SOLVED Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads

[genpix]

I have Windows 7 Pro English preinstalled on my laptop (and I have sticker with license number on it's bottom).
Can I use the same license number to install (on the same laptop) Windows 7 Pro with different language?
Or is this license number is tight to the English version only?

 

[TrainableMan]

If you want to REPLACE the English version that would be legal, the language is not tied to the product key but, it would not be legal to have two copies of W7, even on a single machine. If you need multiple languages then you are expected to upgrade to W7 Ultimate which has that functionality.

 

[mrag]

I have an old eMachine Netbook (Acer group, 10" screen, 1GB Atom Intel, 160MB HD) with Windows 7 Starter. It takes about 2 minute from start to load. It can then take almost a minute for Chrome to load and get to a home home page. Seems like it could use a fresh install. I've see the page for Win 7 ISO SP1 downloads which gives me two questions (sorry to be dense):

1) Where do I get a Win 7 Starter version? (I see Home, Ultimate and Premium)
2) Am I to use some "Media Refresh (SP1-U)" version listed here and not the ones from the link above.

 

[TrainableMan]

For Starter:
Download 32-bit Pro SP1-U media refresh
create a bootable flash drive with the Microsoft USB/DVD Download Tool.
delete the file ei.cfg from the flash drive.
Boot the computer to the flash drive (set USB to be first in the BIOS boot order)
Install and choose your version

 

[mrag]

I don't think the Netbook's BIOS will let it boot from a thumb drive. I seem to recall trying to run some Linux Live that way some time ago and got no where. That aside, Netbook lists the current Boot Priority Order as:
1) USB CDROM
2) USB FDD
3) USB HDD

I do have an external USB DVD burner and I just found this test for USB boot compatibility and perhaps this older model will see USB HDD as a flash drive. Now to find the time to toy around. Thanks.

Mr. Joe Martin has the right idea there ;-)

 

[TrainableMan]

Well if you have a DVDRom you can use it but then you would need to actually edit the ISO file to remove ei.cfg before you burn it to a DVD.

 

[chucky2]

I don't think the Netbook's BIOS will let it boot from a thumb drive. I seem to recall trying to run some Linux Live that way some time ago and got no where. That aside, Netbook lists the current Boot Priority Order as:
1) USB CDROM
2) USB FDD
3) USB HDD

I do have an external USB DVD burner and I just found this test for USB boot compatibility and perhaps this older model will see USB HDD as a flash drive. Now to find the time to toy around. Thanks.

Mr. Joe Martin has the right idea there ;-)

I'm doing this exact same thing (Windows 7 Starter via USB stick install) on a Toshiba Netbook right now and the option in the boot sequence in the BIOS to get the USB stick in front of the hard drive doesn't pop up unless the USB stick is in the Netbook prior to turning it on and going into the BIOS. Also, unlike the optical disk way, where you can put the optical in front of the hard drive in the boot order, do the initial install, then it reboots and continues the install but it will boot to hard drive after waiting for a user prompt when initially trying to boot optical, this Toshiba will continue to always boot to the USB stick since that's the order in the BIOS. So the workaround for that is to set the USB stick as first in the BIOS, do the initial install, then when it reboots, go into BIOS and put hard drive in front of the USB stick. After that you're good.

Chuck

 

[TrainableMan]

That's not really a "workaround" that is what you do, period.

You plug in the flash drive, boot to the BIOS and set the USB first in the boot order then save the BIOS and install W7 from the flash drive then remove the flash drive, reboot and return the boot order back to normal in the BIOS

 

[chucky2]

True, not a workaround, just something to keep in mind when not using the optical method for install media.

 

[samn]

I have Windows 7 Pro English preinstalled on my laptop (and I have sticker with license number on it's bottom).
Can I use the same license number to install (on the same laptop) Windows 7 Pro with different language?
Or is this license number is tight to the English version only?

This is also my problem, I have Windows 7 Home Japanese preinstalled, legitimate product key, can I install downloaded English edition, will there be no problem?

 

[mrag]

For Starter:
Download 32-bit Pro SP1-U media refresh
create a bootable flash drive with the Microsoft USB/DVD Download Tool.
delete the file ei.cfg from the flash drive.
Boot the computer to the flash drive (set USB to be first in the BIOS boot order)
Install and choose your version

I am having some trouble making certain I understand the exact order of things. No doubt some confusion is my limited brain power and the rest is not being comfortable to exactly which drive is being referred to when.
1) My netbook is now set to boot from USB
2) I have downloaded the 32-bit Pro SP1-U media refresh file to a separate (Win7) desktop
3) I have downloaded the Windows7-USB Download Installer exe file to the same separate desktop

How/when do I create a bootable flash drive. Do I just double click the "download tool" on the desktop and will it allow me to point to a flash drive? If so, then when do I put the downloaded Win7 Pro on the flash drive to delete the ei.cfg file? I realize this may sound pretty dumb, but it strikes me that it will be a lot easier to get things in the proper sequence now, rather than later. Thank you for your patience.

 

[TrainableMan]

On "other" W7 computer:
Run the download tool installer to install the program.
Plug an empty 4GB or larger flash drive into that W7 computer.
Run the program "Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" (which was just installed).
-Point the program to the W7 SP1-U ISO file
-Choose the USB device
-allow it to create a bootable flash drive.
Then open Windows Explorer and delete ei.cfg from the flash drive root Sources folder.
Remove the flash drive.

On the netbook already set to boot first from USB:
Turn off your netbook.
Plug the USB Flash drive into your netbook.
Turn it on so W7 Installation starts from the flash drive.
install ... making sure you use the format option
(See Youtube video >>HERE<< to see how to format during install.)

Note that at some point you will have the additional menu choice of version because you deleted ei.cfg and you will need to specify starter

 

[mrag]

You are a very patient man. I now see where I was tripping over myself, but your 'install the installer' helped with that issue. All went smoothly so far except:

You wrote "Then open Windows Explorer and delete ei.cfg from the flash drive root folder." However, in Windows Explorer, the initial flash drive display now shows only three files (autorun.inf, bootmgr, and setup.exe) and five folders (boot, efi, sources, support, upgrade). In the sources folder there is an ei.cfg file that is 1KB in size. That is the only ei.cfg file I can find anywhere. I would like to be clear that is the location (sources) and the file to be deleted from the flash drive before proceeding to the netbook. Sort of the "measure twice, cut once" theory. Thank you again.

 

[clifford_cooley]

I would like to be clear that is the location (sources) and the file to be deleted from the flash drive before proceeding to the netbook.

Yes that is the file TM is referencing. Once the ei.cfg file has been deleted, the install will ask which Windows edition you would like installed. As TM stated, you will need to select the Starter Edition at that time.

 

[TrainableMan]

Yes in Sources folder, sorry; I will edit my post above

(My brother does some carpentry work and so I do know your "measure twice, cut once" reference but his standard joke is "I cut it 3 times and the darn thing is still too short")

 

[mrag]

Sort of disappointing I had to wait two hours until almost 4 AM to confirm the correct folder ;-) I did an initial view of the YouTube video you recommended and will do another with some quick notes and write down the M$ registration numbers from the bottom of the netbook before going to actual install. In my 'modern' house, we only have one wired router connection available which I'd prefer to use for this. I also suspect the install with subsequent downloaded updates will take some time so will need to work on time and concentration. True thanks. Will advise on outcome.

Reviewed YouTube video. Question. When do you remove the flash drive or do you leave it plugged in the whole time? I had the impression that during install the pc will restart several times. If so, shouldn't the USB flash drive be out of the computer?

 

[mrag]

Thank you all again for your time and guidance. Everything went pretty smoothly and according to plan.

For anyone that has not installed Windows before, here is a brief synopsis of what I experienced. I started the netbook with the prepared flash drive plugged in about 7PM last night. It started "loading files" and I got to select "Custom" install and chose Advanced drive options to format the drive. I got an alert that all would be wiped out, I proceeded. Almost immediately I was given a choice of several Win7 versions to install including Starter. I thought formatting would take some time to complete. If my 200+GB drive was "formatted" it was done in less than 30 seconds or so. In about 10 minutes there was an alert that Windows would restart several times. I had not removed the flash drive so everything repeated on restart. This time when it warned of needing to restart, I pulled the flash drive out. I followed the YouTube video noted above the rest of the way including inputting my product key (this would be at about the 40 minute mark). Soon I was asked for my wireless password and I realized that although I had connected an ethernet cable, I neglected to turn off the wireless (Duh!). At about 54 minutes there was a restart with 'minor update.' At 67 minutes I had 173 important updates of 499.5 MB that needed installing. This updating is where all the time goes.

At about the 6 hour mark, it was still installing 71 of 173 updates. Almost seemed like the unit was hung on that one. I 'cancelled the install' and shut down for the evening getting a notice "do not unplug, installing 1 of 1.." The netbook finally turned off about 6½ hours in. I restarted this morning and it started working on another 113 updates. I also installed Microsoft Security Essentials and ran a scan (probably not needed at that point). I shut down again, restarted and I believe there was another set or two of updates to install. As of 2 PM this afternoon, Belarc Advisor reports my updates and security definitions are 'in order.'

 

[challan]

I have installed 7 home premium on a new SSD in my old Presario cq56 but it says that my oem key is invalid. any ideas?

 

[TrainableMan]

Did it accept for installation but then not activate or did it not accept it at all? If it does not accept it at all then it is either not for home premium or it was mistyped. If it was accepted but will not activate and you are using it on the original hardware then you will need to call to activate.

An OEM license cannot be moved so if it is not the original hardware then it can not legally be activated.

 

[j0ndafr3ak]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum.

I have a problem downloading any of the iso files. I never get to finish a download. I tried both the English and the Italian version of Win7Pro x64 of which I own a genuine key.

Downloads just don't get to the end. I used Chrome and IE11 download managers, Mipony and Free Download Manager. They get stuck at some point.... what do i do?

EDIT: FDM says it's an unknown network error, but I can still use the Internet. Connection is always up and running.