I can no longer boot my Win 7 drive

[Goodgenie4u]

My desktop pc has 2 HDD's. One had the OEM Vista boot and later the other one Windows 7 Professional 32 bit. A dual booth arrnagement. I have no Windows 7 disks or Product number, as a relative took my computer away and created a dual boot system so that I could keep all my documents on the Vista drive for later back up.
When my reservation for Win 10 Pro came, I decided to format the Vista disk and install Win 10 on it as I needed time to get familiar with it. While an age of 70 is not an excuse, it just means I have far more important family obligations that prevent me from being an OS savvy guy. I'm sure my understanding that this offer was computer and not HDD related was misguided.

Anyway two unfortunate things happened. Even though I did a clean Win 10 install on the old Vista drive, I can no longer boot my Win 7 drive (dual boot). the second problem is that I'm being asked to activate Win 10. This latter outcome is understandable, but rendering my Win 7 drive un-bootable , is beyond my understanding. I guess I should have disconnected the drive before installing Win 10 on the other drive?

How can I simply boot my Win 7 Professional 32 bit HDD? I have no disc burner on another computer and I have no installation or repair disks or Product codes. I do not ave another 32 bit win 7 Rrofessional PC. I do have a Thinkpad X220 but it is X64 Win 7 Professional

. Attached is the Disk Management report that will hopefully help as I am not savvy at this level. I do not have access to anyone that can help me either. It is possible that when we moved from a house to a condo 5 years ago, any install USB or product codes were lost in the shuffle.

I need a USB boot solution. I just do not have the money to pour in a 32 bit computer. I mostly use it to wath OTA TV becasue it has a TV tuner card. That is why I needed to hang onto Media Center that Win 7 has, but not Win 10.
My wife thinks I need to see a shrink! and that's the only boot she can offer!

Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Vista supposedly cannot be free-upgraded to 10.

I'm guessing the only reason you were able to do it was you had Win 7 on another drive? I'm quite surprised that you could direct the Win 10 upgrade to the Vista disk.

Plus you say you not only upgraded, but you did a clean install.


You've got a mess since you don't have Product Keys.

You could try to revert to Vista using that recovery partition seen on drive 0.

You'd probably have better luck if you made a post on the Win 10 forum.

 

[AddRAM]

No product codes ?

How did you ever activate Windows 7. ( I see you explained that ) I`d ask him how he activated it, and where`s the key he used ?

You have to make a system repair disc from another windows 7 pc with the same bit version, then Disk 0 has to be unplugged. Disk 1 has to be marked Active, then you can attempt to run startup repair on Disk 1 (up to 3 times) to get Windows 7 booting again, Good Luck.

If you somehow manage to do that, get windows 7 booting again and it`s activated, then you can upgrade it to 10, making sure there are no other hard drives plugged in.

Then just re hookup the drive with the Windows 10 install that`s asking to be activated and format it, it useless, just use it for storage.

Disk 1 probably has all the proper files on it and is already marked Active, you just can`t tell because you are not booted into it, but if Vista was on the PC 1st, then 7 installed later, then only Disk 0 should be marked Active, this is totally normal.

If you had unplugged Disk 0 (Vista) to do the upgrade on Disk 1 (windows 7) I doubt if that drive would have booted anyway, because all the boot files are on Disk 0 (the Vista drive)
The Windows 7 drive has to boot on it`s own and be activated for you to upgrade it to windows 10. (for free that is)

 

[Goodgenie4u]

My problem is I know nothing about boot. all I can say is that until recently, thanks to Win 10 and the poison pill Win 7 has been given, I got into this mess. I clearly did not reformat my Win 7 drive as the file folders are still there. What you seem to bee saying is that when I formatted the Vista drive, it had the boot folder for the dual boot system? So that killed the boot for the Win 7 drive?
I did not do an upgrade from Win 7. i was given that choice. If I had taken it I assume that I would have still had a Vista and Win 10 dual boot system. Instead I assumed the upgrade was linked to the MOB, so I decided to do a clean install on the formatted Vista drive.

The folks on the 10 Forum suggest I use Macrium on the Win 10 drive to try and repair the Win 7 system to boot. I have no clue what to do. However I agree that your outcome is shared by them and me; making the Win 7 the boot drive and disconnect the Win 10 drive for the upgrade.

I have no access to a Win 7 Pro 32 bit boot /repair USB. I feel stranded as the only guy (at 70) on an island!

Thank you for offering to help

 

[Goodgenie4u]

I apologize in advance if this request is not in keeping with the rules of the forum. I am not promoting any vendor. All I want to know is whether this particular Windows 7 Professional 32 bit application (irrespective of vendor) will help me solve my problem of getting my Win 7 drive to boot or format my non activated Win 10 drive and install this OEM version of Win 7 Pro and then upgrade it to Win 10. It is the only affordable option I have IF IT WILL WORK.

I do not have the skill to determine if this product is a viable solution to my problem. Thanks

Buy Windows 7 Professional, Win7 Pro Key - MMOGA

 

[ignatzatsonic]

No way to know without more details or without any prior experience with the seller.

You are relying on the seller. The seller may be totally reliable or an outright thief.

The following 2 statements on that page would cause me to run away. You have to pay to get the information and you have to activate by telephone. You pay your money and you take your chances. It's your call entirely.

Information about the software download will be made available to you after your purchase.

A verification via telephone is required to activate the product.

Maybe the following link will discourage you enough to look elsewhere.

Regarding MMOGA:

Mmoga.com Reviews - mmoga.com Ratings at ResellerRatings

"After purchase, they deducted payment from my Paypal account and emailed me requesting a copy of my drivers license / photo id before they would fulfill the order. This is not stated during checkout, or before they have your money.

Filing a Paypal chargeback. Avoid this place like the plague; reeks of fraud and high potential for identity theft!"

 

[ThrashZone]

Really

 

[Goodgenie4u]

Thanks for the warning about this vendor. I will definitely not buy anything from them. However there are reputable vendors that sell the same or similar product. For now I am struggling with the solution. Will this product allow or something similar help me to install Windows 7. I need to retain Windows 7 as I need the Media Center to watch over the air broadcast TV.

What is your opinion?

Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You need 2 things:

Installation media for Windows 7, such as a legitimate installation disc or a legitimate ISO from which you can burn a legitimate installation disc.

A valid and legitimate Product Key for the same version of Windows 7 as your installation media.

You can buy them both as a package for $99.99 US from reliable vendors such as

Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows - Newegg.com

You might occasionally see a reliable vendor selling it for 80, but that would be only on a sale.

When you get down below that price and into vendors you never heard of or Ebay, you are taking risk at being ripped off.

It's a crap shoot on these lesser known vendors. You can play or walk away from the table and buy from a legit source.

You are particularly taking a chance from someone offering to sell you just a key with few details provided.

You say "Will this product allow or something similar help me to install Windows 7?"

That "product" appears to be a key. What good will a key alone do you if you have no media?

Don't know what else to tell you. You can buy Windows 7 all day long from reliable sources. If you can't or won't do that, you get to roll the dice.

 

[Goodgenie4u]

Thanks again. I can use that knowledge to consider what to do.
Due to my limited resources, (as I was planning on a free Win 10 upgrade), I was wondering if I could get your advice on what the disadvantages are of "second hand" retail Win 7 or is that illegal and unusable?

I wonder if someone took the free upgrade from Win 7 to Win 10, would their Win 7 license be deactivated from further uses for Windows 7?

If it is still available for use, does the retail version allow me install a win 7 installation using the Product serial number that activates the install? Will it allow me to reinstall or repair or put it on a mini home theater pc and upgrade to Win 10

Thanks

 

[Layback Bear]

Their must be a legitimate retail store in Ontario some where.

Go to it and buy what ever Windows 7 you want. It will come with a DVD and the proper COA and it's sticker from Microsoft.

I doubt you will be able to find a Retail version. They are like hens teeth to find.

Going to some chopstick ding dong store online to get a maybe Windows 7 to save $10.00 is foolish in my opinion.

Hell a large StarBuck coffee can cost close to $10.00. Just skip a day on the StarBuck coffee and by a real, legal Windows 7.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Thanks again. I can use that knowledge to consider what to do.
Due to my limited resources, (as I was planning on a free Win 10 upgrade), I was wondering if I could get your advice on what the disadvantages are of "second hand" retail Win 7 or is that illegal and unusable?

I wonder if someone took the free upgrade from Win 7 to Win 10, would their Win 7 license be deactivated from further uses for Windows 7?

If it is still available for use, does the retail version allow me install a win 7 installation using the Product serial number that activates the install? Will it allow me to reinstall or repair or put it on a mini home theater pc and upgrade to Win 10

Thanks

Suppose Jones has a Win 7 PC and free upgrades it to Win 10 and then sells his Win 7 Product Key and installation disc to Smith.

I don't think Smith is going to get very far if he tries to install Win 7 on Smith's PC.

Retail or not.

Even if it activated, I would not trust that it would activate indefinitely into the future.

 

[Goodgenie4u]

OK, my understanding of how these licences work is improving. If I am wrong, give me hell. BTW @Layback Bear. You are comic relief with the Star Bucks analogy. Thanks. (BTW I cannot afford a Star Bucks Coffee) There are 3 of them within a 10 minute walk. I just breath in deeply to enjoy it, as I walk by! I do a lot of walking indoors and outdoors, about 20 km per week (diabetic staying off drugs for now!) At 70, that is not the only thing wearing me out! I cannot afford both cable tv and internet; so I use OTA antenna and mini HTPC and XBMC /Kodi. Setting up is a lot of confusing work (in progress).

A final technical /legal help matter that has financial consequences. Before I take your advice to buy what appears to be an OEM Windows 7 set of discs from a reputable place. (I have 3 within a 5 minute walk; Best Buy, NCIX, Canada Computers) Some questions.

The un-bootable Win 7 Pro drive is not the only problem. I have Microsoft Office 10, Adobe Acrobat 8. Some questions.

(1) S1nce I have none of the original licences or discs, for these either, I will loose these in a clean install. Right!
(2) The Win 7 Pro OEM is way more expensive than the Win 7 Home Premium. Will Premium offer Windows Media Center so that I can use it to watch OTA HDTV channels? (MS took away the TV Guide, I'll look for another)?
(3) Besides using Google docs or other cloud based MS Office compatible apps, are there free or cheap desktop based compatible apps? I have need for simple use for Word and Excel.

Thank you for educating me. If this resolution gets expensive, I will likely look for a mini ATX lower power solution that comes with win 7 OEM that I can back up or reinstall.It will need a PCI slot for myHauppauge 1600 TV tuner card. Now I can upgrade hardware from the dual core, 32 bit DDR2 to Icore 3 64 bit and a SATA boot drive of 60 Gig. My kids when they hear of this, might pitch in for my Christmas gift or a BD gift in Mar.

I am not sure if I will ever like Win 10. For my needs it is just not efficient, just clutters my desk top with tiles that I cannot arrange to suit me like on Win 7 start up. Is there a skin that will do that? In 2022 I'll be 77 and by then my needs and the world will change.
One other option is our Thinkpad X220 Laptop with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. It will be all I need, if it survives. I need to find an old docking station for it to use with my Viewsonic 27" monitor. (I bought it on an Ebay auction 1 year ago for $400 coming off a corporate lease).

Thanks again for any advice on how I can make my Thinkpad X220 OS and Apps reusable in case the HD hits the dust. I have no discs or License info that can be used to repair or rebuild.

 

[Layback Bear]

1. Before you do a Clean Install you must locate and save all programs activation codes because they will be needed to install said programs after the Clean Install.

2. Windows 7 Media Player is included in Home Premium.

3. I don't know what is free or cheep to replace for Microsoft cloud apps. Other on the forum will.

P/S
I'm 69 years old with Social Security as my income. I do know what a tight budget is.
What I'm try to do is help so you don't waste money on Windows 7 bought from who know where that will not be correct or not activate properly.
The only time I get StarBucks is from a little shop in the V.A. hospital.
It's cheaper. I wish I could make coffee at home that good.

 

[Goodgenie4u]

@ ignatzatsonic

Will the solution as outlined in the link below allow me

(1) to repair my Win 7 Pro 32 bit HDD? Repairing will preserve all my installed apps.
(2) Can I do a fresh install on the other HDD that has Win 10 that asks for activation. I can use this drive strictly for Windows 7 Media Center,XBMC, OTA broadcast antenna TV
(3) I am assuming that hanging on to the Discs that come will allow me to do a fresh install on a SSD boot drive if necessary? Win 7 is good till 2022 and that is fine.

Please advice me. Thank you


Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 32 BIT Full Version With COA KEY 160GB Drive | eBay