Re-installing Win 7 starter

[Anup41]

Hello guys!
I have a sony vaio vpcyb35an laptop and it came with win 7 starter.
i upgraded it to win 7 ultimate using anytime upgrade and after that like a couple of months before i upgraded it to win 10. Now i am using it win 10 with latest update. The problem is my system has some problems with the new win 10 so i am planning to go back to win 7 starter. I dont have any backup of win 7 nor recovery disks.

I read that if i install win 7 starter via ISO then it wont ask me for activation key or it will ask and i shall put the product key given on my laptop's behind side sticker.
The sticker has written on it: win 7 starter OA EM and some numbers and product key: xxxxx...
So if i boot pc from bootable disk using the iso and enter that key will it work?
And what is ei.cfg removal i need for win 7 starter iso?

Thanks!

 

[Megahertz07]

Win 7 starter only has a 32 bits version so you have to use a Win 7 32 bits disk.
If you have any Win 7 32 bits version and you rename or remove ei.cfg file you will be prompt for what version you want to install.

 

[Anup41]

Win 7 starter only has a 32 bits version so you have to use a Win 7 32 bits disk.
If you have any Win 7 32 bits version and you rename or remove ei.cfg file you will be prompt for what version you want to install.

Ok but do I have to buy the license or the key on back panel of my laptop will work?
some websites say that it wont work and some say it doesn't even ask!
what should I do?
Even some people say that's not product key but its a serial number

 

[torchwood]

Have a look at this tutorial.
Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Roy

 

[torchwood]

Hi Anup,
have a look at this
Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

notes
The key on your back panel of the lappy is only for a starter, when you did the anytime Upgrade you would have been sent a new key from MS, if it came from any other source i would suspect its non-genuine, and they would have kept a log of the email address it was sent to.
to find your current keys use this tool
ShowKeyPlus - Windows 10 Forums
DO NOT POST IT
Ultimate keys are valid for both 32/64bt versions


Roy

 

[Anup41]

So if i remove or rename ei.cfg and try to install win 7 starter and put the product key which is on my back panel will it work?

Or i have to put win 10 key/win 7 ultimate key for win 7 starter ??

 

[Megahertz07]

Backup all your data.
You have to put the win 7 starter key.
Make a Clean install Clean Install Windows 7

 

[Anup41]

Okay,
And now the main problem, my 320gb hard disk is partitioned in 3
1) 250 gb main C drive
2)18 gb logical drive for some personal files
3) (i dont know how it got formed) 9.33gb unallocated which i cant turn it into a separate volume showing that too much partitions are there
4)rest 2-3 system reserve and other

I cant shrink or cant convert all those partitions into the main c drive. Will that pose a problem for win 7 install? Because now i dont want any partition. I only need 1 main c drive. When i right click on a drive in diskmgmt it doesnt show active option on shrink.

Thanks

And what is that uefi or bios i dont get it?

 

[Megahertz07]

The best way to have Win 7 back is to do a factory recover.
Most laptops has a disk partition that has the original Windows to be reinstalled. it is called Factory Recover.
http://support.sony-asia.com.edgesuite.net/consumer/IM/3Q11RTG_IE.pdf

It will clean all your disk so make a backup of all your data on an external disk

Sony support (open with IE11)

 

[Anup41]

ok i'll try and let you know as soon as possible