DVD Replacements

WebMattR · 05 Dec 2011

Hey Everyone,

We've a Volume License Key (MAK, for those who know the two types), and it's great, but we've run into a dilemma: we were only provided one set of disks to use for installing W7 Pro. The set of disks is rather ragged these days, and the company that sells us our licenses* wants to charge us to buy a set of disks with no serial number attached.

Is there any way to legally download a Windows 7 Pro image, so I can burn it to disks?

*I work for a government organization, and we deal with a third party provider, not Microsoft directly. Don't ask me why. Even the TPP doesn't know.

Corazon · 05 Dec 2011

Yes, you can legally download official Windows .iso images - there are very recent threads on this forum about this, unfortunately I'm not sure exactly where they are right now.

But, if the existing DVDs are still readable, you could simply back them up as .iso images and write these to new, blank DVDs. The copy will be exactly like the original, including bootability, as long as you use software such as ImgBurn to create a straight .iso image of the disc.

You could copy the contents on a file-by-file basis but then you'd have to create a new .iso from the files and use a separate boot image for the new DVD. In that case, the copy won't be completely identical and will fail hash compares (like MD5 or SHA1) with the original disc.

Faceofjoe421 · 05 Dec 2011

Corazon said:

Yes, you can legally download official Windows .iso images - there are very recent threads on this forum about this, unfortunately I'm not sure exactly where they are right now.

But, if the existing DVDs are still readable, you could simply back them up as .iso images and write these to new, blank DVDs. The copy will be exactly like the original, including bootability, as long as you use software such as ImgBurn to create a straight .iso image of the disc.

You could copy the contents on a file-by-file basis but then you'd have to create a new .iso from the files and use a separate boot image for the new DVD. In that case, the copy won't be completely identical and will fail hash compares (like MD5 or SHA1) with the original disc.

I think Windows built in Disk Burner would work.

seavixen32 · 05 Dec 2011

Check the Notes at the end of this tutorial, which has details of the Digital River ISO download for Windows 7.

Make bootable iso from student d/l

ImgBurn is an excellent, free burner, although as Faceofjoe points out, the Windows burner will do the job too.

http://www.imgburn.com/

Corazon · 06 Dec 2011

Still recommend ImgBurn - it's not much use trying to read a disc into an .iso file with Windows' built-in burner as it simply doesn't offer that option.

gregrocker · 06 Dec 2011

Official ISO downloads are available on the web via search but we only give them out here for use in a support thread to Repair Install or Reinstall Factory OEM which has not been provided with a disk.

As VLK's are used by large organizations and you say you are with the government, it is most appropriate for you to obtain your installer from your IT Support.

WebMattR · 06 Dec 2011

gregrocker said:

As Enterprise is used by large organizations and you say you are with the government, it is most appropriate for you to obtain your installer from your IT Support.

I am one of the Computer Technicians. My coworkers and I had been sitting and puzzling over a way to legally obtain a disk without purchasing one (since we have the VLK, it isn't like we're running illegal copies. We simply don't want to pay a fee to receive a disk of something we're already paying for). In the end we took the W7 Pro disk, and used Image Burn to duplicate it. I was honestly impressed the disk duplicated successfully.

Corazon · 06 Dec 2011

Perhaps I should have pointed out that none of the official Windows 7 DVDs have any copy protection, if that's what you were concerned about.

Glad to hear you were able to make copies of the discs without a problem :)

WebMattR · 06 Dec 2011

Corazon said:

Perhaps I should have pointed out that none of the official Windows 7 DVDs have any copy protection, if that's what you were concerned about.

Glad to hear you were able to make copies of the discs without a problem :)

My issue was more that the disk wouldn't copy right. It would barely install.

Corazon · 07 Dec 2011

Ah, now I understand. Your original discs were already so roughed-up you weren't sure ImgBurn would be able to completely read them and create an error-free .iso file.