[SOLVED] No recovery media available!

[JaxAgain]

Hi all,

My laptop hard drive failed a while back and I'm looking to install a new hard drive. Problem: I have no recovery disk! I contacted Microsoft with my Windows 7 product key, and instead told me to contact my laptop manufacturer. I contact my laptop manufacturer and they tell me they no longer provide recovery media.

Any other solution besides buying Windows 7 or 10?

 

[drtweak]

what brand of laptop? got to give us these details

 

[JaxAgain]

what brand of laptop? got to give us these details

Acer, in Canada

 

[kerberos_20]

since u didnt backup on your own and acer doesnt support win 7 anymore (as far as recovery discs goes)
u will need to get win 7 install media (same version u used before like x64 home premium oem?)
https://heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool
here u can grab your iso, than use your serial key which u can find on your COA sticker

 

[JaxAgain]

since u didnt backup on your own and acer doesnt support win 7 anymore (as far as recovery discs goes)
u will need to get win 7 install media (same version u used before like x64 home premium oem?)
https://heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool
here u can grab your iso, than use your serial key which u can find on your COA sticker

To be clear, my product key is from a pre-loaded OS... My understanding is that Microsoft ISOs only supports retail product keys. So would this tool work with pre-loaded OS product keys?

 

[kerberos_20]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

 

[hang-the-9]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

License is not in BIOS in Win 7 systems.

But the OEM keys do work with the downloaded ISOs, just need to match the correct version.

 

[JaxAgain]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

License is not in BIOS in Win 7 systems.

But the OEM keys do work with the downloaded ISOs, just need to match the correct version.

So to be clear, the tool will work, I just need the correct version of Windows 7 and the product key on the back of my laptop, is that correct?

 

[kerberos_20]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

License is not in BIOS in Win 7 systems.

But the OEM keys do work with the downloaded ISOs, just need to match the correct version.

in his case he has 2 keys, one in bios in SLIC table, this comes pre installed and self activates - he lost access to this one, can be recovered thought, and second one is on COA sticker this one usualy needs phone for activating, but its still valid

 

[kerberos_20]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

License is not in BIOS in Win 7 systems.

But the OEM keys do work with the downloaded ISOs, just need to match the correct version.

So to be clear, the tool will work, I just need the correct version of Windows 7 and the product key on the back of my laptop, is that correct?

yep u just need correct windows version (should be written on that sticker)

 

[drtweak]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

License is not in BIOS in Win 7 systems.

But the OEM keys do work with the downloaded ISOs, just need to match the correct version.

SLP keys buddy. Dell has been doing it since XP. You have to use a dell disk but it auto activates from the key in the BIOS.


Now to the OP, There are programs to extract the BIOS key if there is one. Not all have them, but you can use the key that is on your laptop still, OR you can install windows 10, and activate with the key on your laptop and get the free upgrade still.

 

[JaxAgain]

it doesnt matter, u can even use retail cd with your key and it will work
your licence is written inside your BIOS so it will activate just fine as long u changed only your harddrive
still u will have to input your key during installation
if your COA sticker isnt readable, there is a way to recover that key from your BIOS

Thanks. And one last question. I see two versions: Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 7 SP1 OEM. I'm assuming mine is Windows 7 SP1 OEM?

 

[howtobeironic]

Quickly put, the installation media should not differ between OEM and Retail. They both use the same ISO since the difference between OEM and Retail is just in the key. Check it again, and also check if that OEM ISO has a brand in it. If it isn't yours don't go for it. You should be able to freely install, it's very rare that windows refuses an oem key because of a drive change. Good luck