have win 7pro license how do i get media

[leonh]

Hi there,
i have purchased a second hand ex government dell laptop and desktop, both came with a win7 pro license. MS store tells me that they no longer sell win 7 media. The software recovery does not work because the license is for windows supplied with the machine. Dell recovery has been wiped of the disks and does not come up with f8.
can anyone advise a way forward
thanks
leon

 

[whs]

There are n-teen media players available from other sources. Why does it have to the MS media player.

 

[derekimo]

This tutorial will help,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

Unfortunately Microsoft has taken down the ISO's that were previously available, if you can find someone with the same version and architecture as what came on yours you can try that.

 

[leonh]

media

by media i mean the disks or download not a media player

 

[leonh]

thanks for the reinstallation link
if i go out and buy a new win7 or 8 would that work? or would i have trouble activating it or clashing with the dell bios.?
could i just use a friends copy of win 7 pro and put in the key? or would i have problems activating it?
again thanks
ah it use to be easier in the old days when ms would send out disks for a small($40) fee
leon

 

[derekimo]

I would try the friends copy first, can you still see the COA sticker,

If you can read the product key, I would try that first.

If you have to buy one that is just a regular clean install, you shouldn't have any problem, you will probably need a few drivers from Dell.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[leonh]

yes the sticker is still visible so no problems there, just to find a friend with win 7 pro.
i would go back to Dell but even that they make difficult and i keep going around in circles on their website if you want something outside the normal.

 

[derekimo]

I know what you mean, it was a lot easier up until a month ago when they removed all the downloads for windows 7.

Let us know how things go or if you need anything else, we'll be here.

 

[DavidE]

Hi there,
i have purchased a second hand ex government dell laptop and desktop, both came with a win7 pro license. MS store tells me that they no longer sell win 7 media. The software recovery does not work because the license is for windows supplied with the machine. Dell recovery has been wiped of the disks and does not come up with f8.
can anyone advise a way forward
thanks
leon

Is the current license different than the original install license ?
Do you have 2 COA's on the PC's ?

I would run a Belarc Advisor report to see if it reports the same key as you see on the COA sticker.
Belarc Advisor - Free Personal PC Audit, for software, hardware and security configuration information on your computer. Software license management, IT asset management, cyber security audits, and more.

Personally i would do a clean install on a used PC, no telling what you get from the previous owner.

If you need to know what type of license you have now, use the MGADiag report.
You can download MGADiag.exe from here:
Submit a genuine Windows technical support request - Windows Help

Open the Microsoft Genuine Advantage diagnostic tool. Click Run, and then click Continue.

The tool will scan your computer, and then give you a summary of your computer's settings and system details that will help the support team understand the problem.

Don't post your license key(s) !!!!

 

[leonh]

thanks for that,
at the moment one computer has nothing on it so running software is difficult,
on the other computer a friend gave me win7 home upgrade but the computer does not like the fact that it is an upgrade telling me that i needed the full version as there was no previous software so it may have been a mistake loading it
But from what i seem to glean here is that a full version of win 7 or 8 might be alright but maybe not using my keys which came with the computer.or perhaps getting recovery disks ( or os )from dell. I probably would be eligible for upgrade win 8 but the computers don't like upgrades as there is no software.
i can't see a way forward yet without spending more money

 

[DavidE]

You're situation is way over my knowledge and experience
I gave the best suggestions for what i know.
Your last post confuses ME more as to what you really have, and need.

 

[leonh]

Sorry David
i was not trying to confuse you.
i guess in trying to be succinct i lose some clarity.
thanks again

 

[whs]

This is for a clean install with an upgrade disc:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

Another option is to install Windows 10TP. That is free until October.

https://www.tenforums.com/windows-10-news/1946-download-windows-10-technical-preview.html

And you can always install Linux. E.g. Mint it a fine system. See my demo:

Mint Mate Demo - YouTube

 

[leonh]

thanks whs
A BIG KISS
i tried option 3 but it did not get past the phone call to microsoft who said it was an upgrade rather than a full install
i am trying option 4 on my other machine its loading the first one now, i'll let you know how it goes
i am also downloading win 10 tech preview as i write and will try to work my way through that
again thanks
the reason i am trying to get windows up is to run a little ecg viewer program which i use to monitor my heart, so its a lot of effort for a little program.
leon

 

[leonh]

well i got win10 onto the laptop takes a bit of doing and ms keeps asking me for a code and then rejecting the one they send, so not sure about that but it managed to get itself on the web etc. so very nice it also runs my ecg program which is great.
so thats for that everyone and it gives me time to find a permeant solution e.g. some win 7 pro media etc

for the desk top i went the other route and eventually have done a double install of win7 upgrade, with a little more effort i.e. downloading drivers and moving them to the desktop it is also on the web and running the ecg program. I have not tried to activate the software yet and i am doubtful whether it will but at least i get a month to sort out the win7 pro license problem. if necessary i can gain a bit of time going down the win10 route but we will wait and see and i might try to contact dell and see if i can get recovery disks

But all in all a much more successful day then yesterday, so thanks for your help
lots of love
leon

 

[whs]

I am glad you are making some progress. Make a hop over to the tenforums.com. Lots of interesting stuff - especially tutorials.

 

[leonh]

thanks for that it took me a while to work out how to shut it down
leon

 

[jimbo45]

There are n-teen media players available from other sources. Why does it have to the MS media player.

Hi there

I don't think the OP was referring to Media PLAYER but the actual Windows MEDIA - (I.e install Disks).

If you have a colleague who has an MSDN copy that would work. After install simply enter YOUR product number via change product key or in admin mode enter SLUI 3 and then the new (i.e your) key.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[gregrocker]

All Win7 installers are the same, it is only the Product Key that determines which version (Home Premium, Pro, Upgrade, full retail, etc) will activate. So if you were given an error that you are are using Upgrade version on a blank hard drive, you need to leave the key blank and then as suggested do the Option 3 workaround in Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version.

This always works in thousands of cases where we've recommended it for the whole six years here, and never requires a call to MS.

What's confusing is how you have Upgrade version on a COA sticker? Is this sticker affixed to the machine as then it would always be OEM that doesn't involve Upgrade version at all. Were you provided the COA sticker separately and does it say Upgrade verison on it? In that case, simply do the workaround suggested and it will activate unless you are inputting a character incorrectly which happens very often and is the only reason it won't work.

As to Windows 10, I too have been using it since October and am happy with it and don't use Win7 any longer. However it is pre-beta and therefore still has bugs, so what's safest is to install it as a Dual Boot with Win7, by shrinking the existing OS in Disk Mgmt to boot and install the other one in the shrink space. This way if Win10 goes south you can retreat to the Win7 side until you reimage or reinstall, keep your files stored in Win7. Since you own a $100+ Win7 license you should use it, and we'll help see to it you can if you'll go back and do the suggested steps including those to get a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7.

 

[leonh]

thanks for your detailed help
the reason i got into this pickle is that i bought two ex government dell computer complete with win 7 pro license but with their hard disks wiped. In previous times i have done this i ring up ms and they send me new disks for about $40. When i tried this this time they told me they no longer sell win 7 so ....I did not know what to do
A friend offered me a a win 7 upgrade he had not used? When i installed it it would not activate because it said it was an upgrade. Thats when i came to the forums. I tried option 3 but when i activated it it told me to go to ms who would not approve the activation because it was an upgrade so stuffed. i then was trying option 4 but the computer is having a fit and now won't load at all.
i am resisting buying new copies because i have a license and because i nly want it to run a small ecg viewing program to monitor my heart