[uzobizu]

Hello.
I had Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on my computer before the hard disk failed. The computer came with Windows 7 preinstalled. I intend to buy the Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit system builder disk to reinstall Windows 7 on a new HDD. Can i maintain the previous product key that accompanied my computer if i used this disk instead of the retail version of Windows 7 Home Premium?

[TheShooter93]

Keys only activate one CD.

You'll need to purchase Windows 7 and it will come with a new key.

[Jack Hackett]

So you didnt make the set of recovery discs when prompted to do so when you first got this big brand PC?
What Make & Model PC is it?

It is not necessary for you to purchase another copy of Windows and Licence, you already have one

[TheShooter93]

It is not necessary for you to purchase another copy of Windows and Licence, you already have one

I was under the impression it was already used.

[uzobizu]

Its a Sony Vaio VPCEB11FX. No i did't create any recovery disks. Can i use the old product key with Win 7 system builder disk?

[Jack Hackett]

The COA affixed to the machine will as yet be unused, unactivated, unrtegistered, as Sony will have used their own Volume Licence Key when they imaged the laptop with their VLK version of Windows.
By all means Install Windows and use that COA key to install and activate.
Check your Private Messages, I have sent you a link to Digital River

No i did't create any recovery disks.

That was silly wasnt it?

[vicks]

Jack Hackett is correct. Since you do not have the recovery disks, you might try contacting Sony and see if they will send you a set of disks. Some companies will provide them at no charge, and some will charge up to $20.00 USD for them.
You will need the drivers for everything installed on the computer.
vicks

[TerryNet]

If you make any use of the link that Jack Hackett said he sent by PM (for those interested, Jack got an infraction for this) you will surely be using illegal software.

You could borrow somebody's OEM Windows 7 Home Premium and install, using your COA of course.

[Jack Hackett]

If you make any use of the link that Jack Hackett said he sent by PM (for those interested, Jack got an infraction for this) you will surely be using illegal software.

Err.. Actually Terry it is not, so you are surely wrong on this occasion. Its a link from Digital River site , and a well published one at that, one that MS endorse too.
I feel I have been given an Infraction unfairly. And Terry, you should do some homework re the ISO files at Digital River
http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65733/X15-65733.iso
The ISO files are not pirated, not hacked, cracked or waxed. They are virgin ISO files, OEM version of Win7.

I will quote:
Microsoft has been providing Windows 7 ISO (disc image of Windows 7 DVD) to its customers with a time-limited ever-changing dynamic download links. And various online stores such as Amazon and Digital river have started to provide much sought after Windows 7 ISO downloads for their customers. The direct download links provided by various online stores are static, so it becomes the only publicly available official direct download links and sources for Windows 7 ISO which can be used to download by everybody.

You could borrow somebody's OEM Windows 7 Home Premium and install, using your COA of course.

Yes, and what would you, Terry, then think if they made a copy of said disc, or made an ISO image of it?
That ISO image would be the exact same as what is being offered on Digital River.

Terry, please do some research and dont be so hasty to jump to wrong conclusions because of your lack of knowledge

[TerryNet]

Jack, your above link leads me only to a "File not found." message. But please don't post another link until we come to agreement that doing so is OK.

I have brought your above post and your PM to me to the attention of Administrators for their review and possible action.

Our policy has always been to request and give help only on the public forum here, so your PM to the OP was inappropriate, at best. I know that there are legitimate Digital River downloads for their customers; I seriously doubt that Microsoft is eager for others to grab them.

[calvin-c]

I've seen these links in several other forums, most of which have similar policies to TSG's. The other forums claim that these downloads are legal because they must be activated with your own product key. I personally have stayed away from them because the one thing I have *not* seen in any of these forums is a quote from or link to Microsoft stating that these are legal. It's certainly a fact that a lot of places on the 'Net do consider them legal (not sites that promote pirated software, either) but for me, I'll wait until Microsoft either says they're legal or they're ruled legal in court. I rather suspect that the lack of clarity is another FUD campaign by Microsoft, but whether deliberate or not, it's still unclear-to me-that these actually are legal downloads.

[Cookiegal]

Jack,

We are looking into this but would you please send me the link to the .iso in question via PM. If it's a direct link to the .iso, please also provide a link to the page where the .iso resides. Thank you.