Lost your Windows discs? How to get replacement media, legally

[mjf]

My question is; what do you do when the recovery software and hidden OS partition has been deleted.

You need to buy the recovery disks or do a clean install.

RE: Clean Install using the COA PID key
This article seems to be all about Factory recovery.

Can forum members still provide the link to "My Digital Life" to download the ISO for a Clean Install as was agreed at one stage??

 

[FuturDreamz]

I don't understand Microsofts problem here. They can't be activated without a valid product key anyway.

That's my thinking. They could simply offer an .iso download directly from their site (and could even offer a <700mb bootable installer .iso that automatically downloads the files as needed. This way they can ensure that everyone that chooses to download Windows will at least get the official build, without any cracks or hidden viruses or anything (it could even include checksums that prevent installation if tampering with the installer is detected).

 

[gregrocker]

Can forum members still provide the link to "My Digital Life" to download the ISO for a Clean Install as was agreed at one stage??

Yes, dispensed individually to OP's who have a working thread requiring Repair Install or Clean Reinstalling Windows 7.

We need to demonstrate caution so we don't lose the approval to do this, given here, following MS's lead in their own forums.

 

[mjf]

I was referring to the same thread here. Just checking if there had been a policy change since, accepting you reference the link when appropriate.

 

[Night Hawk]

By Ed Bott | January 5, 2012, 3:48pm PST

Did your most recent Windows PC come with reinstallation media? Many do, some don’t. But contrary to what you might have read, creating replacement Windows discs is easy, and every major PC maker will supply backup discs, sometimes for free. I have details.

Read more at:
Lost your Windows discs? How to get replacement media, legally | ZDNet

Some time ago, I needed to remove all the useless, space-wasting factory crud from my HP lappy and make a fresh install of Win7/64. On the UK "Micromart" magazine forum, I received good advice from a techie working in a large international PC outlet. I used his advice and I pass it on here:

Backup all the stuff you intend to keep.
Your original Win7 Product Key is needed. On lappies, it is on the base. For a PC 'Big Box', it should have been a sticker in your original Windows disc case. If not, it may be stuck to the inside of the PC case.Write it down.
Borrow a genuine Win7 disc, OEM or Full. (Luckily, I had a full copy from my PC.) The disc MUST be same O/S as original: Win7/64, 32, Home Premium/Utimate/Professional/whatever.
Install the disc and follow the instructions for a complete new Installation. This will remove everything and prepare it for the new installation.
At activation, when asked for the Product Key, type in the one you wrote down, from your original O/S.
Follow the instructions on screen, for a shiny, spanking new installation.
Reinstall your backup stuff.

What do you do with an old beat up laptop where the OS is history and optical drive is toast as well? That required a usb install key for Vista Home Premium where the drivers for chipset as well as video and sound had to be downloaded separately once a fresh copy of Windows was on.

The product key was simply taken from the sticker attached on the under side for that portable. The Vista dvd used had to be a genuine disk however for making up the install key not anything found elsewhere and to pass the WGA!

My question is; what do you do when the recovery software and hidden OS partition has been deleted. How do you recover to factory condition with out those two options. I'm working with a client right now that has a Toshiba laptop with just this problem. There has to be a way to recover to factory condition with out ordering the recovery disc's, mind you, that only comes with the OS and no drivers, which you have to download separately.

You already mentioned part of the answer for that by locating the correct drivers at the manufacturer's support site. Once hidden recovery partition has been removed the device drivers and all prepackaged softwares are lost along with it including the OEM preactivation.

The option for recovery back to factory to include what came with it would require attaining an OEM disk direct from Toshiba likely through the dealer/vendor that sold the laptop itself. Often once the customer information is provided you will pay for shipping only.

One other to further point out is if the laptop or pc OEM comes with the 32bit Home Premium you cannot use a 64bit Home Premium disk. The OEM license only covers the 32bit Windows preinstalled.

A retail disk with a new license would be needed for seeing the 64bit flavor go on instead. The same applies in reverse for seeing the 32bit version of same go onto a machine that came with the 64bit.

 

[thefabe]

Good to know.

Thanks Fabe

 

[bassfisher6522]

By Ed Bott | January 5, 2012, 3:48pm PST

Read more at:
Lost your Windows discs? How to get replacement media, legally | ZDNet

Some time ago, I needed to remove all the useless, space-wasting factory crud from my HP lappy and make a fresh install of Win7/64. On the UK "Micromart" magazine forum, I received good advice from a techie working in a large international PC outlet. I used his advice and I pass it on here:

Backup all the stuff you intend to keep.
Your original Win7 Product Key is needed. On lappies, it is on the base. For a PC 'Big Box', it should have been a sticker in your original Windows disc case. If not, it may be stuck to the inside of the PC case.Write it down.
Borrow a genuine Win7 disc, OEM or Full. (Luckily, I had a full copy from my PC.) The disc MUST be same O/S as original: Win7/64, 32, Home Premium/Utimate/Professional/whatever.
Install the disc and follow the instructions for a complete new Installation. This will remove everything and prepare it for the new installation.
At activation, when asked for the Product Key, type in the one you wrote down, from your original O/S.
Follow the instructions on screen, for a shiny, spanking new installation.
Reinstall your backup stuff.

What do you do with an old beat up laptop where the OS is history and optical drive is toast as well? That required a usb install key for Vista Home Premium where the drivers for chipset as well as video and sound had to be downloaded separately once a fresh copy of Windows was on.

The product key was simply taken from the sticker attached on the under side for that portable. The Vista dvd used had to be a genuine disk however for making up the install key not anything found elsewhere and to pass the WGA!

My question is; what do you do when the recovery software and hidden OS partition has been deleted. How do you recover to factory condition with out those two options. I'm working with a client right now that has a Toshiba laptop with just this problem. There has to be a way to recover to factory condition with out ordering the recovery disc's, mind you, that only comes with the OS and no drivers, which you have to download separately.

You already mentioned part of the answer for that by locating the correct drivers at the manufacturer's support site. Once hidden recovery partition has been removed the device drivers and all prepackaged softwares are lost along with it including the OEM preactivation.

The option for recovery back to factory to include what came with it would require attaining an OEM disk direct from Toshiba likely through the dealer/vendor that sold the laptop itself. Often once the customer information is provided you will pay for shipping only.

One other to further point out is if the laptop or pc OEM comes with the 32bit Home Premium you cannot use a 64bit Home Premium disk. The OEM license only covers the 32bit Windows preinstalled.

A retail disk with a new license would be needed for seeing the 64bit flavor go on instead. The same applies in reverse for seeing the 32bit version of same go onto a machine that came with the 64bit.

Yeah..I totally agree with you...but my question was; with out having to buy the disc from the vendor. Even though it's a greatly discounted price. Toshiba charges $29.95 plus shipping. HP charges $19.95 plus shipping and Dell the same if I can remember correctly. And some vendors only have the OS and not the other preloaded software. Hp and Dell are big for that. A small price to pay for the customers peace of mind.

 

[gregrocker]

I do not believe it is correct that you cannot clean reinstall 64-bit on an 32-bit preinstalled OEM system, or vice versa.

Under the EULA you are entitled to either 32-bit or 64-bit with each license but only one at a time.

No manufacturer can restrict the terms of the EULA even with Win7 factory OEM version - which you own, not them. They may not provide the desired bit-version drivers on their website but in my experience they can almost always be found using optional Updates, googling device model (if necessary using Hardware Identification) or as a last resort the excellent freeware DriverMax. Do not change drivers given by the installer or Updates unless performance dictates doing so - this is not XP.

When you reinstall factory OEM you should use the Product Key on the COA sticker which changes the activation from OEM-SLP mass-activation method used at factory to OEM-COA which is administered in MS Activation Servers. This removes activation entirely from the purview of the manufacturer and places it with MS which will always protect you under the terms of the EULA.

This often requires making the telephone robocall exchanging a series of numbers recording the hardware signature for the new OEM-COA in MS servers. It can then be reinstalled as often as you like with normal web reactivation as long as the hardware signature stays within bounds, e.g. no change of mobo.

 

[mjf]

I do not believe it is correct that you cannot clean reinstall 64-bit on an 32-bit preinstalled OEM system, or vice versa.

Under the EULA you are entitled to either 32-bit or 64-bit with each license but only one at a time.

No manufacturer can restrict the terms of the EULA even with Win7 OEM version which you own, not them. They may not provide the desired bit-version drivers on their website but in my experience they can almost always be found using optional Updates, google with Hardware Identification, or as a last resort the excellent freeware DriverMax. Do not change drivers given by the installer or Updates unless performance dictates doing so - this is not XP.

When you reinstall OEM you should use the Product Key on the COA sticker which changes the activation from OEM-SLP mass-activation method used at factory to OEM-COA which is administered in MS Activation Servers. It removes activation entirely from the purview of the manufacturer and places it with MS which will always protect you under the terms of the EULA.

This often requires making the telephone robocall when a series of numbers is exchanged recording the hardware signature for the new OEM-COA in MS Servers. It can then be reinstalled as often as you like with normal web reactivation as long as the hardware signature stays within bounds, e.g. no change of mobo.

This is also my understanding. As I commented in an old post there are some pros and cons in going from OEM-SLP to OEM-COA. With OEM-SLP your activation is totally self contained. When you move to OEM-COA MS control your activation and you may get the occasional issue requiring a reactivation. The gain you get is a "clean" install if that really matters to you.

 

[Night Hawk]

That's what you end up with! When using a factory provided recovery disk, the utility often provided to create one, or the option on many systems to start the factory restore with a key combination as a boot option you end up back where the system was when first bought. The preactivation and device drivers tucked away on the recovery partition are restored at that time.

Once you take someone else's disk of the same you then enter the key on the sticker but are then starting off without the device drivers and are required to reactivate using the same key. Then you have to either find the updates at the support site or use a program like SIW to identify board make and model, chipset, and any expansion cards(video, sound) installed in order to locate the drivers, apps for each.

If you switch from 32bit preinstall to 64bit that's a different story since OEM disks whether branded or non branded for system builders are not retail but one license per disk. The retail package sees both a 32bit and 64bit dvd included. As for an MSDN or TechNET paid subscription download you would need to ask Brink or someone else whether or not you could download both and use one key or only be able to use the key provided along with each download from MS.

If you own a business on the other hand with many machines you would likely buy a volume license that would cover both without any problem using either or both since the license covers far more.

 

[gregrocker]

This is not XP. Win7 is driver-complete in the installer and quickly updated via optional Windows Updates.

You only need to provide drivers missing in Device Manager after install and several rounds of Updates.

I would not change out drivers given by installer or optional Updates unless performance points to a specific driver. If they are not provided by Win7, there is likely a reason Win7 doesn't want them.

 

[Night Hawk]

That depends more on the device itself. For any addons like your video card, sound, tuner cards, printers, etc. especially more recent models you then have to locate what isn't found in the Windows updates as far as the application updates as well as device drivers.

The Windows updates will typically see the driver sets but not the application side like the AMD/ATI Catalyst or NVidia Desktop manager. The sound mixer app for a separate sound card would again be found at the manufacturer.

As far as the larger amount of generic drivers found in 7 over XP take a look at how many years have passed inbetween those two versions as well as how many newer hardwares and devices are now found on the market. External self contained hard drives, usb devices like flash drives, cell phone SD cards acting like flash drives the same way the onboard or added in memory card on digital cameras work. The development of 7 included support for these newer technologies not in existance back in January 2001 when XP was first seen.

One other item that will be a great help however with any clean install of Windows is going for the Secunia Personal Software Inspector which will prompt when any newer version or update for anything installed is found. Even after Windows has been on for time this has proven itself to be an asset. Free Computer Security - Personal Software Inspector (PSI) - Secunia

Besides being a security tool that will also make sure the drivers that go on are the correct ones for what you may need to find once you have to go with a clean install of Windows.

 

[SIW2]

LOL.

Mr Bott is entitled to post what he wants on his blog - that is how he makes a living.

In spite of what he says, you will notice that there are large numbers of posts all over the net from people who are in a pickle because they didn't have any recovery media.

While they might be then able to get it by ordering from the oem - it is very inconvenient to say the least.

It usually ( but not always ) costs a bit, too.

Comet might argue it is better to give the customers the opportunity to have it on dvd - already made - before disaster strikes.

Seems perfectly sensible and would save a lot of people a lot of hassle.

The difficulty appears to be that they were allegedly, selling it.

If that is the case, then Comet should have had a licensing agreement beforehand.

If they were charging £14.99 - is that selling - or is it a handling and postage fee?



You will recall the "free" upgrade to Windows 7 for those who purchased Vista machines.

If I remember correctly - it was the small, specialist companies, like Mesh, who were actually supplying the upgrade media free.

There were a number of reports of some oems charging as much as £30 for the supposedly free ugrade media - apparently with MS blessing.

 

[Night Hawk]

Unfortunately that does happen since they can swallow the OEM prices they pay MS for as far as license keys for OEM made systems and absorb that in the retail price you pay out for a then new Vista machine with the Anytime Upgrade offer.

The smart thing but not too often thought of by a new time pc user would be using the utility prepackaged or available at the manufacturer's support site for seeing a recvery disk made. That would mean having your own disaster recovery plan inplace from the start rather then waiting until disaster and then 'I can't reinstall since I don't have a disk! "

If you buy Windows at the MS store and request the backup media you pay an additional $15US for that to have an installation disk onhand. But you are still going directly through the MS Store whereas Comet slipped up by not clearing things through MS first even having MS provided the branded media under an agreement.

The small fee for any backup media is expected to cover shipping and other expenses like manufacturing. With other softwares you purchase by electronic download you would also pay an extra $15US for example to have the cd or dvd media included with the purchase. The original software company however has the media manufactured for them for this purpose while Comet apparently went out on their own and was found out.

 

[d0m0]

Hey thanks a lot. I purchased my Dell Notebook second hand and it didn't come with any support DVDs. Ordered them via the Dell link you provided and got them the next day absolutely free!

 

[XweAponX]

I Love Ed Bott, he is the one guy on ZDnet who I can trust with the advice he gives. I appreciate this link, I am going to try to get replacement disks for my clients. If I had a full library of installers I could just buy the licenses on an as-needed basis instead of buying them in bulk. When I have a workgroup of Dell systems I like to have the original Dell Disks for re-installing the OSs.

 

[DreadStarX]

Also, I have DreamSpark Accounts, I have no problem uploading a copy of Windows for someone.


I see nothing wrong with this, or in violation of my ToS with DS due to the OS requiring a key to activate. Anyways, PM me and i'll find a hosting site for ya.

 

[gregrocker]

Generous but not necessary as we've been providing these for years now via Windows 7 Direct Download Links.

These are the official Win7 installer ISO's from MS supplier, for use with an existing Product Key to Clean Install Windows 7, get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7,
or run a Repair Install.

 

[nlneilson]

I just bought a handy net computer with a 10.1 screen.

It does not have the msi file, that could be my error when removing stuff with ccleaner.
I called M$ help several times but they just want to take control of the computer, If anything there are more problems.

There is no drive for CD/DVD

Night Hawk: I have Desert property in the Mojave Desert North of Edwards Air Force Base


How do I get and install the msi file?
Most updates like the SP1 fails.

Neil

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You can post which exact version of win-7 you need and we can post an iso with sp1 already on it.
Language/ 7 home premium...../ 32 or 64 bit ?
Links are only good for 24 hrs so don't go to far away