OEM Product Key not working on MS Software Recovery

[Holford]

Hi my fellow TechTipians,

 

So I'm currently preparing to buy all the parts for my new PC Build, and have an (unused) OEM Install Disk & Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1). Problem I have is that my rig doesn't include an optical drive (and it's going to be in a Corsair 750D, which doesn't look great with them, and I really don't want to compromise on the design with one).

 

I hit up Microsoft's Software Recovery site, to download an ISO to burn to a USB Drive for booting - but it throws out a message along the lines, "This is for pre-installed software, contact your OEM manufacturer". I've separately downloaded a legal ISO and burnt it to the USB Drive I want to use (with the same version as my OEM disk). 

 

My question is this: will an OEM's Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1) activate a separately downloaded version of Windows 7 (SP1), from a USB Boot Key?

 

Thanks all!

[Speedbird]

Hi my fellow TechTipians,

 

So I'm currently preparing to buy all the parts for my new PC Build, and have an (unused) OEM Install Disk & Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1). Problem I have is that my rig doesn't include an optical drive (and it's going to be in a Corsair 750D, which doesn't look great with them, and I really don't want to compromise on the design with one).

 

I hit up Microsoft's Software Recovery site, to download an ISO to burn to a USB Drive for booting - but it throws out a message along the lines, "This is for pre-installed software, contact your OEM manufacturer". I've separately downloaded a legal ISO and burnt it to the USB Drive I want to use (with the same version as my OEM disk). 

 

My question is this: will an OEM's Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1) activate a separately downloaded version of Windows 7 (SP1), from a USB Boot Key?

 

Thanks all!

Yes, it will work. May I have the SHA1 hash of the ISO?

Microsoft Software Recovery is useless anyway. It only takes retail keys, and only the retail retail keys, not MSDN or dreamspark ones.

[Holford]

Yes, it will work. May I have the SHA1 hash of the ISO?

Microsoft Software Recovery is useless anyway. It only takes retail keys, and only the retail retail keys, not MSDN or dreamspark ones.

 

Oh awesome, thanks for confirming!

 

Yeah, of course Here you go: 0bcfc54019ea175b1ee51f6d2b207a3d14dd2b58

[Speedbird]

Oh awesome, thanks for confirming!

 

Yeah, of course Here you go: 0bcfc54019ea175b1ee51f6d2b207a3d14dd2b58

Can confirm that this is en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676939.iso, Windows 7 64-bit Professional with SP1 and KB2534111 hotfix, released 13th of May 2011.

You can simply paste the contents of the ISO to a 4GB USB drive. For UEFI-based moetherboards, you need to extract the bootmgfw.efi from boot.wim in the sources folder (7-zip can do that) and copy it to a folder named boot inside the efi folder, then rename the file to bootx64.efi.

[Holford]

Can confirm that this is en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676939.iso, Windows 7 64-bit Professional with SP1 and KB2534111 hotfix, released 13th of May 2011.

You can simply paste the contents of the ISO to a 4GB USB drive. For UEFI-based moetherboards, you need to extract the bootmgfw.efi from boot.wim in the sources folder (7-zip can do that) and copy it to a folder named boot inside the efi folder, then rename the file to bootx64.efi.

 

I haven't got the USB Drive to hand to confirm this, but I ran the Windows USB/DVD Tool for making a boot drive, so it should've already done this, right?

[techguru]

Hi my fellow TechTipians,

 

So I'm currently preparing to buy all the parts for my new PC Build, and have an (unused) OEM Install Disk & Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1). Problem I have is that my rig doesn't include an optical drive (and it's going to be in a Corsair 750D, which doesn't look great with them, and I really don't want to compromise on the design with one).

 

I hit up Microsoft's Software Recovery site, to download an ISO to burn to a USB Drive for booting - but it throws out a message along the lines, "This is for pre-installed software, contact your OEM manufacturer". I've separately downloaded a legal ISO and burnt it to the USB Drive I want to use (with the same version as my OEM disk). 

 

My question is this: will an OEM's Product Key for Windows 7 (SP1) activate a separately downloaded version of Windows 7 (SP1), from a USB Boot Key?

 

Thanks all!

all you do is download the iso on google...burn it to a usb stick with rufus

skip putting in a key during the install

then once you are in windows..go to change key..and put in the oem key

[Speedbird]

I haven't got the USB Drive to hand to confirm this, but I ran the Windows USB/DVD Tool for making a boot drive, so it should've already done this, right?

No, don't use that, it doesn't work with UEFI. It formats the drive in NTFS. You have start over. Format th USB in FAT32 and follow my instructions.

[Holford]

No, don't use that, it doesn't work with UEFI. It formats the drive in NTFS. You have start over. Format th USB in FAT32 and follow my instructions.

 

Okay, will do - thanks mate! Much appreciated