How to get a Windows 7 Disk from a working installation

[SnarfTCat]

Really I just want a Windows 7 Disk, but the dudes that sold me this laptop didn't give me one. I don't believe a simple system repair disk will allow me to upgrade my harddrive and slap a Windows 7 installation on it, so I was hoping there might be a more robust option

 

[MedicBob]

Purchase it?

Image the drive if it already has W7 on it.

 

[thescreensavers]

^ This

 

[Rifter]

You cant make a install disc from a current install, the install disc has many drivers and apps that are not installed with every install.

Buy one or image.

 

[ViRGE]

The other posters are correct, you can't get a complete disc out of a current install. The installation image itself is made from complete Win7 installs using SysPrep, but it won't get you the other odds & ends needed to make a complete disc. Call the OEM and see how much they charge for a disc (I don't believe MS does fulfillment for OEM computers).

 

[repoman0]

Hopefully this isn't against the rules here, but just download an untouched MSDN image via a torrent. As long as you have a key it's perfectly legal, Microsoft themselves used to offer Win7 images to the general public from their servers if you knew where to look.

Any image should work with both retail and OEM keys but I believe you have to get your specific version (Professional, Home Premium, etc) unlike with Vista.

Yeah, suggesting to download Windows via BitTorrent is against the rules here. Please don't do that again.
-ViRGE

 

[Blain]

You could subscribe to MS TechNet for $199.

 

[Phynaz]

Hopefully this isn't against the rules here, but just download an untouched MSDN image via a torrent. As long as you have a key it's perfectly legal, Microsoft themselves used to offer Win7 images to the general public from their servers if you knew where to look.

Any image should work with both retail and OEM keys but I believe you have to get your specific version (Professional, Home Premium, etc) unlike with Vista.

Yes, discussing the pirating of MSDN is against the rules.

 

[Phynaz]

If the purpose is a hard drive upgrade, just image onto the new drive.

Basically MS doesn't license OEM's to provide full install disks anymore.

 

[RebateMonger]

Basically MS doesn't license OEM's to provide full install disks anymore.

Dell provides full install disks with many of their PCs, especially for their business PCs. Our recent purchases of Dell PCs with both XP Professional and Win7 Professional licenses came with full install disks for both XP and Win7.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Dell provides full install disks with many of their PCs, especially for their business PCs. Our recent purchases of Dell PCs with both XP Professional and Win7 Professional licenses came with full install disks for both XP and Win7.

It should be most OEMs opt not to provide the disks to save $1.

 

[FoxFifth]

Dell recently started a "Media Reduction Initiative" where " Effective Apr 1, 2010, consumer systems will no longer include the Operating System or Resource Driver discs." http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19332656.aspx