Microsoft Finally Allows Customers To Legally Download Windows 7 ISOs

MojoKid writes: It's long been a pet peeve of many end users that Microsoft has made it such a challenge to procure a legitimate ISO image of its various operating systems. It seems like the company should have no problem offering them in an easy-to-find spot on its website, because after all, it's not like they can be taken utilized without a legal key. Sometimes, people simply lose the disc or ISO they had, and so it shouldn't be such a challenge to get a replacement. Fortunately, with a new feature on the Microsoft site, you are now able to get that replacement Windows 7 ISO. However, it's behind a bit of protection. You'll need to provide your legal product code, and then the language, in order to go through to the download page. If you've somehow lost your key but are still using the OS that it's tied to, you can retrieve it through a few different third party tools. However, it does seem like not all valid keys work properly just yet, since some users are reporting valid keys throwing errors or not enabling a download for some reason.

Comments

nothing new

[fleabay]

I've been downloading ISO's from MS for years.

Re:nothing new

[plcurechax]

I've been downloading ISO's from MS for years.

You might want to qualify that. I know MSDN (MS Development Network) and TechNet (IT professionals) have had pre-release and release versions of ISOs available since before 2000 if I recall correctly, but that wasn't suitable for delivery to consumers, but services for software development and mid-to-larger corporate and enterprise customers, access was bundled by annual subscriptions, roughly $1000 USD and up.

I think retail license purchases & ISO download, or downloadable recovery ISOs via Digital River has been available since MS Vista, at least since 2011, but perhaps earlier. /shurg

Re:nothing new

[Cenan]

They've had Windows 7 ISOs for download for years, all versions. They only recently closed off that access. I've been downloading those ISOs for years as well.

Re:nothing new

[Anonymous Coward]

They only had it for select people through partnering programs, not the open web. Win 8.1 you can DL off MS servers no problem or login just a EULA click through.

Re:nothing new

[HideyoshiJP]

They've also got it available to corporate customers without a subscription if they have a select, select plus, or open license agreement.

Re:nothing new

[cheesybagel]

You're wrong. They had the ISOs publicly available at Digital River for yonks over FTP. Then they pulled them down.

MS just likes to make things harder for paying users than needs be.

Re:nothing new

[LordLimecat]

Thats not correct. Lifehacker used to have direct links to Microsoft's DigitalRiver-hosted ISOs for all retail versions of Windows 7.

Re:nothing new

[Anonymous Coward]

They were only *temporarily* taken down as they streamlined new patches into them.
It was an inconvenience for me, because I no longer use a DVD drive in my system and needed to grab the ISO to build a USB stick, but they were back up after a week or two.

Re:nothing new

[gl4ss]

if you just ask the regional MS offices will give new companies bizspark etc access for free for few years with everything.

hell, with windows 8 launch they were practically giving phones and licenses in a bid to get devs on board. and money if you made your app exclusive(so they funded only bad exclusive apps, since apps with a real market had to go on ios and android too)

Re:nothing new

[Anonymous Coward]

That doesn't make it legal.

Re:nothing new

[doccus]

Really? I'd love to know how I can replace my lost 64 bit Vista disc..

Re:nothing new

[vivian]

I like stabbing myself in the eye with needles all weekend too.

Re:nothing new

[Anonymous Coward]

They make it harder and in the same second they say, that it is actually better!

I mean, fsck you, really....I only wanted to download a ISO Image of my Office 2007, but now I can't because MicroSuck tore down the digitalriver mirror!

So, thank you, for not letting me download the Software, I am legally allowed to use...What year are we living in, 1990?

The keys from the registry are dummy red herrings

[Anonymous Coward]

This was intenitonally done on purpose. You can't activate Windows 7 with them.

great

[Anonymous Coward]

wake me up when it also works for OEM versions.

Digital River

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't Digital River legal? Or is the "finally" as "omg it's been way too long since Digital River shut down the legal ISO downloads of 7."

Re:Digital River

[sa1lnr]

The page is still there.

http://www.dxdo.com/digital-ri...

Re:Digital River

[Anonymous Coward]

I just tried the digital river links on that page, and they're all "file not found".

Re:Digital River

[dcollins117]

The page is still there, but all the links send you to a blank page with the text "File not found."

Am I Missing Something?

[CaTfiSh]

I've got an ISO image I downloaded from Microsoft back in April of last year without having to provide any details.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've got an ISO image I downloaded from Microsoft back in April of last year without having to provide any details.

Probably. But it seems that you definitely have an issue with providing details.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[CaTfiSh]

Sorry, my memory doesn't extend to URLs from a year ago, but it sure beats issues in interacting with others socially.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Anonymous Coward]

The last time I had to download one of their ISOs (through MSDN I think) I had to install wine, access the website through IE as it refused to work on real browsers, download and run their horrible download program, which of course depends on .net so I needed to install that as well, then finally download the thing. The only details needed were login/pass, but the process was anything but simple. Took me a good hour or so.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Cenan]

I only had that experience when trying to create a bootable USB with the built-in tool in Windows 7.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[bdares]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=windows+i... I've used the digitalriver ISOs several times. The earliest I remember using it was about 4 years ago, no key or login or anything required.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[wisnoskij]

Ya, if I remember correctly, they do "offer" ISOs and have for a long long time, but not in easy to find locations. If i am remembering correctly they just "forgot" to install any security on one of their FTP servers and there are websites that will, list the available OS ISOs.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[MobyDisk]

You probably got it from MSDN. Not everybody has access to that.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been downloading ISOs from MSDN with Firefox for atleast the last 6 years. No .Net dependency. Just a regular old HTTP download.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Mashiki]

DigitalRiver has been providing Win7 since it went live, and is one of the authorized MS sites to download it from. Hell that's where I got my copy from when 7 was released. And when I needed a new copy, a couple of years ago to toss on a flash drive I also got it there. Now I just wish they'd put WinXP up someplace easier to find it from. I still rarely need it for air-gapped machines when something breaks and a reinstall is required.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[tlhIngan]

I've got an ISO image I downloaded from Microsoft back in April of last year without having to provide any details.

DigitalRiver has stopped providing those ISOs for a little while now. If you visit any of those links, they just redirect you back to Microsoft.com.

Yes, I tried last week when I had to get a Win7 image for a friend. None of those links work anymore.

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[bloodhawk]

When was the last time you downloaded an ISO from them? a decade ago?

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Bing Tsher E]

How often do you need it? And why would you download it more than once?

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Anonymous Coward]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/cannot-find-digital-river-download-site/66a8439b-0d16-4b70-92f7-1c8486a46ebf

Re:Am I Missing Something?

[Mashiki]

As often as a media happens to fail. That could be DVD's or flash drives, so that's why you download it more than once. I could never see a point in having redundant backups of backups of backups of backups for an OS when the internet exists out there and I can download it. But I do know a few people who do run that way.

This isn't new.

[Anonymous Coward]

The ISO's have been freely available on their site for at least several months. You just have to have a legit key to install and activate them. This isn't news, but I'm sure some people are glad to be informed of this!

Subby sounds like he needs to be

[Anonymous Coward]

"taken utilized" out back and gotten pregnant!

MSDN keys don't work (by design)

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course keys you got from MSDN don't work. You're supposed to download those images from MSDN directly. This service is clearly aimed at customers who got Windows preinstalled with a PC. Any non-OEM keys probably won't work.

captcha is imbecile. Nice.

Re:MSDN keys don't work (by design)

[cheesybagel]

Actually it isn't. This service only works for full retail versions of Windows. If you are an OEM user it won't work.

Useless

[Anonymous Coward]

This is only for retail versions of Windows.

Re:Useless

[MightyMartian]

Is Digital Rvier still around? I downloaded a copy of Windows 7 Home OEM about nine or ten months ago for my wife's shitty ASUS laptop (which is now going to get Linux Mint tossed on it and be transformed into a glorified video player).

MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

MS is still paranoid about media distribution because, institutionally, they still link media control to piracy.. Even though that ship sailed looooooooong ago.

Of course, you can do fun things with windows activation..

Did you know you can install windows without a key and it will be completely fully functional for 30 days and not bug you once? This is called the activation "Grace Period" and it's a built in facility specifically designed to make deployments/testing/imaging/etc easier.

Did you know you can reset the grace period timer up to three times with a simple built-in command line tool?

Did you know that if you boot up in safe mode and apply a little registry hackery to reset the grace period "Re arm" counter?

Did you know you can automate all of the above with a clever batch file?

Did you know the best way to pirate windows is to ignore all that silly cat-and-mouse nonsense trying to subvert windows activation with special bootloaders and just use built in commands that shipped with windows?

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[UnknownSoldier]

Here are the steps to have infinite grace period with Windows 7 -- no 3rd party tools required!

Reboot
press F8 at startup
Repair Computer
System Recovery Options: Keyboard: US
Username/Password
(you will see: Windows found on Drive ?:)
Command Prompt
win7_reset.bat
exit
Reboot

The contents of: win7_reset.bat

reg load HKLM\MY_SYSTEM "\Windows\System32\config\system"
reg delete HKLM\MY_SYSTEM\WPA /f
reg unload HKLM\MY_SYSTEM

And on reboot,

Command Prompt
Right-click, Run as administrator
win7_reg.bat

Contents of: win7_reg.bat

slmgr /upk
slmgr /cpky
REM Default keys for Window s7
REM Home Premium
REM slmgr /ipk RHPQ2-RMFJH-74XYM-BH4JX-XM76F
REM Professional
slmgr /ipk HYF8J-CVRMY-CM74G-RPHKF-PW487
REM Ultimate
REM slmgr /ipk D4F6K-QK3RD-TMVMJ-BBMRX-3MBMV

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[TechyImmigrant]

MS is still paranoid about media distribution because, institutionally, they still link media control to piracy.. Even though that ship sailed looooooooong ago.

Of course, you can do fun things with windows activation..

Did you know you can install windows without a key and it will be completely fully functional for 30 days and not bug you once? This is called the activation "Grace Period" and it's a built in facility specifically designed to make deployments/testing/imaging/etc easier.

Did you know you can reset the grace period timer up to three times with a simple built-in command line tool?

Did you know that if you boot up in safe mode and apply a little registry hackery to reset the grace period "Re arm" counter?

Did you know you can automate all of the above with a clever batch file?

Did you know the best way to pirate windows is to ignore all that silly cat-and-mouse nonsense trying to subvert windows activation with special bootloaders and just use built in commands that shipped with windows?

While it don't really like their products, they are legitimate products that do what they claim to do and I use them. So when I do install Windows on a machine, instead of seeking the cleverest way to avoid paying the price, I just pay the price. It's easier and a heck of a lot more honest.
   

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

This version won't download or install any updates.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[loonycyborg]

There's an easier way, just download iso from tpb or something like that. Their modified isos have menus that allow you to choose variant you want to install(home premium etc) and doesn't even ask any serials. Installed os gets updates and works as it should. I think microsoft just needs to reuse their solution :P

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[vux984]

On the other hand its a little harder to verify that you actually have an umodified ISO that doesn't have something nasty in it.

In practice the majority I've encountered at least appear clean... but that doesn't make the nagging worry go away.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[spacepimp]

The financial costs are only a part of the total cost of ownership when you get in bed with Windows.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

While it don't really like their products, they are legitimate products that do what they claim to do and I use them. So when I do install Windows on a machine, instead of seeking the cleverest way to avoid paying the price, I just pay the price. It's easier and a heck of a lot more honest.

Which is great, right up until the point when Microsoft won't take your money in exchange for a Win7 license, and they tell you it's Windows 8 or nothing. I'll likely go with Win10 as they seem to have backed off the mobile-only UX fucktardery that made 8 suck a trainwreck, but let's not kid ourselves here. The day eventually comes for every product when an "upgrade" brings a dealbreaking UX/workflow change, and from that day forward, having a locally-stored copy of the old version is the only viable option.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

And where do other costs come from?

I can't wait to see what bullshit you come up with...

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[TechyImmigrant]

Like I said. I don't like their products. That doesn't make me want to bypass their authorization, it makes me want to install a different OS. But the world is such that that isn't always an option.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

That doesn't make me want to bypass their authorization,

But hardware failure will. Seriously: it took Windows decades to manage plug&play, and once they have it working, they make it stop again?

If my computer breaks down, I want to have the option to move my disk and system to a different computer. That's standard salvaging. And naturally I have to be able to test whether a particular computer will run with the new system. And I have to do it every several years. At some point of time I stopped dragging my completely legal Windows partition through the process since it was just too much effort to get it to work again.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

I actually don't mind their products anymore. They have surprising inconsistency considering that it's one of the wealthiest companies around, but they have come a very, very long way and their systems do what I need them to do which is stay out of my way. Granted, they don't have the UNIX-nature but I have unix boxes on the same network so yeah.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Lonewolf666]

Oh, finding a hacked copy is quite possible. Even if Microsoft try to make it difficult ;-)

The real problem will come after January 14, 2020 when the extended support ends. Then running Windows 7 with net access will become increasingly risky, because no more patches.

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Caesar Tjalbo]

"whoosh"

Re:MS can't give up decades old practice

[Anonymous Coward]

It's easier and a heck of a lot more honest.

True, right up until they don't believe you, then it's a fucking pain in the ass. Back in the days when I was a poor student and less legit, all it took was running a one off program and hey presto you're done. Then my dad asked me to reinstall his machine because it was clogged up. Well, the powers that be decided that because his code had already been used (on the same computer) it was no longer valid. It took way more arguing than it should have to get that sorted. Easier my ass. This was in the days of XP so things may have got simpler since then. But my legit Windows 7 VM install has been complaining it can't activate for a few months now, even though it was activated legitimately over a year ago.

Don't get me wrong, I pay for my software etc now that I can afford it, but claiming it's easier is BS.

Microsoft had the isos available via Digital River

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft had the ISOs available via Digital River for the past 2 years or, up until about 3-6 months ago, they removed the link for the majority of the ISOs. A few months after removal, they created the new portal and requires users to provide a CD key. Kudos to Microsoft for keeping the ISOs available online, but I have to agree that the previous method that did not require authentication was much more easier, though it makes sense to require verification of ownership.

Random google search found this post from last year:
http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally/

Does this work for Consumer builds?

[sirwired]

It would be really cool if I could put in a consumer-PC key and get a "clean" Win 7 .ISO without OEM crapware.

Re:Does this work for Consumer builds?

[carvell]

Almost certainly, yes. Put the key in off the license sticker on your PC, not the one that Windows has been installed with from the OEM (which will be the same key for all the PCs they sell).

Re:Does this work for Consumer builds?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Put the key in off the license sticker on your PC

Yeah, the one that rubbed off the bottom of your laptop in three months and you forgot to take a picture of it when it was new...

Re:Does this work for Consumer builds?

[Anonymous Coward]

Almost certainly, yes. Put the key in off the license sticker on your PC, not the one that Windows has been installed with from the OEM (which will be the same key for all the PCs they sell).

It does not look like it works:

Unsupported Product

The product key you entered appears to be for software that was pre-installed on a device. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options.

Re:Does this work for Consumer builds?

[caseih]

Most computers that shipped with Windows 7 have an OEM activation right in the BIOS. Last time I reinstalled Windows 7 on my Lenovo laptop, I used the official ISO from DigitalRiver (not available there anymore), and instead of using my license code, I followed the instructions here and used my OEM activation. Everything activated and ran normally. This is completely legit because the license is in the BIOS.

Re:You can download ISOs without a key here:

[paziek]

I don't see there any ISO for MS Windows.

BitTorrent for the win

[RR]

I ran into this problem when I was trying to upgrade Windows XP computers to Windows 8 a couple years ago, while simultaneously upgrading from HDD to SSD. The download program wouldn’t allow this uncommon upgrade pattern. And, evidently, Microsoft is too poor to afford the bandwidth to provide the ISO (sarcasm).

The solution was to download from the kindly strangers who have volunteered their bandwidth via BitTorrent. The retail RTM ISOs are readily available, with checksums to ensure that they haven’t been tampered with. The installer was still ornery; I had to install a dummy copy of Windows XP onto the SSD so the program would deign to reformat and install Windows 8, but otherwise it worked fine.

Re:BitTorrent for the win

[wonkey_monkey]

The retail RTM ISOs are readily available, with checksums to ensure that they haven’t been tampered with.

Ah, but how do you know the checksums haven't been tampered with, ay? Yeah...

Re:BitTorrent for the win

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft provides all the checksums, just find the ISO here and click "details"...

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/

Re:BitTorrent for the win

[Fearless96]

ISO-from-BitTorrent is a Microsoft problem that will eventually fix itself with no effort from Microsoft. Microsoft posts SHA1 checksums for their ISO files but the status of SHA1 is, "will be cracked any day now." After SHA1 is cracked, there there can be no more guaranteed-clean downloads anywhere except from Microsoft itself or other official sources.

Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[Anonymous Coward]

Everybody who needed a Windows 7 ISO knew where to get one, with SHA1 hashes for verification. What Windows 7 needs is a service pack. The amount of individual patches and restarting to get a fresh Windows 7 installation up to the current patch level is ridiculous.

Re:Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[ihtoit]

windows 7 is on service pack 1.

Re:Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[Anonymous Coward]

Doesn't invalidate my point. Window 7 still needs a service pack. One could call it service pack 2, for example. Alternatively Microsoft needs to find someone who can write an OS update routine which doesn't require dozens of restarts.

Re:Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[drinkypoo]

Doesn't invalidate my point. Window 7 still needs a service pack. One could call it service pack 2, for example. Alternatively Microsoft needs to find someone who can write an OS update routine which doesn't require dozens of restarts.

Microsoft is not likely to bother with another Windows 7 service pack. They are getting ready to bring out a whole other operating system, and give it away for free to the customers who would have downloaded such a thing.

Re:Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[ihtoit]

they said in 2012 that there's not going to be a SP2, instead in 2013 (I think around February?) they did a SBSL rollup of 90-someodd patches that killed a fuckload of machines because some of those patches were blacklisted as known to break shit, and MS hadn't bothered to exclude them or apply the hotfixes for them.

Re:Windows 7 doesn't need ISOs

[Anonymous Coward]

If you need to automate the process you can use WSUSOfflineUpdate, it can download all the patches and will let you install them without a network connection and it has a automatic reboot and recall mode, so you don't have to babysit the computer and reboot and restart when updates require it. I did have some problems initially with that feature of WSUSOfflineUpdate on Windows 7, but when not creating a password for the initial user I created and also copying the folder with the updater and its files to Public Documents* it has been working flawlessly. There were still some updates left to install after it had run, and it still takes ages to install all the updates, but all in all much better than doing them through Windows Update when you have multiple machines to do.

* as the auto reboot and recall feature creates its own user copying them somewhere that isn't publicly accessible may (possibly) be a problem, though directly from a USB drive I think would be fine, I just didn't have enough USB drives spare for all the machines I was installing and updating

Maybe there's another reason behind this...

[ZorinLynx]

The recent Lenovo mess has shown that it's a good idea for users to be able to easily download a stock Windows ISO to reinstall their system free of crapware. Microsoft may just want to make this process easier for people.

Good for them. I'm not a Windows user myself, but it feels good to know that if I ever switch over to Windows, it's now easier to get real stock installation images.

What about Windows 8, though? Are they doing the same for 8 and future versions?

Re:Maybe there's another reason behind this...

[TrancePhreak]

In Windows 8 you just click the option to restore to a clean system. http://windows.microsoft.com/e...

Re:Maybe there's another reason behind this...

[Anonymous Coward]

Same thought here. This seems to be tied to the Lenovo debacle recently.

If we can't trust vendors to ship clean/known-good versions of the OS then we need a channel to get in touch with Microsoft. There's no reason for Lenovo to be monkeying around with the OS just to increase their margins. If I buy a machine with Windows installed then I assume I bought that OS from Microsoft and they ultimately got paid in the "Microsoft Tax". If that's true then I want my copy of the software to come from Microsoft, not Lenovo.

Re:Maybe there's another reason behind this...

[Anonymous Coward]

According to the link, these procedures will still reinstall "apps that came with your PC".

Re:Maybe there's another reason behind this...

[fibonacci8]

And after installing a new hard drive after a crash, and finding out the thumb drive backup has gone missing / gone through the wash / doesn't actually complete a reinstallation?

Great against Crapware

[zerojoker]

This finally enables users to wipe their system easily after buying a computer loaded with crapware. Often, manufacturer will give you no cd and just a pre-customized (i.e. loaded with crapware) recovery - image. Having the ability to download and clean install without having to buy a system-builder version to get a clean image is a real plus.

Re:Great against Crapware

[Anonymous Coward]

Nope, you fell for the advertising. Preinstalled OEM crapware is a "non-supported" product.

not for OEM preinstalled software

[hAckz0r]

I was hoping to re-install my OEM license as a VM on the machine from which it had been wiped, to make room for my current OS. No such luck.

Re:not for OEM preinstalled software

[Anonymous Coward]

I bought my 7 Ultimate OEM medit/key kit when i built my PC and was (at least was, haven't checked recently) able to download the ISO from Microsoft's site.

Have they changed this?

This new page says my key is un-supported and to contact my PC manufacturer (aka myself)\

Most people don't buy their own OEM/Retail copies, they come with their PC, so what did they think this site would accomplish?

Novel idea

[ichthus]

Being able to download ISOs of your favorite OS -- what a novel idea!

Re:Novel idea

[slickepott]

I've been doing that for years already.
Debian really is the best! :)

digitalrivercontent

[Anonymous Coward]

Like... Seriously...

IR5

[pla]

because after all, it's not like they can be taken utilized without a legal key

Who you trying to convince, there?

Win7 had such a flawed, easily circumvented activation system that many suspected MS did it deliberately just to get market share on a new OS post-Vista.

You can literally keep using Win7, fully functional, forever without a crack (note that the tool mentioned in my subject line doesn't "crack" or install anything, it just automates a few steps you can run, from the command line purely by hand, on a stock Win7 box).

Re:IR5

[drinkypoo]

I've seen WL222, but I haven't heard of IR5.

so thats why...

[steak]

I had wondered why the digital river isos were taken down.

Have they rolled in all the updates?

[AbRASiON]

If you want to "make your own" copy of Windows 7, similar to the slipstreaming method, you can download a legit copy of Windows 7, SP1 but the updates much beyond that are missing.

The only way to make your own, is a very complex process, but you basically install Windows 7, install all the updates, then run a sysprep to remove all your customisations (but keep updates) then you boot off a bootable ISO and re-compress that install into a .WIM file and put that on your DVD / USB key. It's .. interesting but overly complicated.

Also a Windows 7 installable ISO, if you use an ISO editor and delete the fucking STUPID "EI.CFG" file (google it) from the ISO, when you install it will prompt you "which would you like to install" - from Home Basic up to Ultimate, saving you needing multiple forms of media (fucking Microsoft)
I do not however, believe you can install Windows 7 Ultimate, install patches, ("slipstream") sysprep re-compress back into a WIM file AND then install from a single ISO without EI.CFG - it will specifically install whatever version you've done your slipstreaming on, unfortunately.

Why can't these cocks make it easy? Single image file, installs any version, dependent upon key, and up to date?

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[Anonymous Coward]

How about a nice tool that looks at your machine, gathers a list of required drivers, then forms up a list of packages to be rolled into a one-shot image?

The problems I can see with that:
- People will freak out that their machine is being analyzed.
- People will freak out that Microsoft knows what CPU they have.
- Most of the drivers will be out-of-date because the vendors are now making coffeepots.
- The rest of the drivers will be incompatible.
- Some more drivers won't have PCI IDs and report themselves as toasters, even though they're SCSI interfaces.
- The packages are all rolled into installers, contained in ZIPs, shipped in ARCs placed in CAB files.
- The resulting image will only burn on writers manufactured by Lite-On circa 1980.

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[AbRASiON]

That's arguably what their new .WIM image generation tool does. Any drivers or software loaded in to the .WIM will deploy for you at install. It's useful but clunky.

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you have an iso, you can add patches and drivers with Dism from the AIK:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744346(v=ws.10).aspx

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[Anonymous Coward]

Your rant is the funnies I've read in a while. It's clear that you don't work with Windows installations professionally. Thanks for the laughs.

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[Ol Olsoc]

How about a nice tool that looks at your machine, gathers a list of required drivers, then forms up a list of packages to be rolled into a one-shot image?

Linux Mint?

Re:Have they rolled in all the updates?

[Anonymous Coward]

Using RT7 Lite and Windows Update Downloader

https://www.raymond.cc/ blog/ create-an-integrated-up-to-date-windows-7-install-disc/

Or Just use Autopatcher
http://www.autopatcher.net/forum/

Just give it up

[adiposity]

Just let anyone download it. The ISOs are everywhere already, the key is the only security you have anyway, and you should rather people get it from the official source rather than a torrent.

I have MSDN so I can download it as many times as I want without specifying any key (even though I have limited keys I can install it with).

The first time someone's legitimate key doesn't let them download it, your plan has failed.

Re:Just give it up

[Anonymous Coward]

Its funny how you have to resort to "illegal" means to use your "legally" downloaded software with Microsoft...

Doesn't Work For Me

[hercludes]

Unfortunately, my OS is kind of screwed right now. Some registry files or another got fucked up from an installation of directory opus, and I can no longer open control panel, explorer, display, fonts, etc etc. The recovery (back to factory state) on my Dell computer does not work; it gives me a pretty lengthy error that pretty much states "The recovery partition is corrupted." So, I go to Microsoft's site, put in my key, and there it is (paraphrased from memory): "Your computer came with a preinstalled operating system and we can not provide you an ISO, check with your hardware provider." Fuck.

Re:Doesn't Work For Me

[trumpetplayer]

That's bad news for me. I was hopeful that, at last, I could have a clean Windows PC by installing an + hardware drivers + OS updates, instead of a factory restore + updates, which installs that plus all sorts of useless crap manufacturers and vendors deliver in a hopeless effort to "give you more" than their competitors.

not quite

[Anonymous Coward]

"because after all, it's not like they can be taken utilized without a legal key'

You must be new to the internet

Re:not quite

[Anonymous Coward]

Has anyone been so far as done been even taken utilized without a legal key?

Re: not quite

[Anonymous Coward]

This. "it's not like they can be taken utilized without a legal key." ahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haaaaa! You don't even have to be good with computers to activate Windows with the one click proggies out there. If people are going to pirate your shit it's already done. You can actually decrease piracy by making your shit easier to access. Cases in point: streaming like Netflix Pandora etc.

I said GoodBye to MSFT in 2010

[broward]

Too little and far too late.

I needed an ISO in 2010 but Microsoft wanted an additional $150 from me so I switched to Ubuntu.

No more Microsoft products for me and quite happy about it.
Ubuntu is faster, smaller, easier to backup, restore and I don't have a gigantic company that's purposely looking for ways to ruin my computer or software so I'll have to buy more.

Re:I said GoodBye to MSFT in 2010

[Anonymous Coward]

It's typical for Linux zealots to pop on and gloat about their switch, but really I have to feel sorry for you. Even on my 4 year old machine, my Windows 8 OS PC runs faster than your computer, never needs backing up, never crashes, and only reboots for the occasional update (which is better than only updating the files and leaving unpatched libraries in RAM as Linux does), Best of all, I have the ability to run the largest selection of software on the planet from commercial to FOSS. Enjoy the slow performance of X, the endless dependency shenanigans, half-backed FOSS programs, and desktop environments that look like they were slapped together by someone with Down's syndrome.

Re:I said GoodBye to MSFT in 2010

[TechyImmigrant]

It's typical for Linux zealots to pop on and gloat about their switch, but really I have to feel sorry for you. Even on my 4 year old machine, my Windows 8 OS PC runs faster than your computer, never needs backing up, never crashes, and only reboots for the occasional update (which is better than only updating the files and leaving unpatched libraries in RAM as Linux does), Best of all, I have the ability to run the largest selection of software on the planet from commercial to FOSS. Enjoy the slow performance of X, the endless dependency shenanigans, half-backed FOSS programs, and desktop environments that look like they were slapped together by someone with Down's syndrome.

But if you open a shell and try to run GCC, it doesn't work.

Re:I said GoodBye to MSFT in 2010

[Anonymous Coward]

And you're any better gloating about not switching?

Re:I said GoodBye to MSFT in 2010

[Anonymous Coward]

never needs backing up

So, you only use your computer for installing Windows upgrades, isn't it?

murphy78

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm just going to leave that there...

Doesn't allow download for pre-installed windows

[Anonymous Coward]

I've got a compaq notebook which came with windows 7 pre-installed, and the Microsoft site doesn't allow download using the key attached to the computer.

Re:Microsoft had the isos available via Digital Ri

[jrb1537]

They actually just pulled the DigitalRiver ISOs earlier this month. And they DID work with OEM product keys. I used them at least twice to recover machines that didn't have OEM recovery media.

No sticker from Dell

[bjs555]

I bought a new machine with Win 8.1 (ugh) on it from Dell last week with plans to put OEM Win 7 on it. Dell said I could do that if I was willing to give up support and that was ok with me. To my surprise, when the machine arrived it had no license key sticker on it at all so I couldn't use a general OEM install program like the ones from Digital River. Luckily I had a Dell OEM Win 7 install disc from another machine and that installed and activated ok using the key stored in the bios. Is this a new trend that machines now come without a key sticker? Should I call Dell and insist on a Microsoft key?

Re:No sticker from Dell

[Anonymous Coward]

It's hardcoded in the BIOS now. No need to enter it manually. You can retrieve it on a running machine using the usual methods.

Re:No sticker from Dell

[bjs555]

Sounds like you don't do anything serious with a computer.

Re:No sticker from Dell

[Ol Olsoc]

A better solution is to just man-up and learn to use Windows 8.x..

For the set of really shitty better solutions, perhaps.

Re:No sticker from Dell

[Anonymous Coward]

Since Windows 8, I think all computers preinstalled with Windows just store their key in the BIOS and don't have the sticker on them.

Re:No sticker from Dell

[david_thornley]

Amusing. Where have we heard the "it's a great OS, you just have to know how to use it" line before? (And how many Microsoft OSes have had to come with a built-in tutorial before?)

So, my suggestion is Linux Mint for those who can't handle the complexities of Windows 8 and 8.1.

Re:No sticker from Dell

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows 8 and 8.1 store the product key in the BIOS itself so you will not get a product sticker on your system anymore.

Better off anyway since the product stickers always rub off anyway making recovery of a system for a friend impossible without them buying a new key.

I wonder if these are 'special releases'

[Anonymous Coward]

you never know what's in that code.

and why should I pass my key across the web?

Windows 8 equivalent

[Solandri]

I was opposed to recovery partitions when MS first started using them. But with Win 8 I think they've added enough options that the pros outweigh the cons. It took me a while to find all this info (or rather, learn that MS had even made this possible), so here it is as a PSA:

All Windows 8/8.1 computers come with a restore partition. I highly recommend you buy a 16GB or 32GB USB flash drive and convert that restore partition into a reinstall flash drive.

If you don't like the default recovery partition state (maybe too much crapware installed), you can create a custom recovery partition after you've uninstalled the crapware and installed your programs.

Finally, if you totally screw up, you can still create a Windows 8/8.1 recovery flash drive by using your Windows key and downloading a clean 8-16 GB recovery image from Microsoft.

Microsoft site for creating recovery image.

Instructions for finding your key

MSDN + ed2k

[Anonymous Coward]

Though MSDN subscription is needed to access those iso downloads, Microsoft do publish SHA-1 hashes for those images (does not require subscription). And with those hashes, a quick Google search will provide you with many ed2k links to those iso files. You can just download them and check whether they're real ones.

There is even a website ( http://msdn.itellyou.cn/ , in Chinese) which collects all these information (ed2k links, original filenames, SHA-1 checksums, etc).

For example: ed2k://|file|en_windows_7_ultimate_with_sp1_x86_dvd_u_677460.iso|2564476928|2593E390556C6CCB8630EDB599D57881|/AC

checksums? sha1 or better?

[Anonymous Coward]

IDRTFA but do they provide any checksums and/or gpg/pgp signing?

Not available for everyone

[Anonymous Coward]

I entered my valid key and received a message that, since my OS was OEM pre-installed, I could not download, but have to contact my retailer. Grrrrr ....

No harder than "legit" ISOs

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not like company websites have never had malware installed on them, nor that there is any way to check that the ISO you got actually IS the ISO you expected even from Microsoft's own site: you STILL have to take their word for it. And lastly, it's not like corporations haven't put malware and backdoors and exploits in their own products, many of which you can only get without malware by getting the "pirated" version, where some hacker has removed the malware for moral reasons.

You see, just like corporations, people are able to be moral and immoral, and you have no reason to believe a hacker is worse than a corporation, since the hacker is usually a single person, whilst a corporation has to have the morality of a huge swathe of high end employees align to the good.

It's not like corporations found out being immoral or even plain illegal gets anyone in trouble.

OEM version key doesn't work

[QuietLagoon]

Since I build my own PCs, I buy an OEM version of Windows at the same time I'm buying the hardware for the PC. When I tried to download the ISO yesterday, the site told me that my key does not qualify, and that I need to contact the system builder to get the ISO.

.
Microsoft really hasn't thought this through.

I have the friggin' key (three of 'em), all valid, all legal. Yet Microsoft spit in my face. Again.

Is Microsoft admitting that the key system for unlocking Windows is so insecure that they won't just provide open downloads of the ISO?

Once again, Microsoft's DRM is punishing the innocent customer.

Re:OEM version key doesn't work

[Ol Olsoc]

Once again, Microsoft's DRM is punishing the innocent customer.

Why should they care? Its an abusive relationship, and most people will always return. Seriously though, this whole topic is bringing back memories of why I left for greener pastures. Bad service, bad upgrades, not allowing people to use things they legitimately paid for, and a whole bibleful of bad advice from users.

Virtual Machines - FTW

[Anonymous Coward]

Virtual Machines for the Win. Thats the only way I run MS software, so it doesn't suddenly "de-authenticate" me for some stupid reason, or heaven forbid, if one of the many many many built-in security vulnerabilities should trash it.

I don't bother downloading the most recent ISOs, I have multiple snapshots, with different levels of patching. If I never need to restore, I just use my DVD, and then use windows update. The benefits of unlimited bandwidth.

It's Windows, its going to S**T itself every 4 months anyway. Reinstall, Rinse , Repeat.

Microsoft Direct Digital River Link

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/