How do I go about this fresh install of Windows 7?

Deific · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:04

I bought a PC from OCuk at the start of the year and it had installed on it Windows 7 OEM. My HDD has become pretty unstable now and is causing problems, so I want to back this one up onto a spare drive, and then do a fresh install of windows 7 onto a new drive.
I know if you contact microsoft and explain the situation of changing a faulty drive and give them your old windows product key, they will give you a new one, but I only have the product key and no Windows 7 disc - plus seeing as I'm not changing the motherboard I wouldn't normally need one. However because I don't have a disc I'm not sure. Do I need to get a disc from ocuk/microsoft? How do I go about this?

RJC · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:07

I would speak to Ocuk as I would have thought they should have supplied the disc.

But once you have re-installed this may activate over the internet, if not use the automatic phone system.

unp|dissy · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:24

Whats the legality in getting a copy from pirate sites, but using your own, purchased valid key?

Note, not that im interested in windows piracy, i use linux, but am just interested to know.

Edit:

A quick google answered my question, Windows is unavailable via download, and if is downloaded, must be via pirate means, hence illegal, regardless if your a key owner.

Exergy · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:28

Well the license is the legal bit, how you get the software is trivial really.

There are a lot of edited iso's on the net though, most of them with virus's / spam embedded.

Im pretty sure that not long ago there was a link to a MS site which actually hosted official windows ISOs for oem use. I dont have it to hand unfortunately, google fu is required.

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:44

Yeah search for digitalriver, that is part of microsoft and they host official windows 7 iso's for people who purchase the download version

j.col · 17 Dec 2010 at 21:09

can you not just make an image of the hard drive to another one and then remove the old one and replace it with the new hard drive?

as far as i know, you only need to reactivate the licence if you change the mobo.
read this
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...r/thread/058e7fec-4ecf-458d-a224-9f4a4182d8a1
or
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...l/thread/789406ec-6597-4d83-b85f-d854c8bb450f

edit.
doh! just seen you said a fresh install

Deific · 17 Dec 2010 at 21:23

Uh, I'll just contact ocuk tomorrow and ask for an OEM disc, seeing as when I paid for the computer I paid for a copy of OEM W7, and not just a 1 time install of OEM W7.