license - Where I can I legally download Windows 7 installation .ISO files?

07
2014-07
  • kce

    Possible Duplicate:
    Where do I download Windows 7 (legally from Microsoft)?

    Disclaimer: I'm primarily a Linux/Unix person, so all this Windows licensing stuff is new to me.

    Where I can I legally download Windows 7 installation .ISO files? (And will it work with my OEM manufacturer provided license?)

    Let's say I have friend or family member that comes to me with a laptop that they need help with. This laptop was purchased from ${BigBox Store} and did not come either Installation CDs, or a manufacturer's Recovery CDs and not knowing any better they didn't opt to create a Recovery CD. Additionally, we are out of warranty so there is no (free) way to get the Recovery CDs from the manufacturer (plus they are loaded with a bunch of crapware anyway). And to top things off the installation is completely hosed...as in fresh install is the only way to go.

    Luckily we still have that little license sticker on the bottom of the laptop, so he does own a license (or does the manufacturer own the license?), but we just don't have access to any installation media.

    It looks like can obtain ESD installation files (whatever those are) here or I can get an .ISOs from a legal torrent. The former doesn't work me as I'm on Linux and the latter seems kind of sketchy.

    • Will his OEM license that was provided with laptop work?
    • Is it possible to legally obtain the Windows 7 installation media that matches the appropriate license?
    • Where can I do this?
    • How can I assure that I have a legitimate, untampered and trustworthy .ISO file?
    • Can I get it in a .ISO format (all my machines run Linux, a .exe doesn't help me very much)?
    • Who owns the license? My friend who bought the laptop or the manufacturer?
    • Answers
  • nhinkle

    Microsoft Windows 7 Download links answered here

    1. The OEM license should be accepted when installing, but if you do not use OEM media then you will need to call Microsoft's activation hotline to complete the activation process.

    2. Purchaser owns the license, but OEM licenses are not transferable between computers - they must stay on the computer they were sold with.

  • Mokubai

    This page seems to have links for .iso files that from what I can tell are on an official Microsoft page and are in .iso format.

    From http://techpp.com/2009/11/11/download-windows-7-iso-official-direct-download-links/

    32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate x86 ISO:

    Amazon.com: http://174.129.85.117/data/Windows7Ultimate32bit.iso

    64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate x64 ISO:

    Amazon.com: http://174.129.85.117/data/Windows7Ultimate64bit.iso

    32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium x86 ISO:

    Digital River: http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65732/X15-65732.iso

    64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium x64 ISO:

    Digital River: http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65733/X15-65733.iso

    32-bit Windows 7 Professional x86 ISO:

    Digital River: http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65804/X15-65804.iso

    64-bit Windows 7 Professional x64 ISO:

    Digital River: http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65805/X15-65805.iso

    Sadly I do not know if you can install an OEM copy from them.

  • Kez

    There is a Microsoft KB article which explains the process for obtaining replacement OEM media:

    Replacement of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Software Media

    To replace software which was supplied with your computer, you must contact the OEM where you acquired the hardware and software. For a list of OEMs along with their contact information, please see the following page... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=fh;en-gb;oemphone

    Note: If your OEM is no longer in business, you can contact please call our Contact Centre for more information about alternatives for acquiring genuine software.

    If you have OEM software, the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) has the PC Manufacturer's name listed under the software version name. For more information about COA, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/faq.mspx#1

    Your best bet is to go back to ${BigBox Store} and ask for installation media. From experience, installation media is an optional extra at an additional cost. For this reason, chances are you will need to pay for it.

    Downloading a copy of Windows 7 from a website or via file sharing is obviously both illegal and unsafe. I would advise against it. However, if you do happen to find yourself in possession of a copy of the ISO, you can use MD5 checksums posted on various websites to check if it is legitimate.

    When the laptop was purchased, it was purchased with an OEM licence for Windows 7. If you buy the licence, you own the licence.


    • Related Question

    Can I use my Windows 7 license in a dual-boot configuration?
  • Arnold Zokas

    Possible Duplicate:
    When installing Windows 7 or Vista, does the language, version, architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) or source (OEM, retail, or MSDN) matter?

    I've purchased a retail license of Windows 7 Ultimate for my machine at home.

    I'm thinking of creating a dual-boot install:

    • 64-bit install for work apps (need the RAM for virtual machines and RAMDisk)
    • 32-bit install for entertainment apps (Media Centre, games, etc)

    How does retail licensing work in such situations?
    Can I activate the same license on both installations?

    Edit:

    I would like to add that I want to have separate partitions for work and play.


    • Related Answers
  • Kez

    Who knows. The EULA which will determine this has not yet officially been published by Microsoft.

    Can I activate the same license on both installations?

    Looking at the EULA for Vista, yes and no.

    Technically, yes. Because the activation wizard will see that you are installing onto the same machine it should activate without question.

    Legally, no. You are only permitted to have one single copy installed at any given time.

    Really interesting article here for bedtime reading although it does only apply to Vista. Again, no official word on the 7 EULA yet.

    How does retail licensing work in such situations?

    Retail boxes will come with a single key that activates both the 32-bit and the 64-bit flavours. You simply select the 32-bit or 64-bit version during the installation process.

  • LRE

    I was once told by Microsoft support that what mattered was that Windows had a per-seat licensing model. This meant that a single copy of (consumer) Windows is only meant to be accessible to one person at a time.

    So by extrapolation, I read the situation thus:

    • Dual boot ought to be fine as you're not running both instances at the same time.
    • VM-style situations where you can have both running at the same time is naughty

    DISCLAIMERS:

    • IANAL
    • This conversation was held back in the early days of XP whilst setting up my parent's PC so Microsoft have had plenty of time to change the rules.
    • When the feds come to arrest you for denying Uncle Bill licensing revenue I will disavow all knowledge of ever having discussed this matter ;-)
  • Delameko

    I would like to add that I want to have separate partitions for work and play.

    Wouldn't it make more sense just to create two seperate user accounts, install all your work software on one at the user level (so its not accessible to the other) and install all your play software on the other. Then you'd have one copy of Windows, one license, any software you need on both accounts you could install as admin and you'd be making the most of your resources.