Solved Win7 ISO image

[derekimo]

Everybody got used to the free access to the downloads, but they have never held the position that they provide support for the OEM's computers.

TBH MSFT have never provided free downloads, the digitalriver ones were just there because somebody knew the url's.

Good point, I didn't know that was never official. I can see how they finally got tired of it though.

 

[z3r010]

We are not in too bad a position here anyway, from what I'm seeing everybody at SF that needs an ISO is getting 24 hour expiring direct Microsoft links from SGT Oddball.

 

[Layback Bear]

Let me see if I can make 2+2=4
The manufacture won't help but they will sell you another computer with W-10 installed.
Microsoft won't help but they will let you upgrade to W-10.

Yep that adds up. Which is great if that is what the person wants.
I was hoping to be able to help those who just wanted a nice clean install or a repair install of Windows 7.
Plan "A" is not working.

SGT Oddball is doing a great job taking care of the needy.
Thanks Sarge.

 

[derekimo]

We are not in too bad a position here anyway, from what I'm seeing everybody at SF that needs an ISO is getting 24 hour expiring direct Microsoft links from SGT Oddball.

SGT Oddball is the man!

 

[Layback Bear]

Dummy me thought digitalriver was a authorized Microsoft download site for anybody to use.
It was there for years.

 

[derekimo]

Let me see if I can make 2+2=4
The manufacture won't help but they will sell you another computer with W-10 installed.
Microsoft won't help but they will let you upgrade to W-10.

Yep that adds up. Which is great if that is what the person wants.
I was hoping to be able to help those who just wanted a nice clean install or a repair install of Windows 7.
Plan "A" is not working.

SGT Oddball is doing a great job taking care of the needy.
Thanks Sarge.

Some manufacturers still offer recovery media,



That's from HP.

HP Software and Driver Downloads for HP Printers, Laptops, Desktops and More | HP® Customer Support

 

[UsernameIssues]

My question is where did you get the 25 characters from.
Did you or did you not get them off the Microsoft sticker? Yes or No.
I'm trying to figure out why the Microsoft site didn't like them.

I know what was posted after the post that I quoted above. I'll just answer/document things a bit differently.


Starting here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

Entering an QEM key from a COA sticker under the battery on this laptop gets me this:




Clicking on that FAQ link takes me here...
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/faq

...where I see this:




Going over to Dell's website, I see this...



..after entering a valid Service Tag (not shown in the screenshot).


This laptop is only a few months old.

I'm not looking for W7 ISOs. I was just showing you what you asked about.

 

[Mayagrafix]

My question is where did you get the 25 characters from.
Did you or did you not get them off the Microsoft sticker? Yes or No.
I'm trying to figure out why the Microsoft site didn't like them.

Thanks for your time and interest regarding my PC problem. Yes, I did get the Win7 serial # from the M$ sticker that came with the PC. Here is a screen cap of M$ answer. I too would like to know the logic behind their reasoning

[/IMG]

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you very much for the information Mayagrafix.
That is exactly the information I was trying to get.
John tried and you tried with no luck.

Did you get your problem solved?

 

[BigBear68]

Will add some input on this subject as I think my recent experience relates to this topic,over the weekend I had to do a repair install of my pre installed windows 7,i had previously created an ISO DVD using the download from digital river just before the links were pulled.I followed the guide found on this site http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html and at point 15 entered my product key found on the sticker underneath the laptop.

Everything seemed fine till last night when I received a message my copy of windows was not genuine and to enter a valid product key and had so many days to do this.As I knew I HAD entered my correct product key and windows had seemed to accept it I found this odd.Had a search on google and found a guide of using SLUI 3 in the run box and activated windows this way and now it seems my windows if fully activated.

I hope this is what is being discussed here and if so what do you actually have to enter to re activate windows again.

 

[Layback Bear]

BigBear68 it's some good information that might help others.
Thank you.

 

[mjf]

I think the discussion was more about being able to do a total clean install using the COA product sticker code. That is you want to start from scratch as if you had installed a non-SLP OEM OS (like you built your own PC). All OEM installs are still tied to key original PC hardware.

The conclusion I read here is that a clean install on a pre installed windows 7 system using the COA product sticker is not likely to work. Based on BigBear68's experience a Repair install may work but a slui.exe 3 command may also be required.

 

[derekimo]

I think the discussion was more about being able to do a total clean install using the COA product sticker code. That is you want to start from scratch as if you had installed a non-SLP OEM OS (like you built your own PC). All OEM installs are still tied to key original PC hardware.

The conclusion I read here is that a clean install on a pre installed windows 7 system using the COA product sticker is not likely to work. Based on BigBear68's experience a Repair install may work but a slui.exe 3 command may also be required.

Actually it is very likely to work, Greg's tutorial with almost 2 million views and not a single complaint would suggest that,

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

I'm not sure where you got the idea the discussion was about something else.

 

[BigBear68]

The way I am reading it on various sites is when you buy a computer with a pre loaded windows the product key is your proof of owning a legitimate version of windows but apart from that is useless for anything else,if you need an OEM key to do anything useful with windows like repairing or reinstalling why is that not supplied with the computer on purchase,why is it hidden away in code where it is very difficult to find and use ?

 

[derekimo]

The way I am reading it on various sites is when you buy a computer with a pre loaded windows the product key is your proof of owning a legitimate version of windows but apart from that is useless for anything else,if you need an OEM key to do anything useful with windows like repairing or reinstalling why is that not supplied with the computer on purchase,why is it hidden away in code where it is very difficult to find and use ?

Technically you should be getting support from the OEM you bought it from, you are right about the COA key, every computer needs it.

What it is good for is doing a clean install as shown in the tutorial I just posted above.

At the time it was written it was easier to get install media.

Microsoft just shut the door on free access to it and set up the new site they have which is really geared toward retail customers.

As has always been the case any store bought computer is supported by that OEM and you can hope they will provide a way to get media, even if they don't though, you can do a clean install with that COA key. You just need to find your own media.

 

[mjf]

I think the discussion was more about being able to do a total clean install using the COA product sticker code. That is you want to start from scratch as if you had installed a non-SLP OEM OS (like you built your own PC). All OEM installs are still tied to key original PC hardware.

The conclusion I read here is that a clean install on a pre installed windows 7 system using the COA product sticker is not likely to work. Based on BigBear68's experience a Repair install may work but a slui.exe 3 command may also be required.

Actually it is very likely to work, Greg's tutorial with almost 2 million views and not a single complaint would suggest that,

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

I'm not sure where you got the idea the discussion was about something else.

I had no initial belief the discussion was about anything else.
This is all getting confusing. I didn't think the discussion was about anything else but the ability to perform a clean install using the gregrocker type tutorial. What I'm unsure about is the ability for this to work based on feedback from eg.
http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/392012-win7-iso-image-3.html#post3219986

I only have one old PC with a factory installed OS [OEM:SLP (System Locked Pre-installation] and I doubt that I personally will need to perform this operation.


For the sake of others-
The question is really simple:
What is the likelihood of performing a clean install from a Windows install DVD/ISO for the compatible version (eg. Home Premium) using the COA sticker with the product key?

ANSWERS:
Very likely
Unlikely
Depends on the PC manufacturer and date of manufacture (means don't know).

 

[derekimo]

I'm lost on your skepticism of the success many have already had using that method and the very reason that tutorial exists.

Why don't you think it works, it has worked for countless people already.

 

[mjf]

I'm lost on your skepticism of the success many have already had using that method and the very reason that tutorial exists.

Why don't you think it works, it has worked for countless people already.

I don't know if it works or not but I'm influenced by comments like this (& others).
http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/392012-win7-iso-image-4.html#post3219991

If it works most of the time then let someone make that statement and close the discussion.

 

[derekimo]

You are not grasping the whole topic! If you pick a comment then look at what it relates to, it is related to the ability to download an ISO from Microsoft.

That's what this thread is about, getting a download, the clean install is not a question.

 

[wasnotwas]

FYI - there's a Digital River mirror at archive.org. Click the txt file at the bottom for the codes eg

X17-59186.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 English

https://archive.org/download/digital_river

have tested the x64 Pro Eng and it's about 3 Mbit >> 2 - 3 hours (-ish)

grey area copyright legality, so don't shoot the messenger

FYI . . .