Reinstall Windows 7 without recovery disc or hard drive copy

Sanguine Fan

I have a 5-year old Toshiba Satellite laptop running Windows 7 Pro and it has become very slow. I would like to restore it to its original out-of-the-box condition. It's not my main PC and I would continue to use it only for certain needs. So, I am thinking that if it is stripped of all unnecessary software and files it should run more quickly.

I understand there is an easy way to do this if I have a recovery disc. As I never made a recovery disc, the other option is to restore it from the partitioned D drive. Unfortunately, not knowing any better, I messed around with the D drive a while back and it will no longer restore the OS from there.

Windows 7 was installed when I bought the laptop. I don't have a disc but I do have the product key. Unfortunately Microsoft does not allow downloads of Windows 7 if the original OS was pre-installed - even with the key.

I could just buy another copy of Windows 7 Pro, but before I add to Microsoft's billions, is there another way?

If I were to restore the computer to a point before I messed around with the hard drive, would that repair the partition and make a reset possible?

Or does anyone have a better idea?

mistress_gi

Make bootable usb in another computer (Google it it's very easy). Set computer to boot from usb from the bios menu) Re install Windows from usb!

Sanguine Fan

mistress_gi wrote: »

Make bootable usb in another computer (Google it it's very easy). Set computer to boot from usb from the bios menu) Re install Windows from usb!

Thanks. Not sure if I understand this method. Does Windows 7 need to be on the USB? According to one site I've found that seems to be the case.

As I said, I can't get a copy of W7 from Microsoft.

Sorry, I'm not very tech-literate.

ED E

http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally/

Follow this guide, it'll bring you through all the steps.

Keplar240B

Have you tried the usual suspects first?

disk de-fragmentation
disk clean up utility
Malware removal
etc

Bongalongherb

If you decide to make a bootable USB then these easy instructions will do it for you. Just follow the instructions and your USB will be ready to install the operating system files on it and then boot to USB either pushing F12 at start-up, depending on what manufacturer your computer is, but it's usually the F12 button to boot to USB.

How to make a bootable USB: http://www.intowindows.com/bootable-usb/

Sanguine Fan

Bongalongherb wrote: »

If you decide to make a bootable USB then these easy instructions will do it for you. Just follow the instructions and your USB will be ready to install the operating system files on it and then boot to USB either pushing F12 at start-up, depending on what manufacturer your computer is, but it's usually the F12 button to boot to USB.

How to make a bootable USB: http://www.intowindows.com/bootable-usb/

Thanks for the suggestion. But like the others above, I would need to have a copy of Windows 7 on a DVD or via download, which I don't.

What I have found is a set of three recovery discs I made on a previous laptop running W7 Pro. If I tried booting from these, would I achieve what I need, i.e. a clean PC with W7 installed?

Bongalongherb

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion. But like the others above, I would need to have a copy of Windows 7 on a DVD or via download, which I don't.

What I have found is a set of three recovery discs I made on a previous laptop running W7 Pro. If I tried booting from these, would I achieve what I need, i.e. a clean PC with W7 installed?

Is your operating system 32-bit or 64-bit ?

Booting from the windows 7 pro disc will do a clean install once you go to advanced in the boot installation process for a clean wipe of your hard-drive, but using that disc/discs for install will install the operating system but the windows product key might not work. Make sure you boot into the system and not just insert the discs to install it, you need to boot directly from the cd drive disc to do a clean install and then follow the information till it gives you the option of advanced, then click that and it will show you the drive C: and then format this and it will install.

Like I said though, the product key might not work to activate it.

Sanguine Fan

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Is your operating system 32-bit or 64-bit ?

Booting from the windows 7 pro disc will do a clean install once you go to advanced in the boot installation process for a clean wipe of your hard-drive, but using that disc/discs for install will install the operating system but the windows product key might not work. Make sure you boot into the system and not just insert the discs to install it, you need to boot directly from the cd drive disc to do a clean install and then follow the information till it gives you the option of advanced, then click that and it will show you the drive C: and then format this and it will install.

Like I said though, the product key might not work to activate it.

Thanks and you're probably right. That version of W7 would have a different key and the laptop is long gone. However, when I read your post I vaguely remembered photographing the numbers on the back. Lo and behold I have just found a reasonable image of the product key, with just one or two characters unclear.

It turns out it was Home Premium and not Pro as is on my current laptop. So if I follow your steps it might just work.

I am not sure if the Home Premium version was 64- or 32-bit. Would it make any difference on a laptop that previously ran Pro 64-bit? I am thinking of the other software, which is mainly Microsoft Office.

Thanks for your help. I feel I'm getting near a solution.

Bongalongherb

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Thanks and you're probably right. That version of W7 would have a different key and the laptop is long gone. However, when I read your post I vaguely remembered photographing the numbers on the back. Lo and behold I have just found a reasonable image of the product key, with just one or two characters unclear.

It turns out it was Home Premium and not Pro as is on my current laptop. So if I follow your steps it might just work.

I am not sure if the Home Premium version was 64- or 32-bit. Would it make any difference on a laptop that previously ran Pro 64-bit? I am thinking of the other software, which is mainly Microsoft Office.

Thanks for your help. I feel I'm getting near a solution.

The product license keys are different for each operating system. A 64-bit windows 7 license key will not work with a 32-bit operating system, nor will a 32-bit key work with a 64-bit operating system.

If you are going to use windows 7 premium the key capture you have might work, if not check PM message shortly.

Sanguine Fan

Keplar240B wrote: »

Have you tried the usual suspects first?

disk de-fragmentation
disk clean up utility
Malware removal
etc

I have tried these at various times. But I might repeat them all again anyway if I can't reinstall W7.

That plus removing unnecessary files and programs might improve things.

Thanks for the tip.

PeterTheEighth

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Windows 7 was installed when I bought the laptop. I don't have a disc but I do have the product key. Unfortunately Microsoft does not allow downloads of Windows 7 if the original OS was pre-installed - even with the key.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-now-allowing-downloads-of-retail-windows-7-copies/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

It IS possible to get a copy of the software from Microsoft. I have done this successfully for two laptops that came in with no recovery disc, but WITH a valid code. I downloaded the DVD, used Rufus to burn it to a USB drive. Then I installed it and it activated with the code from the laptop.

However, I would either take a clone of the disk or use a spare hard disk to make sure that you have some way of reversing back, should you have any problems.

Sanguine Fan

PeterTheEighth wrote: »

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-now-allowing-downloads-of-retail-windows-7-copies/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

It IS possible to get a copy of the software from Microsoft. I have done this successfully for two laptops that came in with no recovery disc, but WITH a valid code. I downloaded the DVD, used Rufus to burn it to a USB drive. Then I installed it and it activated with the code from the laptop.

However, I would either take a clone of the disk or use a spare hard disk to make sure that you have some way of reversing back, should you have any problems.

Thanks. If the OS you replaced was OEM, where did you download the DVD from?

Unless I'm missing something, the sites you mentioned specifically exclude OEM.

PeterTheEighth

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Thanks. If the OS you replaced was OEM, where did you download the DVD from? Unless I'm missing something, the sites you mentioned specifically exclude OEM.

One of the ones I did was definitely an OEM as it had a DELL written on the Windows 7 Pro sticker. TBH, I was pretty certain that it would NOT activate, but it did. I'm not saying this is the magic bullet, but if you have no other options, there's a chance that this will work. I dont have a direct link for the DVD as there are different links for the 32-bit and 64-bit. You will need to look through that section and find the appropriate download.

mp22

Have a look on MDL,for a iso

200motels

Bongalongherb wrote: »

The product license keys are different for each operating system. A 64-bit windows 7 license key will not work with a 32-bit operating system, nor will a 32-bit key work with a 64-bit operating system.

If you are going to use windows 7 premium the key capture you have might work, if not check PM message shortly.

You are right and wrong. It doesn't matter whether it's 32 bit or 64 bit the same key will work with both as long as it's a retail key. OEM key is kind of a different matter, it should work as I've never had a problem doing so.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/is-a-windows-7-license-key-valid-for-both-32-bit/70d546cd-b6e3-44d8-a6c8-fd7feb7d1915?auth=1