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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.
I've been downloading ISO's from MS for years.
PlanetVulkan.com
I've got an ISO image I downloaded from Microsoft back in April of last year without having to provide any details.
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?
It would be really cool if I could put in a consumer-PC key and get a "clean" Win 7 .ISO without OEM crapware.
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.
Have a nice time.
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?
I've been doing that for years already. :)
Debian really is the best!
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?
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.
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.
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
.
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.