Windows 7 reinstall on Dell laptop

Bellboy

Bellboy

Bellboy

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I've just bought an SSD for my laptop (a dell inspiron 5520), and had intended to install windows 7 on it (as came with the original laptop) and use it as my main drive, with the original drive as a 2nd hdd. My computer came with an OEM version of windows 7 preinstalled, no backup discs.

When I came to download windows 7 from the microsoft website, it said my product key was invalid (oddly, the product key on the laptop sticker differed from the product key found when using those scanning tools you can install) and to contact Dell. On speaking to Dell, they advised that their installs are different and only dell specific windows installation discs will work, for which they wanted to charge me £50. Pretty irritated at that sort of cost, particularly given you can buy generic OEM licence keys for not much more than a tenner - i don't really see any point in buying the dell one. But rather than spend that tenner, just thought I'd check here first
  • Is this standard Dell behaviour? Somewhat disgusted if so and would certainly put me off buying from them again. I had always been under the distinct impression windows OEM installs could be reinstalled on the same machine (even if different hdd)? In which case charging to be able to do that is plain wrong!
  • Is there any legitimate way around it? ie. Dell customer support was just trying to pull a fast one and there is a website where you can download their windows OEM version to install on a new HDD, free of charge. I also read somewhere that I could call microsoft and see if they will simply activate a new windows 7 install - does that stand a cat's chance in hell?
  • If I buy a generic OEM licence, I presume I could just use that to download windows 7 from microsoft and do the install using that?
  • Slight query around the two different product keys - at one stage I installed windows 10 on this laptop as part of the free upgrade, then rolled it back as I didn't like it. Could that be the reason for the two different product keys, in which case could a windows 10 install work instead?

Final ancillary question - when I was looking in the bios I noticed that it didn't give an option to access a USB port specifically - the options were hard drive, optical drive or network. Would my laptop be able to read an installation off a USB stick therefore (I presume, considered as a 'hard drive') or is my bios not able to read USB sticks on startup?

Thanks a lot!
 
Can you press F12 during boot and select which drive to boot from?

As for myself if I were me I'd just use your own Windows image to get it up and running. You've already paid a Windows 7 license, if Dell don't supply a disc (and the restore partition image is on the HD) then do whatever you need to get it up and running.
 
Oh that was an additional thought - my existing HDD is still functioning OK (just quite slow) - is there any way I can use that to install directly to the SSD (eg. by somehow copying windows across), or create a windows 7 USB installation from it?

I'm now in work unfortunately so I'd have to check on the boot up options again.

Thanks!
 
nah I wouldn't do that, by the time you've spent backing up the image, you could just start instaling the windows disc- just get a windows image. You can't create a windows image from windows.

You will need something like Rufus plus a .ISO Windows disc. Pretty much the same way as creating a Ubunutu live CD.
 
I guess my concern is that if I acquire a Windows 7 image through other means, my product key still won't work - trying to download it legitimately through Microsoft showed that it is not valid (I presume, because it is a Dell specific product key). So I'll be in the same boat, unless I use a Windows 7 image that has less legitimate means of activation, which I'd much rather avoid.

Thanks for the rufus suggestion though, I'll use that with whatever iso I end up with!
 
I did a similar install for a Dell, downloaded ISO from the heidoc.net (seem very legit and provide ISO's MS used to host freely)
checked checksums, built usb with rufus, this then autheticated using COA product key on the laptop (you say you have a sticker?).
I do not see why product key on sticker would not match key finder s/w though.
 
Just try and get a SP1 image, saves you installing/downloading SP1 which takes a while. I like the ones where they are updated with the monthly updates, so if you do a fresh install, it has SP1 plus all updates upto Jan 17. Saves a lot of time during 1st updates, literally saves GB of downloading and waiting forever. Especially if you have a spinner laptop drive.
 
That's great, thanks jpaul, I'll check that website out, as that sounds like what I am after given it worked for your Dell build. Yes there is a COA sticker under the battery.

My only guess on the differing product keys is the installation of windows 10 and whether that generated a new product key for my laptop, which once I rolled back to windows 7, remained the same. But just a guess, I'm not techie enough to know whether that is likely or not. Hopefully one of the product keys I have will work with it though.

And thanks HS, hopefully the heidoc link will provide it but I'll keep that in mind and check other sources for more uptodate ones if needs be. The new drive is an SSD so worst comes to the worst it will hopefully be reasonably quick.

Still think it's poor from Dell to charge such an extortionate amount for something that should really be free, just because they have arbitrarily developed their own proprietary version of it.
 
Bellboy said:
Oh that was an additional thought - my existing HDD is still functioning OK (just quite slow) - is there any way I can use that to install directly to the SSD (eg. by somehow copying windows across), or create a windows 7 USB installation from it?

I'm now in work unfortunately so I'd have to check on the boot up options again.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would just use Macrium Reflect or Clonezilla to image the old install over. You don't have to worry about messing around trying to get it up and running again and all your files will be there.

Dell sent me a new disk for free when I asked a few years ago (as the old one was not working), seems their customer service may have gone downhill, or you got unlucky with the customer service staff member you got.
 
jpaul said:
I did a similar install for a Dell, downloaded ISO from the heidoc.net (seem very legit and provide ISO's MS used to host freely)
checked checksums, built usb with rufus, this then autheticated using COA product key on the laptop (you say you have a sticker?).
I do not see why product key on sticker would not match key finder s/w though.
Click to expand...

All oem's did this just used a bulk windows factory key to install and added a genuine sticker to the bottom which will work fine in case of HDD failure etc. My wife's acer has 2 different keys, one installed and the other on the sticker. It has been the same on every dell, lenovo etc that I have fixed. They must just bulk install to the HDD's and then just put them in the laptops.
 
Yeah that was the problem with my sticker - on entering the product key on the Microsoft website to download a Windows 7 iso, it said there was a problem with it. I've managed to download an iso from the heidoc website but not yet tried to install it, hopefully have a chance at the weekend.
 
Just to say that the windows iso downloaded from heidoc.net worked a charm, all authenticated (using the product key on the sticker) and updated. Included sp1 too. Thanks for your advice! Had a separate issue whereby I didn't realise it would come with no network drivers at all but fortunately have a ide/sata to USB thingy so could plug my old hdd in and get the drivers directly from there.

Still think it's a disgrace that Dell try to charge for this, when you can and should be able to legitimately do this for free. It feels like this should be illegal.
 
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