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My hard drive crashed suddenly it is toast. I bought a new solid state but the product key on the back from the windows website tells me to go to the Toshiba website and I found nothing helpful there. I had upgraded to windows 10 long ago before the hard drive crash.
Toshiba Satellite L755-S5365
Dan Borreson
Posted 2016-03-03T20:18:57.200
Reputation: 1
2
Since you upgraded to windows 10 your PC is now magically recognised by Microsoft. You can do a clean installation of windows 10 from an USB3* pendrive or from DVD. When it asks for a CoA tell it you do not have one.
Windows 10 should install cleanly and once you have a working connection to the Internet it automatically activates.*2
*1: It does not work with a USB2 pen drive though. It will mention that it needs drivers to continue, except if booted from DVD or USB. But it will not start the installation.
*2: Much to my surprise when I encounted this autoactivation without entering a key.
Hennes
Posted 2016-03-03T20:18:57.200
Reputation: 60 739
The user wants to install Windows 7 not Windows 10. – Ramhound – 2016-03-03T21:04:46.577
I read this I had upgraded to windows 10 long ago as "My windows 7 key is no longer valid and I want to reinstall windows". And thus an "I want to reinstall windows 10".
@brianc: clarification please? – Hennes – 2016-03-04T13:24:16.970
Except the title of the question is "can I install Windows 7 from the key that is printed on the COA sticker" – Ramhound – 2016-03-04T13:29:14.810
Argh. Good point! I guess I was way too focues on the 10 part. – Hennes – 2016-03-04T13:51:08.200
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Just use the corresponding version of windows 7 that the COA on the bottom of your laptop is for and it should reactivate as a genuine copy. Once you've done that just run the windows 10 upgrade again, reinstall all of your programs and you should be good as new
Christopher Mathews
Posted 2016-03-03T20:18:57.200
Reputation: 11
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The key on the back of your laptop is likely an OEM key, and you will need the appropriate media for the version and edition (e.g. Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, etc.), and OEM installation. That's all it should take for Windows to accept the key. Also, if you've already gone through the upgrade process of Windows 10 with that hardware, you should be able to do a clean install of Windows 10 and have it activate successfully.
I'm not sure which part of the Microsoft website you went to, but they only let you download the retail (not OEM) installation media.
If you are bent on installing Windows 7 the way it was from Toshiba's factory, you could try ordering the recovery media here: http://support.toshiba.com/recovery#media
You can also seek out a generic OEM installation disc for your edition of Windows 7. Just make sure you're obtaining it from a non-sketchy, legal source.
BrianC
Posted 2016-03-03T20:18:57.200
Reputation: 681
1
The link you provided does not work with OEM product keys. There is a solution to that problem though. The user wants to install Windows 7 not Windows 10.
– Ramhound – 2016-03-03T21:03:47.123Oops, good catch. I will edit my original post. I was originally going to point him towards the DigitalRiver mirror but apparently that's gone...? – BrianC – 2016-03-03T21:10:37.903
It has been gone for about 2 years. – Ramhound – 2016-03-03T21:25:35.643
I would be happy to install windows 10, but I thought that I would have to start with widows 7 as that is what came preinstalled on my Toshiba laptop Sat L755. using the prodcuct key from the back and then upgrade. I will try installing windows 10 with the key on the back of the laptop. Thanks for the suggestion. I have loaded Ubuntu and was going to use WINE to run Quickbooks Pro. But I got a bad feeling about that so no I want to do a dual boot system and from what I have read Windows first. – Dan Borreson – 2016-03-04T15:34:48.247
Just clean install windows 10 using the W7 key (unless you prefer W7), it will activate automatically since it has already activated on the previous W10 upgrade. Use the Microsoft iso tool on another windows 7 PC to make the W10 install media, just be sure the other w7 pc is same version, home or pro....https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
– Moab – 2016-03-04T16:46:11.597