Windows 7 Professional OEM Disk Capabilities

milesc3 · 07 Sep 2015

It's time to do a fresh install of Windows 7 on my device. I have an OEM Windows 7 Professional Disk & Key and a retail Windows 7 Professional set of disks (32 bit & 64 bit) Disk and Key. I would like to install the retail version, but here's where the problems begin.

Although I have a complete retail version which I purchased it is a 2009 copy ergo no SP1. Well I thought I'd just go to Microsoft's download center and enter my key and download an ISO with SP1. Yeah right! I enter the key code for verification and it brings up a drop down list of language versions available. The only problem is that English not one of the options. I tried several more times and the same thing happened. This is an English version of the software that I paid full retail for back in the day.

I have several Windows 7 OEM Professional disks. Are these disks like the retail version which have multiple versions of the Windows installation on the disk? If so can I install the retail version off of one of these disks using the retail key?

ignatzatsonic · 07 Sep 2015

Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (KB976932) from Official Microsoft Download Center

You can download SP1 by itself, separately, at the above link.

Assuming you are running 64 bit Windows, you would need only:

windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe

Which is the 903.2 mb file near the bottom of the list.

Then you'd just install Win 7 from your disk and then separately install SP1 after that, rather than getting it through Windows Update.

milesc3 · 07 Sep 2015

Thanks ignatzatsonic!

Ztruker · 07 Sep 2015

Once SP1 is installed you then have 170 to 190 updates to install so sit back and relax as it will take awhile.

Layback Bear · 07 Sep 2015

Sit back for a while for sure.
About a week ago I did a Clean Install of Windows 7/64 SP-1 Pro and their were over 200 updates and it took me a little over 5 hours, (DSL 3.0 mbits. hard wired.)

Your percent will indicate 0 for a long time and then start moving. I watch my router blinking light so I know it is downloading.

I do nothing on any computer when doing Windows Updates. Nothing!

AddRAM · 07 Sep 2015

You can use your OEM SP1 disc and activate it with your retail key. There should be no problem, as long as it`s just an oem disc and not a branded (HP) (Dell) etc oem disc.

That iso download center is useless

milesc3 · 08 Sep 2015

AddRAM said:

You can use your OEM SP1 disc and activate it with your retail key. There should be no problem, as long as it`s just an oem disc and not a branded (HP) (Dell) etc oem disc.

That iso download center is useless

I believe you just made my day!!! It's a Windows 7 64 bit Professional SP1 OEM Professional disk and not manufacturer specific. This should cut about an hour off of the entire task.