Well now the lack of video game support for Ubuntu has made me regret it, so I plan on reinstalling Windows 7 and simply giving it a tiny partition of the HDD. My question is how to use the product key I found on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. I don't have any sort of recovery CD or anything for Windows 7 that I could use, and obviously every trace of it has been wiped from the drive. I considered grabbing one of the cracked versions off of a torrent site and using my recovery key, as it would still be fully legal then seeing as I merely need the install, but I figured it would be better to ask around here and see if there were a way to get a clean install of it simply less the product key. I really haven't found any way to get an install disc unless I buy a new copy outright.

hi Neoncamouflage, and welcome to sevenforums,

you can download a legitimate iso from here.

as a side point, you say you're interested in playing games, and are going to give win 7 a 'tiny portion of the HDD'.

be aware that many modern video games contain a lot of multimedia data, and install sizes of 10 gigs or more per game are not uncommon.

Thank you very much for your help, and yes, I know they can take up a good bit of space. I only have two games at the moment I really dislike not being able to play, so around the 50g partition I'm giving it should do well enough.

okey doke - have fun!

This tutorial will help, should you need it: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174907-clean-install-factory-coa-activation-key.html

Additional tips to get a perfect clean reinstall of factory OEM: Reinstalling Windows 7

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

theog said:

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create
​

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

Click to expand...

Um....no. I was never really concerned with getting Windows back were it ever to fail, as I always planned on changing over to Ubuntu anyway. Would this cause a problem when I'm trying to install Windows from the .iso link given earlier?

Try Cleaning the HD Drive, using the CLEAN ALL command in Step One in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html
Than clean install with the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disk.
or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174907-clean-install-factory-coa-activation-key.html