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Possible Duplicate:
Where do I download Windows 7 (legally from Microsoft)?
I have lost my Windows 7 installation DVD, but I do have the license key. How can I get a Windows 7 DVD? Can I download an ISO image somewhere? While installing can I use my original Windows 7 Key?
MoG
Posted 2011-04-18T00:22:37.450
Reputation: 1 248
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UPDATE: Sadly someone at Microsoft has discovered this back door in to their ISO library and plugged it, The links to the ISOs no longer function. I am leaving this question up for historical purposes.
Digital river is the distribution company Microsoft uses for it's digital downloads. This site has aggregated a list of the files they use for when distributing downloads (here for SP1). I have used it before and but not recently, however the links should still be good. Your license key will work as long as you download the same edition (Home Premium/Professional/Ultimate) as your key corresponds to. The architecture (64-bit vs. 32-bit) and language do not matter with activation.
Scott Chamberlain
Posted 2011-04-18T00:22:37.450
Reputation: 28 923
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To help verify that your downloads of the Digital River ISOs are good, below are the SHA-1 hashes for the ISOs, copied from Microsoft TechNet. Each link is a permalink to the corresponding TechNet page from which I got the hash. I've personally downloaded all the ISOs and verified the hashes.
jjlin
Posted 2011-04-18T00:22:37.450
Reputation: 12 964
These are requiring a subscription. – Pilgrim – 2014-08-09T02:04:22.113
Microsoft is retiring TechNet. But my post only concerns the hashes; get the actual ISOs from the accepted answer. – jjlin – 2014-08-09T05:44:40.667
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Hashes are also available on http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/#ProductFamilyId=350&Languages=en&PageSize=100 (page requires JavaScript) without Windows Live ID.
– Gurken Papst – 2012-06-30T20:25:06.420@GurkenPapst Thanks, I've updated with the links that don't require Windows Live ID. – jjlin – 2012-06-30T21:33:17.923
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As described in this Microsoft KB article, if it is a retail copy, you have the following recourse:
To request replacement hardware or software, contact the Microsoft Supplemental Parts team at the appropriate contact number that is provided in the "Contact Information" section. You must be in possession of the product (if it is damaged or defective) and be able to provide proof of purchase. The customer service representative will advise you of any replacement costs or shipping and handling fees that may be charged. If a product is no longer under warranty, the replacement item may no longer be available.
If it is an OEM copy, then they advise you to contact your OEM for the replacement disc instead.
Stephen Jennings
Posted 2011-04-18T00:22:37.450
Reputation: 21 788
I purchased a Dell laptop in which the Windows 7 was pre installed. Now Windows 7 got corrupted. Beneath the latop I can see the key sticker. So can I use the key? Dell didn't give me any Windows 7 installation discs with the laptop. – MoG – 2011-04-18T00:42:38.317
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Since Windows was pre-installed on your laptop, it is an OEM copy. Are you sure they did not provide you a way to boot into PC Restore? Try pressing F8 when the computer boots, you may boot into Dell's system restore software, which will reload the OS from a hidden partition on the hard drive.
– Stephen Jennings – 2011-04-18T00:45:28.613You are right Stephen. Dell did provide a Windows recovery drive. I tried pressing F8, while system boots and tried installing. After installing Windows7 from the recovery drive, Blue screen error pops up as soon as Windows gets started. After googling for each and every Blue screen error which comes up after booting, came to know that Drivers are not installed properly. I guess the blue screen is because of the old drivers that are present in the recovery drive. So no use of installing the Windows 7 from recovery drive. Now my plan is to download the image and install separately. – MoG – 2011-04-18T01:30:14.327
(P.S: When Windows 7 is installed directly from Recovery, it hardly takes 10mins and this will install Windows 7 + Drivers) – MoG – 2011-04-18T01:30:58.070
@Stephen Jennings, do u have any idea on above? – MoG – 2011-04-18T02:39:52.820
@MohanGajula: I don't personally know, but if you post it as a new question (since it's a new issue), you might get a good answer from the community. Add as much detail about what is happening as you can. – Stephen Jennings – 2011-04-18T03:09:09.427
@StephenJennings Honestly do you find any use in repeating the official company line here? I think we all agree that it's inherently infuriating, to be asked to "contact" your OEM. The "how can I reinstall" is just another way of asking for the installation source, which, to be fair, nowadays, is not a non-distributable entity, fine print aside. – Milind R – 2013-11-19T19:32:23.617
@ScottChamberlain Just an FYI, I often consult this post when I need the ISOs; these links are dead now. – cutrightjm – 2015-03-30T15:13:13.447
@ekaj Thanks, I added a warning about it in the post. – Scott Chamberlain – 2015-03-30T16:29:02.910
2Thanks for your answer, Scott. We would prefer it however if instead of just providing a link, you included a bit more of the information on the page. Our goal is for users to be able to get the answer here when possible. Thanks! – nhinkle – 2011-04-18T00:42:47.477
@nhinkle, I updated my post to be a bit more descriptive of what the link is and where they got the data from. – Scott Chamberlain – 2011-04-18T00:47:56.657
For other language versions, you can find them on p2p (be sure to check the sha1 afterwards with MSDN/Technet – faket tend to crop up these days…) – kinokijuf – 2012-01-13T16:56:03.090
Is it a good idea to link to MDL? – Synetech – 2012-02-09T04:21:36.273
@Synetech a friend was chatting with a Microsoft rep online, and the rep pointed him to these links to download - so I assume it's safe if Microsoft is pointing people to them – cutrightjm – 2014-01-09T04:21:59.677