HDD swap in new laptop

[Beginning]

Hi everyone.. It's been a while,

I just bought a new laptop (this one) and I want to yank the 320gb 5400 and install a 500gb 7200 rpm drive in it.

The laptop has the product key on the bottom for reinstall. Just for safety sake I made the 5 DVD recovery discs.

The real question I have is with my product key can I use a friends stand alone win7 pro install disc to do a clean install of Win 7 Home premium? Both the Pro and the H Premium are 64 bit versions. Which is what this laptop has on it now.

I really would like to get rid of all the other stuff that is not necessary as far as I'm concerned. I read somewhere that win7 install discs have all versions on them, and it will install the correct version to match my key, hence Windows 7 Home Premium.. I think that is all for now.

 

[Tews]

You will need to use a key that is specific to the version of Windows 7 that you install..

 

[Beginning]

Thanks Tews... The key on the bottom of the new laptop is for 64bit Windows 7 Home Premium. The laptop will still have 64bit Windows 7 Home Premium on it latter too, If I have my info correct.

 

[Petey7]

If it was the other way around, installing from a HP disc and having a key for Pro, it would be rather simple, but you're doing it this way, you will need to make a universal install disc:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/85813-windows-7-universal-installation-disc-create.html?filter

Hope this helps. You will need a DVD burner and a bank DVD. If you have a new computer you should have a DVD burner already, and blank DVDs can be bought at many stores. I've even seen them inside drug and grocery stores before.

 

[Tews]

Your key on the sticker is an OEM key and wont work on a retail version

 

[Petey7]

Why don't companies just ship the installation disc with the computer any more? Even Dell doesn't seem to do it any more. It makes stuff like this so much simpler.

 

[Beginning]

I agree.. It would be so much simpler...

 

[win7clutz]

The laptop has the product key on the bottom for reinstall. Just for safety sake I made the 5 DVD recovery discs.

Why not use the recovery disk you created?

 

[Beginning]

I guess I'll have to, but I was kinda hoping for a clean install without all the crap the the manufacturer puts in..

 

[Petey7]

I'd just uninstall everything you don't want and spend some time looking around the tutorials and customization parts of this site to learn how to restore everything to how it originally would look, or make it exactly how you want it.

 

[gregrocker]

Beginning with Vista, the retail installer can be used to reinstall factory OEM using the Product Key on COA sticker, although it requires a robocall to MS to sort the specific key from sticker batch.

Unlock all verisons by extracting the ISO from your friend's DVD using ImgBurn, then run the ei.cfg removal utility to unlock, burn all-versions DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed with Verify: Unlock any version eicfg removal tool.url

The installer is driver-complete with newer arriving quickly via optional Windows Updates. Any drivers then missing can be found on the Asus Support Downloads webpage for your model.

Install Programs slowly to gauge performance changes. Don't allow any programs besides AV and gadgets to write themselves into the msconfig>Startup list as they become freeloaders on your RAM/CPU.

When you have it set up as you like, clean and order the HD perfectly using state-of-the-art CCleaner ("Run Cleaner" and registry tabs) then Auslogics Disk and REgistry defraggers monthly.

Then save a Win7 backup image so you never have to reinstall again, just reimage the HD or a replacement using DVD Repair console and stored image.

 

[Beginning]

Thanks gregrocker - I'll give that a go in a while, I may just go out and buy Win 7 HP...