Tried to clean install OEM windows....

[Robert Cook]

Well, I think I outdid myself when it comes to goofups. I got an old Asus G53SX at a recycling fair, and the previous owner (AKA the person who threw it out) was kind enough to leave and admin account with no password.... Great, free windows 7!

I grabbed the key, and then popped in my windows 7 pro ISO disc. I wiped the drive (tons of factory bloatware and the discs were nearly full of who knows what (I did not check)), and then after getting to the activation part, realized how badly I have screwed up.

First off, the laptop used to run windows 7 home premium OEM. (But I only had the windows 7 pro ISO and foolishly did not notice when I fired it up.)

Naturally windows pro will not activate with an OEM key for home premium, and that is where the issue lies. I asked Asus about getting the ISO file (Microsoft has locked OEM ISO downloads), and they said it would be $60 to get it reinstalled. (I do not want to spend $60 to get a copy of windows I already have the key to.)

So now I am stuck with a useless unactivated copy of windows 7 pro and with no apparent way to get the correct copy back.

Is there anything to do besides find an OEM disc and use that with my key?

If not, is there anyway to get a copy of one without going to sketchy areas?

Thank you for your time spent reading this.

 

[superninja12]

correct copy here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

make a bootable usb

erase that laptop drive and format it windows.

should work

 

[Robert Cook]

will that work? part of the problem though is that I do not have a windows 7 home premium ISO key to give to microsoft for the download (my key is OEM so they will not let me download.)

 

[superninja12]

will that work? part of the problem though is that I do not have a windows 7 home premium ISO key to give to microsoft for the download (my key is OEM so they will not let me download.)

let me check , if i can find it i throw it , I send it to you

edit: but have you tried that key through the link ive send you?

im sure i can get the software , but you will need to activate it.

 

[Robert Cook]

will that work? part of the problem though is that I do not have a windows 7 home premium ISO key to give to microsoft for the download (my key is OEM so they will not let me download.)

let me check , if i can find it i throw it , I send it to you

If that works for you, I would be very grateful.