Windows 7 Re-installing windows 7 on new SSD with no backup or disc

[ian610]

Hi,

My laptop recently crashed big time!
Won't boot at all, hdd seems to have died.

I am therefore looking at replacing it with a new ssd, but how will I be able to install windows 7 once I get this new ssd?
I don't have any backups or discs to use (I may be able to borrow a disc), only my win 7 product key on the underside of the laptop.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[patcooke]

You should be able to reinstall from any Win 7 disk using your product key. I appreciate you say your system won't boot at all but it still might be worth checking to see if it will boot into the recovery partition. This is the one from which you should of course have burned your set of recovery disks when you first got the laptop

 

[ian610]

It is proper knackered.
Doesn't even go into the recovery partition, only F2 set-up and F12 boot manager, neither of which will help my predicament.

 

[Pauli]

Microsoft is very helpful in these cases. If you have a proper and legal disk, they will help you to activate a new installation. The easiest way is to contact them by phone.

 

[whs]

1. Download the official Windows 7 .iso from here and burn it to DVD.

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

2. Install with that DVD and activate with the product key that is on the COA sticker (on the bottom of the laptop). No need to call MS.

 

[patcooke]

1. Download the official Windows 7 .iso from here and burn it to DVD.

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

2. Install with that DVD and activate with the product key that is on the COA sticker (on the bottom of the laptop). No need to call MS.

That download is only a Service Pack - it will not install Widows for you.

 

[Mitchell_A]

The article containing the original ISO links seems to have disappeared, perhaps it was taken down by request. But you can still find them on their forums. Select the appropriate version of Windows here: Windows 7 w/o SP1 and SP1 Media Refresh - Direct Download Links

 

[whs]

That download is only a Service Pack - it will not install Widows for you.

You are right Pat. Those used to be full systems. MS must have had them take those off. All my links for Win7 .iso downloads are the same now. They must have really raided them.

Sorry for the confusion, was not intentional.

 

[Saltgrass]

Are you guys sure the link is not correct? A .iso file being 3.1 GB would seem to be correct. I have not tried to download, so there may be something wrong with them.

Looks like just an SP1 download is 1.9 GB

 

[patcooke]

Now I'm confused - the file naming seems to be a bit misleading - does it mean it IS SP1 or it HAS SP1? File sizes certainly are big - maybe suck it and see?

 

[patcooke]

Now I'm confused - the file naming seems to be a bit misleading - does it mean it IS SP1 or it HAS SP1? But then a quote from the site:

The latest version of Windows 7 DVD image available is of media refresh version, which commonly known as Windows 7 SP1-U (Media Refresh).

 

[Saltgrass]

Hey Pat, the media refresh is explained on the site, but it is the full Install DVD. I downloaded it yesterday to make sure it was. When I mount the .iso, it looks like an install DVD, but I did not burn it to test.

Someone in another thread I sent to the same place, indicates it is useable.

 

[patcooke]

Thanks for clarifying - I was finding the wording and terminology quite confusing - all the references to SP1 and "Windows 7 SP1-U (Media Refresh)". It would have been helpful if somewhere on there they had simply stated - this is a full installable version of Windows 7. I was considering downloading one just to satisfy my own curiosity so thanks for clarifying it - and saving me a 3gb download!

 

[whs]

Now you got me too. I have done some more digging. There is a link on the page which decribes the content and there it clearly says "Windows 7 with SP1". So I guess it is a complte installation .iso after all.

 

[jyorkcar]

Patcooke,

I'm pretty sure it means it's a Win7 installation disk with SP1 slipstreamed. Here's a link to various Win7 ISO's and a brief description of each:

MSDN Subscriber Downloads

 

[patcooke]

Yes - those are definitely what they say - as an MSDN subscriber I use them a lot.