Windows 7 OEM Clean Install

[Unimaginative Name]

I have an older Dell Latitude running Windows 7 on spinning rust. I bought an SSD with the intent to do a full reinstall. What I have come to realize is that Windows will not let you download the Win7 ISO on an OEM key, only retail keys work. Does anyone have any experience they can bestow upon me before I resort to cloning the drive? I really want to avoid purchasing a new key.

[LHJKO]

just call Microsoft and tell them your hard rive broke and they will let you re use your key 

[NoRomanBatmansAllowed]

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-iso-download-tool

 

You can download official ISO off MS servers using this tool.

 

Or just go call up MS.

[DanielMDA]

9 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

I have an older Dell Latitude running Windows 7 on spinning rust. I bought an SSD with the intent to do a full reinstall. What I have come to realize is that Windows will not let you download the Win7 ISO on an OEM key, only retail keys work. Does anyone have any experience they can bestow upon me before I resort to cloning the drive? I really want to avoid purchasing a new key.

DUDE W10 for the love of God. A split user base is good for no one.

[Unimaginative Name]

Just now, DanielMDA said:

DUDE W10 for the love of God. A split user base is good for no one.

Doing this for a friend, easier to make it sound like I'm doing it. He's not gonna switch.

8 minutes ago, Vernw3 said:

just call Microsoft and tell them your hard rive broke and they will let you re use your key 

Yay! Talking to support. 

6 minutes ago, bob51zhang said:

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-iso-download-tool

 

You can download official ISO off MS servers using this tool.

 

Or just go call up MS.

Won't let me download a Windows 7 ISO from there.

[DanielMDA]

3 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

Doing this for a friend, easier to make it sound like I'm doing it. He's not gonna switch.

Yay! Talking to support. 

Won't let me download a Windows 7 ISO from there.

Tell him that he is beign stupid. Security, compatibility, latest MS Office and other things will be left behind. in W7. I know its a nice comfy OS but its nearly 10 years old, its time to move on, and 10 isnt that bad. If he quallifies for a free upgrade he should go for it, and if he has to pay for it, tell him not to be a cheap bastard.

 

Love- A Guy on the Internet

[Unimaginative Name]

2 minutes ago, DanielMDA said:

Tell him that he is beign stupid. Security, compatibility, latest MS Office and other things will be left behind. in W7. I know its a nice comfy OS but its nearly 10 years old, its time to move on, and 10 isnt that bad. If he quallifies for a free upgrade he should go for it, and if he has to pay for it, tell him not to be a cheap bastard.

AFAIK, the free upgrade period is over. He's not paying for Windows 10 Pro.

[DanielMDA]

Just now, Unimaginative Name said:

AFAIK, the free upgrade period is over. He's not paying for Windows 10 Pro.

10 Home ? OEM Key? (Those are cheaper)

[NoRomanBatmansAllowed]

3 minutes ago, DanielMDA said:

Tell him that he is beign stupid. Security, compatibility, latest MS Office and other things will be left behind. in W7. I know its a nice comfy OS but its nearly 10 years old, its time to move on, and 10 isnt that bad. If he quallifies for a free upgrade he should go for it, and if he has to pay for it, tell him not to be a cheap bastard.

 

Love- A Guy on the Internet

Yeah, no.

 

Updated to Win10, regretted it. Even though I disabled the worst parts completely (have pro), Win7 was just better. Sure, it might be 10 years old, but lots of features work tons better on Win7 (think Start Menu Search).

[Unimaginative Name]

Just now, DanielMDA said:

10 Home ? OEM Key? (Those are cheaper)

He uses pro, we do engineering work. There is a very specific software that we use that for some reason also doesn't play nice with Windows 10. You're beating a dead horse, he's not "upgrading," if that's even the appropriate term. 

[DanielMDA]

1 minute ago, bob51zhang said:

Yeah, no.

 

Updated to Win10, regretted it. Even though I disabled the worst parts completely (have pro), Win7 was just better. Sure, it might be 10 years old, but lots of features work tons better on Win7 (think Start Menu Search).

I am 17, have used every single OS since Xp. And I can say from personal experience, that even though 7 was great and easy to use, it did have its limitations, and Im more of a fan of the 10 Design USB 3.0 Native, and the integration of the many great parts of 7 with the few good things of 8/8.1

[DanielMDA]

Just now, Unimaginative Name said:

He uses pro, we do engineering work. There is a very specific software that we use that for some reason also doesn't play nice with Windows 10. You're beating a dead horse, he's not "upgrading," if that's even the appropriate term. 

Well, then there´s nothin go do, for a Work enviroment, I understand. If you could get maybe a W10 Industry copy to try out, maybe that would work, since that was W9 renamed updated and turned into W10 with W7 /8 and 8.1 components behind, alongside with the 10 Goodies, completely unlocked.

[Unimaginative Name]

22 minutes ago, Vernw3 said:

just call Microsoft and tell them your hard rive broke and they will let you re use your key 

After 20 minutes of waiting for someone to pick up. I'm just going to clone the drive. It's a 500GB SSD and should be large enough to do a straight clone. 

[GoodBytes]

29 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

I have an older Dell Latitude running Windows 7 on spinning rust. I bought an SSD with the intent to do a full reinstall. What I have come to realize is that Windows will not let you download the Win7 ISO on an OEM key, only retail keys work. Does anyone have any experience they can bestow upon me before I resort to cloning the drive? I really want to avoid purchasing a new key.

Don't you have the Dell disks with your system? You should have 2 disks,minimum. Windows 7 ISO, and driver disk. Use that. Windows 7 will be activated after automatically.

[Unimaginative Name]

Just now, GoodBytes said:

Don't you have the Dell disks with your system? You should have 2 disks,minimum. Windows 7 ISO, and driver disk.

I can ask him. I doubt it though. It seems like something he would've told me about while we're figuring this all out.

[DanielMDA]

7 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

After 20 minutes of waiting for someone to pick up. I'm just going to clone the drive. It's a 500GB SSD and should be large enough to do a straight clone. 

Why you didnt do that in the first place?

[Zmax]

If you can find the serial number of the PC. Try Dell support on the web site. There should be a sticker will all info

 

If it does not work I would call them. 

 

If your old drive is having problem, cloning may not work

 

[Unimaginative Name]

2 minutes ago, DanielMDA said:

Why you didnt do that in the first place?

Reinstalling the OS should always be your first choice. Smallest chance for issues and best performing system after it's all said and done. We college student and I'm currently working full time on co-op but he's on campus. I'm driving up this weekend and we're going to clone it.  I have a USB to SATA adapter and he doesn't.

 

 

Just now, Zmax said:

If you can find the serial number of the PC. Try Dell support on the web site

If it does not work I would call them. 

 

Sounds like a problem for him to deal with. I'll let him know. At this point, I think we're just going to opt for a clone.

[Zmax]

Good luck .

 

 

[RedMasterOnion]

1 hour ago, DanielMDA said:

Tell him that he is beign stupid. Security, compatibility, latest MS Office and other things will be left behind. in W7. I know its a nice comfy OS but its nearly 10 years old, its time to move on, and 10 isnt that bad. If he quallifies for a free upgrade he should go for it, and if he has to pay for it, tell him not to be a cheap bastard.

 

Love- A Guy on the Internet

Windows 7 is still relatively good till extended support ends on January 14, 2020....

[SageOfSpice]

1 hour ago, DanielMDA said:

Tell him that he is beign stupid. Security, compatibility, latest MS Office and other things will be left behind. in W7. I know its a nice comfy OS but its nearly 10 years old, its time to move on, and 10 isnt that bad. If he quallifies for a free upgrade he should go for it, and if he has to pay for it, tell him not to be a cheap bastard.

 

Love- A Guy on the Internet

How long have you been using W10?